or ill But most of all she doth desire The funerall piles to set on fire And whilst they burne to filch from thence The Spices and the Frankinsence ¶ The Gods euen at the first request Do grant to her each wicked hest And feare to heare her twice to craue The thing that she desires to haue She buries bodies yet aliue Before that death their soules depriue And though their date might long subsist In spight of Fates she cuts their twist And others dead brings backe againe From funerals with ioyfull traine Restoring life to euery vaine Out of the midst of funerall fires She rapes and greedily desires The smoking cinders as they lye And yong mens bones that flaming fry And raging will not doubt nor feare The torch from parents hands to teare Then all the flakes that she espies Which from the coarse w th black smoke flies And garments vnto ashes turn'd And oylie fragments scarcely burn'd Together she doth scrape and glut But when into a Tombe they put A sollid body moist within With marrow closd in hardned skinne Then will she raue on all the parts Into the eyes her fingers darts And neuer digging leaues withall Till she teares out the very ball Then from the dryed hands she rents And gnawes the pallid excrements The knots her teeth in sunder share Of ropes wherewith men strangled are The hanging carkasses she fleeces And then the gibbets breakes in peeces The wether-beaten paunch she cast Out of the corpes and then at last She lets the sunne thereon to sprout And vn-sod marrow so takes out Those that are hang'd in Iron chaines Whose hands the rusty fetters straines From all the ioynts whereof distilles The oylie moisture that downe trilles In greasie filth and swarthy gore She gathers vp for poysons store Whilst gnawing on the nerues she files Fast by the teeth she hangs the whiles And if that she by chance doe finde A carkasse on the ground vn-shrinde Amongst the rauening beasts and fowle There will this Sorceresse sitting scowle But will not with a knife select The flesh and parts she doth affect But she will onely pry and watch The morsels from Wolues iawes to snatch From murder neuer stayes her hands When as in need of blood she stands That freshly flowes from wounds at first Such she findes out to quench her thirst Nor will she stay her murdrous mood When she would sacrifice life-blood Or that some funerall rites require The trembling intrailes on the fire The babes within the mothers wombe With gashing wound she will vntombe Ere nature bring it forth to light Her flaming Altars so to dight And whensoeuer she needs most Some cruell sturdy humor'd ghost Her slaughtring fist the soules prepares No humane life she euer spares From off the chinnes she rents and teares Of flowring youths the downy haires And with left hand the lockes will shaue Of striplings lingring to the graue This Witch her owne kinne hath not spar'd That death of her dire hand hath shar'd But first she would them coll and kisse And then the head from corpes dismisse And when that death their iawes had fixt She then would gnab her teeth betwixt And so bite off the labbring tongue That to the dry throat fast was clung And with her cold lips then would babble Of whispring charmes full many a rabble And then at last with some vile spell Would send their sprights to shades of hell ¶ The fame that of this Witch did runne Had made her knowne to Pompey's sonne Who in the depth of silent night When Tytan had conuaid his light Vnto the middle of that skye That to our feet opposd doth lye Abrode at that time Sextus traces Into the solitary places Attended by a company Prepar'd and true to villany VVho ranging vp and downe the land VVhere graues and Tombes did vse to stand By chaunce a farre they spy'd this hagge Close sitting by a rocky cragge Neere to a path that straight doth guide The way vnto mount Aemus side There she such charms did mūbling chatter That no Magitians knew the matter Nor yet the Gods of Magickes art Of her strange spels knew any part New fictions she did cunne by heart And fearing that this bloudy warre VVould be transferred yet more farre From Thessaly to other soyles VVhereby the blood that these garboyles On either side would flowing yeeld Should be depriu'd Pharsalias field VVhich she already had defil'd VVith spelles and incantations vilde Did what she could that might withstand To draw the warres from out this land For now she hop't to glut her mood VVith vse of flowing humane blood And that in such a world of strife She should haue deaths and slaughters rife That cinders of the Romans dead Might in Emathia's field be spread And bones of noble Peeres there slaine VVhose ghosts she hop't should be her gain This was her drift this her desire VVherewith her heart was set on fire Proposing to her selfe the spoyle Of Pompey's part vpon his foyle And with like rage to raue and rampe Vpon some wrackes of Caesars campe Then to this hagge with words full milde First spake great Pompey's worthlesse childe ¶ O thou that art the greatest grace Of Sages of Aemonian race That canst at large to men relate Their destiny and future fate And hast the power to turne aside Euents of harmes that should betide I thee beseech doe me that grace To let me know this doubtfull case What is the scope and certaine end VVhereto this ciuill warre will tend I am not least of Roman heires That intrest haue in these affaires Great Pompey is my noble sire And I his sonne that must aspire Either to be the Lord of all Or heire of his great funerall My minde doth doubtfull dread retaine And yet resolu'd I am againe To carry all with courage stout Were I but sure what would fall out Doe thou therefore resolue I pray The doubt of this vncertaine day That we be not surpris'd vnwares Nor blindly led to Fortunes snares From higher powers extort the truth Or on the Gods thou maist haue ruth And all the Stygian ghosts below Vrge to thy power the truth to show Goe search Thessalian fields about And also learne which of our rout Death is resolu'd to him to call That in these ciuill warres must fall This labour is of no base kinde But worthy thy inspired minde A worke of glory by thee donne To know how so great Fate shall runne ¶ This glorifide Thessalian Witch To heare her fame for ioy did itch And thus reply'd O noble youth Didst thou desire to know the truth Of future chance in lesser fate As thou requir'st I could relate Although the Gods it disavow'd For so much is to Art allow'd For though the planets influence Did call some one mans life from hence Yet could we thereof make a stay And so likewise can take away With speciall hearbes his liuing houre That all the starres vnited power
as they could no more sustaine Themselues by swimming on the maine ¶ Now in this battailes long euent Were darts and weapons almost spent But fury then prouides for Armes With Oares now one another harmes The staues that flagges and Ensignes beare They from the banners snatch and teare With benches whereon they did sit The rowers one another smit And peeces from the ship sides split Their fellowes that in heapes lye slaine Vpon the deckes they search againe That they their weapons might retaine Others to shew their dreadlesse hearts Out of their wounds doe rash the darts And with their left hands close the sore So to represse the bubling gore Which striues that way to finde a vent Whereas the lance had made a dent ¶ But all this hauocke by the seas Was not to be compar'd to these That last of all they did inuent By a contrary element For now enrag'd with greater ire They cast abrode such desperate fire Composd of brimstone pitch and oyle Wherein their darts they wrap and foyle And then such wild-fire balles doe make Whose flames no waters force can slake But on the ships quicke hold will take Where they incounter ropes and boords That tarre and rosin store affoords Stuffe that will quickly flame retaine And hard to be extinct againe The boords that from the ships sides shakes These fiers hand-fast on them takes Here some doe plunge into the seas The scorching flames so to appease Others in danger of the waues Hold by those plankes that flaming raues So whilst mongst many deaths they runne No death so much they striu'd to shunne As that which first they apprehend Did threaten them their liues to end Yet all these ship-wrackes nought auaile Their courage to abase or quaile But on the seas the darts that flow They gather vp at shippes to throw With those faint hands that them sustaine By swimming in the rowling maine And when they cannot meet with darts Another way they play their parts When one foe doth another spy They straight together struggling try Till both downe to the bottome flye ¶ Amongst the rest in this fierce fight A man there was that Phoceus hight A Souldier of a gallant spright That well could swim and well could diue And vnder water long suruiue So as for need the bottomes sands He would take vp with diuing hands Or if the Anchors hooke were bound He could vnloose it from the ground Or fixe the cable that by chance From out the Anchors ring did glance This fellow singles out a foe And in his armes doth graspe him so That to the bottome both do goe There him he strangles in the mud Then lifts himselfe aboue the floud But after this againe he tries In semblant sort to diue and rise And as his head aloft he reares Against a ship his skull he teares Wherewith he downe-right sunke amaine And neuer rose aliue againe Some now the hostile oares by might Would hold and stay their ships from flight But that which most did all offend Was vnreueng'd their liues to end Many that saw their death draw nye Would on the ship sides hazards try And so the beake-head brace and clip To beare the blow from off the ship ¶ Then Lygdanus by chance did eye Tyrrhenus mounted loftily Strowting vpon a Gallions puppe A sling and bullet he takes vp And sent it with a strength so fierce That both his temples it did pierce From whence a streame of bloud forth flies And after it starts out his eyes His sight thus rap't amaz'd did stand And thought this darknes was deaths hand But when his sprights were come againe That did true valor still retaine My mates quoth he that so well know The piercing dart a farre to throw Direct me now a right to stand That I may vse my darting hand Then to himselfe a lowd he spake Tyrrhene goe now and vndertake In warre all hazards that may chance Thy end more brauely to aduance Such noble thoughts this man halfe slaine Did in his haughty heart retaine My wel-steel'd dart Ioue grant thou light Vpon some gallant worthy wight So said his dart he forth did straine With his blinde arme yet not in vaine But did a lusty younker smite Of noble bloud he Argus hight The point his very nauell hit But pierc'd it not halfe through as yet Vntill he groueling downe did fall Which prest the head home shaft and all ¶ When this happe Argus did betide His father on the other side Did in a conquer'd Gally stand Great was his worth by sea and land For he in all the Phocians warres Gaue place to none that doing dares But now with eld was weake and spent And yet vnto this battaile went Not as a Souldier to obay But in high place to rule and sway Now when this dismall chance he spy'd Ouer the seats he straines to stride And so poore man still clambring vp Made shift to come vnto the puppe Where when he saw his Argus lye Gasping for life at point to dye No teares fell from the old mans eye Neither did he outraging cry But numnesse did his sence surprise And darknesse did benight his eyes His body sodainly grew cold His hands out-stretcht could nothing hold And in this trance and sencelesse plight He had forgot his Argus quite But he sweet youth his head did becke That faintly reeled on his necke And lifts it vp a little space When first he glimpst his fathers face His Iaw-falne mouth no voyce forth sends But silent to his father bends And beckes his head as latest blisse From his old lippes to get a kisse And with best meanes he could deuise Pointed to him to close his eyes The griping sorrow that did straine This poore old man in euery vaine Puts rage and spright in him againe Well now quoth he I 'le loose no time This wracke is chanced for my crime The direfull Fates as they ordaine Shall haue me by mine owne hand slaine Deare Argus my sweet boy dispence With thy sad fathers late offence In that I did not thee embrace Nor with last duties kisse thy face As yet thy wound doth not so draine The life-blood out of euery vaine But that thy lookes good hope do giue That thou a while maist longer liue No sooner had he said that word But straight he fell vpon his sword Which he draue to the very hilt Yet not content with his bloud spilt Into the sea he head-long flies One way to death could not suffice ¶ This fortune now drawes to an end Which way the victory shall tend No longer cause there doth remaine Hazards of battaile to maintaine Most of Massilian fleet is drownd The rest for Roman seruice bound Whose rowers when they changed were The Roman victors in them beare A few with speed away did flye For shelter in some harbours nye But now what tongue can well expresse
be exprest VVith wicked words sufficiently And vowes repleat with villany Or if I neuer yet did charme But that with bloud and bowels warme I first of all did breake my fast And bodies full to you haue cast And if that I the braines haue dasht That were bloud-warme then haue washt And to your Altars heads did giue Of infants that might longer liue Obserue my suit that doth not craue A body smoldred in the graue Or that in darknesse long hath beene But one that late the light hath seene And newly did his soule discharge And scarce arriued at helles varge Let him my charmes now entertaine And he shall soone returne againe Let this ghost of a Souldier late Great Pompey's destiny relate To Pompey's sonne if in your sight A ciuill warre deserue that right ¶ When she her charming spell had sed She raisd her frothy mouth and head Wistly a while she did behold The ghost of that same carkasse cold That stood in feare and great amaze Vpon those liuelesse limbes to gaze And did that lothsome pinfold hate That was her prison but of late She dreads into that breast to passe That now so hack't and mangled was And in those bowels to reside Whose veins were cut with wounds so wide Ah wretched Ghost whom deaths last stroke Could not exempt from lifes fraile yoke Eryctho maruailes much and frets That Fates should vse these lingring lets And in her wroth this dead corpes takes And scourgeth it with liuing snakes Then through the earth by that same glade She pries which she with charms had made And barking to the sprights she speakes Which noise Erebus silence breakes Tysiphone thou hatefull spright And thou Megera that setst light By my request come tell me plaine When this sad soule you did retaine With you in hell did she not beare Your torments and your scourgings there By your true names I will you call You Stygian hagges I will enthrall And captiues hold in this worlds light And follow you with all despight Through Graues through Tombes through Burials And banish you from Funerals And Hecate I l'e make thee knowne In perfect shape that is thine owne Thou shalt no more thy selfe adorne With borrowed figure so to scorne The Gods with falshood and decait When thou art cal'd on them to wait Thy vile pale forme I will display Helles lookes thou shalt not put away And I Proserpina will tell That vnder earths huge weight doth dwell What feasts and iunketing you make And what disports in loue you take And how you set your whole delight In dalliance with the King of night Which life of thine if Ceres kend Thou neuer more to her shouldst wend. To thee of wretches all most vile As iudge of this I 'le send the while Bright Tytan with his beames so fierce That through the chinks of earth shal pierce And all thy shiftings open lay By suddaine sending in of day Will you assent my will to do Or shall I him compell thereto Vpon whose name I neuer call But that the earth doth quake withall He that with face vncouered Dares looke vpon Gorgona's head And with his whippes and fell aspect Trembling Erinnis doth correct And he that can farre better tell Then your owne selues the dens of hell His mansion vnder you he takes And he may sweare by Stygian lakes ¶ Forthwith when she had vsd her charme The chill blood in this corps grew warme The black wounds now more fleshly showes And through the veins the thin blood flowes Strengthning withall each outward part The tender strings that feede the hart Vnder the cold breast gan to beate As soone as they did feele the heate The marrow that was dulled long Taking fresh force was grown more strong New life was mingled death among Then pulses all and artyres strike The sinewes streach and motion seeke But now the body neuer tries To streach his lims whereas it lies With easie strength and by degrees But suddenly rebounding flees From off the ground and stands vpright With eyes wide open to the light And yawning iawes that breathed rife Yet in his face was no great life But rather of a deadly hue Stiffe wrinckled and a pallid blew He stonisht was at this worlds wonder His tyed tong no sound could blunder His voyce and speech had but in taske To answer what the witch did aske Tell me quoth she what I require And for it great shall be thy hire If to the world we truths impart The fame of our Aemonian art Will euer after glory gaine And our free sawes as soothes remaine In such a shrine thy lims shall lie And in such wood thy corps shall frie. And will so charme thy funerall As that the spels of Magicks call Thy ghost shall neuer hire at all And to thy selfe this boone bequeaue For that thou didst new life receaue That hearbs nor charms shall be of force Thy long sleepe euer to diuorce That death receiuest at my hand None do those answers vnderstand That Oracles and Trypods tell Who Fates requires from ghosts of hell Shall euer in assurance dwell He valiantly to worke doth go That dire deaths Oracle would know I pray thee therefore do not spare To shew things names right as they are Describe the places and speake plaine That I true Fates may entertaine ¶ To this withall she addes a spell Whereby the ghost had power to tell What so of him she sought to know Whilst his sad face teares ouerflow Truly I had not time quoth he To marke the Fatall sisters three How they their spinning twists did guide I was cal'd from the riuer side So secretly and in such hast I could not know how all things past But that which I did learne was doon Amongst the soules where I did woon Fell discord and outragious strife Amongst the Roman ghost was rife So as their broyles and armed riet Th' infernall state did much disquiet Diuers great Captains were diuided About their quarrell vndecided One part doth in Elysium dwell Tother in those darke dens of hell And both sides readily inclin'd To trie what destinie design'd The blessed soules did then appeare But sad and mournfull in their cheare The Decij both I there beheld The father and his worthie child Braue spirits that did expiate The Tyranies from Roman state Camillus and the Curij There wayling stood with watrie eye And Scylla one amongst this rout Against thee Fortune doth cry out And Scipio there I saw deplore That so the hatefull Affricke shore Their noble blood should now distaine With his owne grandchild thereon slaine And Cato maior of renowne The ancient foe to Carthage towne Did here lament his Nephewes fate That dy'd in scorne of seruile state And Brutus in his Consuls gowne That Tyranny did first put downe We here beheld in ioyful moode Amongst blest soules whereas he stood There Catilyne with prowd disdaines Insults amongst his broken chaines And
Treuers turne to ioy their teares To see the Romans by the eares And you Lygiers the rest among That vsd to weare your lockes so long For which of old the common fame Comated Gaules gaue you the name Though now you changed haue that guise From Garrisons were freed likewise So all those Nations that did vse Mercurius Altars to infuse And sprinkle round with humane blood And you that with like sauage mood To Mars make cruell sacrifice And yee that do mens hearts agrise VVhen you to Ioue your offrings make And fires with humane bloud do slake VVhose Altars therewith you distaine As deepe as Scythians vse to baine Diana's Altars and much more So doe they ouer-flow with gore And yee O Bards that with your rimes Record their fame to future times That valiantly expose their blood For honour and their Countries good And Druides high Priests of hell That in all barbarous Rites excell Who by your vncoth Sorc'rous spell Pretend that you alone can tell The influence of the starres that shine And natures of the powers diuine Now may you freely at your willes Solace your selues in woody hilles And build your boothes on topps of Trees And preach your Doctrines and Decrees Whereof you Authors are alone For now the Roman Rites are gone Now you may silly fooles perswade That when death hath his conquest made Mens soules descend not to the shades Of silent darke Eraebus glades Nor where the horrid mansion is Of lothsome deepe-indungion'd Dis But when that this worlds life is done Their soules into new bodies runne So losse of life to them brings gaine That would eternity attaine For in another world to liue You say Death onely meanes can giue Yee that in this opinion dwell In happinesse doe farre excell All Northerne nations that are knowne For where you haue this errour sowne All feare of death is cast aside Which terror most the heart doth gryde And from this confidence proceedes Your valour and your ventrous deedes Whose dauntlesse braue ennobled sprights Meetes deaths approches without frights And holds it base for to adiurne Life that so lost will soone returne Lastly those mastring braue Cohorts That shagge-heard Caicos tam'd with forts The bankes of Rhene vnguarded leaue And Caesars host doth them receiue Loe what a world wonne with long paine Is at an instant lost againe ¶ Caesar with these collected swarmes Of valiant Souldiers bred in Armes His haughty courage doth aduance At greater game to try his chance His ranging Troopes with spirits fierce Through Latium fields he doth disperse And all the Townes he doth surprize VVith garrisons he fortifies Then Fame that doth false rumors blaze His foes with true feares doth amaze The Citizens in generall Into despairefull humors fall And in their daunted mindes debate The fortunes of a conquered state Like fearefull Scowts that set a broach False Larums of a foes approach So Romes imaginary feares VVith her owne tongues affrights her eares Then from Meuania tidings came A Towne ennobled by the fame Of that rich soyle wherein it stands That Caesar with huge armed bands Had ouer-runne and pray'd their lands And many of his men of warre VVere come vnto the bankes of Nar VVhich Riuer into Tyber falles And thence would march vnto the walles Of Rome itselfe without delay And that they did at large display Their Banners and their Egles braue That such a mighty host they haue As neuer yet the rumor ran VVas seene in memory of man Yea much more fierce and truculent Then those that were most bloudy bent Of all the people ruthlesse rude That Romans euer yet subdu'd Others againe gaue out reports That daily to this Campe resorts Those Nations that do dwell betweene The frozen Alpes and Northerne Rhene And that they all with one accord From out their Countries did dis-bord Caesar to follow and to ayd And from these warres would not be stayd So as it cannot other be But that with griefe they soone shall see Rome seiz'd and sackt by forraine fone A Roman Chiefe-taine looking on Thus euery one rap't with amaze Doth these approching perils blaze And yet no certaine Authors knowne By whom this frighting newes is blowne But what their weake conceits suggest With that their sences are opprest Neither did this vnmanly doubt Onely appall the common rout But euen the Senate drownd in dread Leauing their homes the Citty fled Yet they decreed at their adiew The Consuls should with force pursue Caesar from whom the Senate flew To safest places then they runne And where is hazard that they shunne The giddy people they exhort To ioyne themselues in their consort And with them such aduentures bide As meanes and fortune could prouide ¶ Loe thus with many heauy hearts Huge numbers instantly departs He that their sudden flight had seene Would thinke all Rome on fire had beene Or else some Earth-quakes fearefull rage Their tottering houses did ingage For with such boysterous presse and cry Out at the Citty gates they flye As if no better hope remain'd To men whom froward fates constrain'd Then to forsake their natiue home To seeke for refuge where they roame Like as a shippe with tempests tost Driuing vpon the Lybian coast Intangled with Sirts wracking sands The crazed mast in danger stands With sailes and cordage rent and torne All ouer ship-boord to be borne The Pylot whom dispaire doth ceaze First head-long leaps into the seas And after him with madding vaine The Saylers plunge into the maine And so themselues to death betake Before the vessell ship-wracke make So out in droues the Romans flye Before that Caesars Campe was nye And left Rome for her selfe to try ¶ No parents counsaile could asswage Their head-strong childrens flying rage Nor louing wiues lamenting teares To pitty turne their husbands feares Nor awe of Gods nor Countries loue Their parting humor could remoue Through brutish feare with base neglect All Natures bonds they did reiect The place where they were bred and borne They fled with shame and left forlorne In their owne houses where they dwell They stay no time to bid fare-well Nor any such affection shew To their deere Citty ere they goe As with full sight her to deplore Whom they perchance shold see no more All flye in hast from Tybers shore ¶ Yee Gods with bounty fortunes lend But niggardly doe them defend This Citty that did so abound With Citizens for warres renownd Obey'd with many conquered slaues Now euery flying rumor braues And as a spoyle and open pray Abandoned to Caesars sway The valiant Romans that were wont In forraigne warres to beare the brunt Of many mighty barbarous foes Did in their Armes such trust repose That slender trenches did suffise To hold them safe from all surprise And by such meanes securely kept Their guarded Tents whilst that they slept But thou O Rome from this art farre Daunted but with the name of Warre Thy walles not deem'd to be of
and bonds peruerteth quite With monstrous tumults and garboyle Which wretchedly doth humanes toyle Great guider of Olimpus hill Why hath it pleasd thy sacred will That carefull mortals take such count Of what their skill can not surmount As that they should presaging know Those wrackes they needs must vndergoe Whether the All-Creator high When first he gan to rectifie This formlesse masse of Chaos rude And did the fire a part seclude With an eternall fixt decree Ordain'd that all should certaine be And to that law himselfe confin'd Wherewith all ages he did binde And fram'd the world that course to runne That Fates vnchanging hests had spunne Or else of humane haps the heft Were vn-fore-doom'd at randome left So that in lifes vncertaine dance Things to and fro should slide and glance And all subiected vnto chance But howsoeuer 't is ordain'd O let mans minde be so restrain'd From knowing chances future scope As that his feares may liue in hope ¶ When all at length had full conceiu'd In what sort higher powers bequeath'd The Citty to resistlesse harmes Then lawes and iustice silence charmes And reuerent Honour lackt his meed Attir'd in base Plebeian weed No Axes now in bundles bore Makes way the Magistrates before Amazement so doth griefe forestall That Sorrow hath no voyce at all Such stupid silence doth inuest Whole families with griefe possest Where husbands lye in gasping strife Before they doe resigne their life The good-wife wrapt in sorrowes bands With flaring lockes wringing her hands Amidst her wofull houshold stands Vntill the liuing breath be fled From out the corpes that streacht out dead Doth in the pale disfigured face And closed eyne Deaths portraict place Sorrow doth not at full complaine But then begins her howling vaine Whose mazement now with rage surprisd Doth change her robes to weeds disguisd And with her wofull sad consorts Vnto the Temples then resorts So did our women in their feares Sprinkle the Temple-gods with teares Beating their breasts against the stones Powre out their plaints and ruthful moanes And stupify'd twixt griefe and dread Did rent their haires from off their head And sacred porches therewith spread And such as wont in humble wise To pray and cast to heauen their eyes With outrage now the Gods would bend Whose eares with clamours they offend Neither to Iupiter alone Doe they expose their vowes and mone But to all Temples else besides Where any of their Gods resides The which are fild and all too scant No Altar doth deuotion want So do the Matrons with out-cries Inuoke the Gods and teare the skies And one of them amongst the rest With blubbered cheeks beating her breast Her braided lockes in peeces cuts And then her armes she spreads and shuts Whilst w th these plaints her voice she gluts ¶ O wretched Mothers now she said To beat your breasts be not affraid Nor yet your tressed lockes to teare Langor no longer now forbeare Like happes did neuer vs assaile For which we had such cause to waile Whilst that the fortunes are vntry'd Of these two Chiefetaines swelling pride But were once one of them subdu'd Then should our comforts be renew'd And so their plaints they aggrauate That sorrowes selfe grew passionate ¶ Their men likewise resolu'd for warre Now clustred into campes a farre Against the wrathfull Gods on high In this sort doe exclaiming cry O haplesse Captiue-youths forlorne Why were we not in those dayes borne When Punicke warres did vs ingage With Canna's and Trebeia's rage Yee heauens wee doe not peace desire But on vs turne some forraigne ire Let all the world our bane conspire Stirre Cities vp with sword and fire Let Parths and Persians bend their armes Let Scythians rampe on vs in swarmes And from the Northerne extreme parts Let red-haird Sweaths powre showrs of darts And with them all that people bred About the raging Rhenus head Yea make vs to all Nations foes So you diuert our Ciuill blowes Then let the wrathfull Danes and Getes Assaile vs in their hostile heats Let the Iberians make discent With ensignes and with weapons bent Vnto the Archers of the East Let Rome from no strife be releast Nay if high powers decree the same To raze out the Hesperian name From heauen to earth let flames descend That so the Latium race may end And then O direfull Fates withall Grant that some hatefull wracke befall Both Factions and the leaders both For yet they haue not shewd their wroth Why should they such dominion seeke As neuer yet was heard the like That all mens thoughts it must dismay Whether of them the world should sway Not both their worth can counterpaise The ciuill strife that so they raise ¶ Thus Pieties declining state Her lamentations did relate And parents wofully besides Like pressing care and cumbers grides In whose repining words appeares The wretched fate of their old yeares To be preseru'd in lifes disdaine To see a ciuill warre againe And one of them thus wail'd with teares Th' example of great former feares ¶ No otherwise quoth he did fate Stirre vp commotion in our state When Marius after victory Obtain'd against the Teuton fry And after he in Triumphes Carre Had rid for the Numidian warre A banisht man he hid his head In dikes where flaggie rushes bred So did the greedy marrish fennes And quagmire bogges shut in their dennes O Fortune they reseru'd a ward But yet anon he was not spar'd From fettring gyues nor loathsome Iayle VVhich long the old mans life did baile But blest had beene if hee had dy'd VVhen Consull he the State did guide Before he felt the scourging doome For his mischieuous deedes at Rome But Death it selfe did from him flye VVhen 't was decreed that he should dye And that the foe was ready prest To rid the life out of his breast When he should giue the fatall wound Numnesse his sences so confound And mortify'd his arme withall That from his hand the sword did fall Wherewith the darksome prison shone Like Phoebus beames at height of noone He heard withall a fearefull spell As from the gastly sprights of hell That Marius power must come againe Lawfull 't is not thy steele to baine Within his bloud therefore refraine For he shall many doome to death Ere he yeeld vp his latest breath Let thy vaine rage his sword vp-sheath But if the Cymbrian youth desires Auengement for their slaughtered sires Let them wish him a longer race Who was not by the heauens high grace Preseru'd for good but by their wrath Dessign'd to worke Romes greater scath A murtherous man and if Fates will Able much Roman bloud to spill This wretched wight the raging waue Into a hostile Countrey draue Where faine he was for his reliefe Sculking in corners like a Thiefe To lodge in dennes where none did wonne Of Iugurths Countrey ouer-runne And sometimes in the ruines lay Of Punicke walles the Romans pray Where
Carthage fate and his did meete Each others misery to greete But soone againe his fortune chang'd And then vnto his party rang'd The raging scum of Lybick land Where he did all the Iayles dis-band And of the Fetters and the Gyues His Martiall weapons he contriues But none he gaue a Captaines charge Vnlesse he could make knowne at large That hee had done some heynous deed And at his Campe so sought his meed O cruell Fates what day was that What day that dismall chance begat That Marius should with his returne Victor againe make Rome to mourne How proudly then did cruell death Both Lords and Commons reaue of breath How did the sword about him lay No breast was free from Murthers way The Temples human bloud did store Their pauements stained with the gore No sex nor age protection gaue On hoary heads the sword did raue And sent them headlong to their graue Nither did they a whit forbeare The silly babes that newly were But borne and brought to this worlds light Their liuing day held not to night O what could colour their pretents Against poore harmlesse innocents But it suffisd their tyranny That they still found out some to dye So raues this force in cruelty And he was deem'd a coward slacke That none but faulty men would wracke Thus numbers dyed day by day For now they would not spare to slay The strangers whom they did not know But cut their heads their bodies fro They sham'd to come their Lord before With empty hands not fil'd with gore One saue-guard yet for life remaines To those that such a grace obtaines As on their knees with vowes submisse Fell Marius bloudy hand to kisse O people growne degenerate From glory of your wonted state A thousand swords threatning new kindes Of deaths should not debase your mindes By such meanes to prolong your dayes As doth so foule dishonor raise And yet you did but life adiurne Vntill that Sylla do returne Few liue this common bane to mourne Scarcely shall any one remaine That saw when thou O Bebius slaine wer 't into mangled morsels cut Their bloudy thirsting blades to glut Or yet O Antony to tell Of thee that didst presage too well These fatall harmes how thy graue head with milke-white lockes all ouer-spread Was from the murthered body tore And by a furious souldier bore Dropping and smoking all in gore Was on the Table set in iest Where Marius kept his solemne feast Nor how the Crassies corpes in scorne By Timbria were hackt and torne And how the awfull Rostrums beake Soyled with Tribunes bloud did reake And Scoeuola thy age doth plaine To be so murdered in disdaine Where Vesta's sacred Temple stands By their life-violating hands Those fires that alwayes burne so cleere With thy bloud somewhat tainted were Yet thy old veines could yeeld small store But spar'd those flames from quenching gore The seuenth time now is come in date That Marius takes his Consuls state Such was the manner of his life No man with Fortune had more strife And none her fauours found more rife Who better then his course should range Then he that oft had try'd such change How many other bodies slaine The streets of Sacroportum baine What heapes of carcasses all hewd Before Collina gates were strewd And now at last the whole worlds head She whose high power all Nations dread Must be depriu'd of supreme grace And chang'd vnto another place And Samnium now the world must know Shall giue to Rome a greater blow Then when her Army forced was Vnder the Caudium forkes to passe ¶ Reuenging Sylla now comes in And monstrous slaughters doe begin For that small store which did remaine Of bloud he searcheth euery vaine And whilst he doth in shew pretend Corrupted humors to amend The medcines rage did more offend His hand to deep doth search the wound Cutting of those were faultlesse found And onely those were left to liue That to his mischife helpe would giue Then spleene did lawlesse leaue obtaine That head-strong wrath on law shold raigne VVhich power was not to one design'd But vnto euery murtherous minde So will did all things loose and binde Seruants and slaues with balefull blades Their maisters bowels now inuades Children likewise their hands did staine VVith bloud of their owne parents slaine And striue some meed for it to gaine So did the brothers in likewise Of bloud fraternall make their prize Vnto the Tombes some frighted fled The quicke were mingled with the dead None safe-guard seeke in sauage coates Some hang themselues some cut their throats Others againe short worke to make Their neckes and limbes in peeces brake By falling to the ground from high Scorning by murdrous hands to dye Others againe doe now desire To make a pile for funerall fire VVounding themselues to that intent And ere their life-bloud was out-spent Into the flames their bodies cast And laid them there whilst strength did last The heads of Peeres were borne the whiles About the trembling streets on piles And in the Forum there lye throwne No villany is left vnknowne All horrid acts are boasting blowne The Thracian tyrant Dyomede Neuer saw bloud more rifely shed Floting in his Bistonian stalles Nor carkasses about the walles Of huge Antaeus Lybicke caue Nor Greece to more laments it draue To see the heads of worthy men Dight the Picean bloudy den Now though the heapes of gored clots And tract of time disfiguring blots The knowledge of the faces slaine Sad parents yet would not refraine By stealth to get if they could pry Their childrens limbes where they did lye And I my selfe can call to minde That then I much desir'd to finde Mine owne deare brothers mangled head That there lay slaughtred mongst the dead VVhereby to giue it funerall And fires although deny'd to all VVhen as I saw the rage decrease Of Sylla's sword reputed peace Then heaps of Trunkes abroad I spread To see which fitted with his head ¶ What should I here at large relate How Catulus ghost was expiate VVhen Marius hackt and tortured For sacrifice was offered To his vnsatiable Tombe By an vn-heard-of cruell doome Whereas perhaps the wrathlesse spright Did not affect that horrid sight VVhich we beheld when his crusht bones VVith ioynt from ioynt was wrackt at once VVhen he as many wounds did beare As members in his body were And yet no mortall stroke of sword VVould him desired end affoord VVhich manner of a cruell death Too long defer'd his latest breath His hands hewd off fell from the stumpes His tongue out-torn then trembling iumps Vnable to expresse a voyce His weasan pipe roares out a noyse One pares his eares from off his head Another doth his nostrels shred VVhilst he the whiles poore tortured soule On these rent parts his eyes did rowle And then to glut their tyrannies From out his head they pluckt his eyes Hardly may credit vs assure That life could
didst leaue Nuceria that their state bequeaue Vnto thy trust which so did faile Ere any force did them assaile When as that warlike Towne was man'd With many a gallant trained band Of valiant youths from Caesars armes Cal'd to relieue the Parthian harmes But first imploy'd on Pompey's cost To venge the bloud in Gallia lost And now himselfe doth warres intend For these stout troopes againe did send To be his father-in-lawes sure guards This vse of Roman bloud awards But thou Corfinium strong-fenc'd hould Commanded by Domitius bould That with huge walles inuiron'd art With Flankes and Ramparts fit for Mart Thy garrison were those new bands That Milo tooke from Iustice hands Now from the walles with watchfull eyes Domitius first neere hand espies Great clouds of dust aloft to rise And with the glittering sun-shine beames Faire armed Troopes cast flaming streames ¶ Souldiers friends quoth he make haste This bridge forthwith must be laid waste That doth vpon this riuer stand See it be razed out of hand And you huge mountaines now let flie Your fountaine heads and raise so hye The flowing Riuers with rough tides That all the boats that thereon glides Vpon the shelues may wracke their sides Stay here the limits of this warre This Towne their proud attempt shall barre And on these bankes those rauening bands With hopeles gains shal make their stands Here first shall Caesars force desist And victory yeeld to our fist He said no more but hastes withall The swaggring troopes from off the wall That headlong to the worke doe fall ¶ VVhen Caesar from his Campe perceiu'd The Riuers passage was bereau'd And that the breaking of the bridge His iournies speed would much abridge Enrag'd with wrath what now quoth he Are not strong walles esteem'd to be Sufficient sculking dennes to hide These crauen Souldiers terrifide O cowards will you ouer-flow The fields thereby my march to slow VVhen Ganges with his stickle sway Nor any other floud can stay Caesar from holding on his way Now he the Rubicon hath past Yee troopes of horse set forth with hast And bands of foot come follow on This shaken bridge goe set vpon ¶ No sooner he the word did speake But out his forward horsemen breake And doe the riuers bankes assaile Like to a stormy drift of haile To th' other side then they let flye A showre of darts that cloud the skye And Caesars selfe the passage takes VVhere none to him resistance makes Then quickly he doth force them all To make retrait within the wall And then the Rammes for battery Vnto the worke he doth apply VVith other Engines brought in place That Towers and Bul-warkes will deface ¶ But see the villany of warre The garrison the gates vnbarre Their Gouernour they doe betray And him a prisoner forth conuay Before proud Caesars feet to lay But yet his state and noble face It seem'd no terror did imbase For oft he stoutly cal'd for death The Victor knew he loathed breath As one that did despaire of life But Caesar said Our grace is rise Liue therefore though against thy will And by our gift said he liue still Let others whom I shall subdue In thee a perfect patterne view Of Caesars mercy and now chuse On whose side thou thy Armes wilt vse Or if thou wilt retired liue Thy choyce to thee I freely giue But doe not thinke this moues my minde That I thereby like grace would finde If thou hereafter conquest gaine That base respect I much disdaine Thus said forthwith he gaue in charge His hands from fetters to inlarge But better much had him bety'd If he that present houre had dy'd And Fortune more had freed from shame The honour of the Roman name He holds it now a grieuous scorne With reputation so forlorne To warre for his deere Countries sake And therein Pompey's part to take Whom all the Senates forces aides Whilst hostile pardon him vpbraides These thoughts his heart doe still infest And with himselfe doth thus contest ¶ Shall I in Rome goe make my nest And as a man degenerate Shut vp my selfe in peacefull state And not this noble warre pursue That wisht for death so lately due Nay rather into hazards runne Vntill thy lifes twist be out-spunne And Caesars gift with glory shunne ¶ Report did not as yet relate This Captaines base subdued state To Pompeys eares fraught full of cares For his designes that now prepares To strength his part with forraigne shares And order giues the following day With Trumpets sound to set in ray His troopes and then to feele their minde How they to battaile were enclinde To whom when they did silence make With reuerend voyce he thus bespake ¶ Yee vengers iust of guilty hands Yee Souldiers of right Roman bands That for defence of Iustice stands Whom now the Senates supreme hest Doth not with priuate armes inuest Dispose your forward hearts for fight Since now Hesperia in our sight Doth flame on fire in wretched state And her faire fields depopulate This clew of rage in Gallia spunne Ouer the yeie Alpes is runne And Caesar in this raging mood Pollutes his sword with Latium blood The Gods him iustly charge with blame As Author of this ciuill flame And now euen now Rome to me calles Whom she her president installes To chastise these rebellious brawles Whose armes with countries bloud defil'd Cannot as worthy warres by stil'd To ours that honoured name belongs That doe reuenge our Countries wrongs His warre is of no better kinde Then that which Cataline design'd When Rome he meant to set on fire And had with him that did conspire One of the Lentulij his mates Caethegus bare-arm'd in debates O wretched rage that so dost raigne Within this leaders wilfull braine Whom Fates would raise to no lesse fame Then those of the Camillan name Or those braue Lords Metellij hight But thou art of another spright Yhy humor followes iust the straine Of Cinna's and of Marius vaine Whose infamies doe still remains Like Lepidus that was supprest By Catull ' or as we distrest Proud Carbo that by Iustice hest Our Axes fatall edges try'd Whose bones Sycilia soyle doth hide Or as Sertorius iustly slaine For his rebellious course in Spaine Although in faith it grieues me much So to compare with any such Thee Caesar but that Romes offence Cannot with our reuenge dispence But would it had beene so ordain'd That Crassus victory had gain'd Against the Parthes and from the coast Of Scythia brought againe his hoast Whereby he might thy selfe subdue As Spartacus he ouerthrew Or if the all fore-seeing eye Will that we two our forces try My arme as well as thine shall show That it the pearcing Pile can throw And that my bloud for courage bold Disdaines by thee to be controld And that a heart to peace inclin'd Is not therefore of cowards kinde For though he tearme me spent with yeares Let
their presence grace Their sacred seates in supreme place Nor next to them the lawes to sway The Praetor sate in his array No Coches at the Senate gate That thither bring the Peeres of state Caesar alone was all in all His priuate voyce the Court doth thrall The Fathers to his hests giue way Rady his pleasure to obay Whether he Monarchy desire Or would to sacred rites aspire Or liues of Senators would wast Or them into exile would cast But he more modest and more milde Did blush his power should be defil'd More to command with threatning feare Then well the Roman state could beare ¶ But one there was amongst the rest For liberty that would contest And in a rage he tooke in hand To know if Caesar might withstand The ancient Rules of their free state And in that point would right debate This stout Metellus was who saw A swarming troope of Souldiers draw Neere to Saturnus Temple gates That were lockt vp from dire debates Steps forth enrag'd and doth assay Through Caesars bands to force a way So much of tempting gold the loue The mindes of mortall men can moue Danger of sword and death to proue The lawes no Valor doth protect The care thereof all do neglect But that which is most vile of all Riches whereto base mindes are thrall Stirres vp a foolish idle brawle This Tribune with a tongue at large The out-rage laies to Caesars charge And telles him plainly that before He shall breake ope the Temple dore The sword should first his breast inuade And bathe in sacred bloud his blade And that the Gods for iustice sake Vengance would pay if spoyle he make Or doe by force the treasure take The Tribunes curses in like case Said he did greedy Crassus trace And did against him so preuaile That wofull warre his pride did quaile Doe thou so now vnsheath thy sword That dost such lawlesse leaue affoord To this iniurious foule contempt From peoples rage thou art exempt What can this forlorne towne attempt Thy wicked Souldiers must not craue The treasures of our state to haue Else-where thou hast sufficient spoyles Of conquered Townes in other soyles No want at all thy troopes constraines Of our long peace to share the gaines In warre O Caesar loose the raines ¶ With these proud words the Tribune hath So farre prouoked Caesars wrath As that with scorne he did reply In vaine poore soule thou hop'st to dye So braue a death as by my blade Nought hath Metellus worthy made So great a grace as Caesars ire It sorts not with thy proud desire Thinkst thou that freedoms state must stand Supported by thy feeble hand My glory wonne in so long warre Thy vaine conceipt exceeds so farre As that the lawes would lesse detest By Caesars hand to be supprest Then by Metellus voyce to hold The freedome that they did of old So Caesar spake and yet before The Tribune left the Temple dore His rage increased more and more And to the wrathfull swords he prest Forgetting what his gowne profest ¶ But Cotta check't and staied than The sawcy boldnesse of this man And said the freedome now they held To soueraigne power in spight must yeeld For though this act thou couldst maintaine Thou shouldst but freedomes shadow gaine Since our deiected state obayes So many other seruile wayes This comfort and excuse we haue If slander vs as base depraue Resistlesse power doth all men braue And I would rather wish to heare These seedes of warre dispersed weare With losse of wealth those may be vext That freedome haue for their pretext For want more grieuously doth raue Vpon the maister then the slaue ¶ Metellus being put aside The Temple was set open wide And such a noyse the rushing shockes Did make when they did force the lockes That the Tarpeian cliffe did sound Lowd with the Eccho's that rebound Out of the Temple cleane they swept The wealth that had full safe beene kept So long agoe by conquests gain'd Whereof scarce memory remain'd ¶ The treasures got in Punicke broyles The Persian and Macedons spoyles With heapes of gold that were a pray When Pirrhus trembling fled away That had Fabritius faith assay'd In vaine our Rome to haue betraid And whatsoeuer heretofore Our frugall sires laid vp in store With all the tribute and the rent From time to time that Asia sent And all the spoyles from Creta fot By conquest that Metellus got With Cato's wealth which he did bring By long seas from the Cyprus King With all the treasures of the east And those rare Trophies that did feast The eyes of all that them beheld When Pompeys triumphes so exceld And was the latest conquest wonne On those great kingdomes ouer-runne All these the Victors vse supplies By wofull rapine made good prize Whereon might truly passe this doome Caesar was richer now then Rome ¶ Pompey meane while a world had wonne That would in warre his fortune runne Great Cities on his side did band That shall at Caesars mercy stand The Graecians first their succour lends Amphisa her braue Phoceans sends Then those that doe the Countries fill On both sides of Parnassus hill With rocky Cyrrha to him swarmes The Captaines of Boetian Armes Where Cephisos with his swift waues Old Cadmus Citty weltring laues Whose water fatall answeres raues To these Pisean people ioynes With sweet Alpheus that purloynes Her secret current vnder ground Till she Trinacria hath found Menala then th' Arcadians leaue And to these warres themselues bequeaue And Trachine Souldiers thither flye From the Herculean Oeten hye The Thesprotes and Driopes Doe likewise march along with ease The Sellae that his part doe take Their solitary groues forsake That on Chaonians toppe doe shake And though th' Athaenian bands were spent In former warres whereto they went Yet loyall Salamina lent Three little shippes which now they rigge That in Phoebeian docks did ligge The ancient Creet Ioues loued land Where Citties ten times ten did stand Her Gnossian quiuers thither sent With people vsing bowes euent Gortinae shewes the like good will Whose Archers equals Easterne skill Then Orithow sent Dardan strength With Athamus that farre in length Disperseth many woods she ownes And old Enchyle where the stones Shew Cadmus metamorphoz'd bones So Colchis and Absirtos flud Whose froth filles Adriaticke mud The Paeni that with clownish skill The Countries all about there till And with Thessalian Plowes doe toyle And furrough vp Hialcons soyle From whence into the raging maine Was carried first that stranger traine Of Argonauts whose boysterous bands Did range and spoyle in forraine lands They first the practise did contriue How men against the seas might striue And how with sailes to take the winde Whereby remoted shores to finde And therewithall they did display To loathsome Death a new found way On mortals liues to raue and pray The Thracian Aemus is left bare And Pholoe whose manrood are
As lying fables leaue to minde By nature shap't of Centaurs kinde Strymon that doth to Nylus sands Send birds of the Bistonian lands Her aid sets out in warlicke bands And barbarous Conè when she leaues Sarmatian streames and after cleaues To Peucens spreading channell deepe One of those heads alone doth keepe That from great Istars current sweepe Then Misia and Idalis land That mingles with cold Caicos strand And the Arisban barren mould With those that doe Pitanen hould Then the Celenes most accurst Lamenting that their Marsia durst O Pallas with thy gifts elate Stirre conquering Phoebus to debate And high shoar'd Marsia whose swift race Crooked Meander doth embrace And with her wheeles about her pace With Pactols sands that do vnfold The pretious graines of glowing gold To forraigne coasts and Hernius strands That equals it with pretious sands So likewise all the Ilium bands To fruitlesse warres for Pompey stands Neglecting the old flying fame That Iulius of the Troians came So Syria her assistance giues And the inhabitants that liues About Orontes desart coasts And Ninus towne whose blisse fame boasts Damascus subiect to high windes Gaza likewise and where men findes Palme-trees so rife and thicke to stand Named the Idumean land The sea-washt Citty Tyrus hight Sydon with pretious purple dight Their ships when to the warres they flye Range not the seas vncertainly No sea-men haue the Art more try'd How by the Pole their course to guide So likewise if we credit fame Phoenicians were the first had name The vse of characters to finde And letters to expresse our minde Memphis the practise had not found Of those broad flagges vpon her ground How they together should be bound Of beasts and birds this was their trade The shapes deepe cut in stones they made And so their magicke art presaru'd In brutish Images faire caru'd Then those inhabitants that roues About mount Taurus wooddy groues And Persian Tarsus with those men That cut rockes for Coricum denn The Mallians and the Aege coast Whose shippes doe ring with billowes tost And Silix now the seas frequent Allowd but not as Pyrates sent So are the Easterne Countries led Vnto this warre by fame farre spread That Ganges now her troopes forth brings The current of whose floating springs Of all streames in the world dares runne A course contrary to the Sunne And headlong flies against the East Heere it is said the warfare ceast That Macedons great Captaine made When he the Ocean did invade And did himselfe ore-come confesse With this vast worlds vnweldnesse There Indus fiercely forth doth sweepe With mighty streames and channels deepe Diuided into gulfes alone But with Hidaspis mingles none Then those that the sweet liquor swilles Which from the sugar-canes distilles And they that vse with saffrons graine To giue their haire a shining staine And so in dainty lawnes doe dangle Which they with glistering Iewels spangle And those that make their funerall piles Before that Death their Life exiles And doe without constraint embrace The furious flames with dreadlesse face O how great glory doe they gaine That death can hold in such disdaine With their owne hands in spight of fates To hasten on their welcome dates And whilst in perfect health they liue Their soules vnto the Gods do giue Then those fierce Capadocian lads Whom hunting humors so much glads With bruske Ammannian plowing swads Armenia where Nyphatem flowes And rowles huge pebbles as she goes With the Coastrae forrests hye Whose lofty toppes doe threat the skye And yee Arabians that doe view An vncoth clime vnknowne to you Do wonder much the shade to see Streame from the left side of a tree Then came vnto this Roman warre Th' Orestians that doe dwell a farre The leaders of Carmania bands Whose climate to the Southward stands Not wholly hid from Arctons light But see his Carre part of the night And Aethiop neere to all the signes That in the cirkling Zodiaque twines Excepting Taurus clouen heeles When cowring crookedly he reeles And where great Euphrates is bred With swift stream'd Tygris from one head In Persian fountaine ioyntly fed Who when they mingle here and there Breeds doubt which of the names they beare But Euphrates with fruitfull streames As she doth trauerse sundry realmes Resembles Nylus in her course But Tygris in her rapid sourse Is suddenly deuoured quite Into the earth from all mens sight And vnder ground doth runne her race Till with new head her streame she trace And with the Ocean enterlace This while the Parthians held them coy Either to helpe or to annoy Any of these two mighty guides They 'l warre on none of both their sides But laugh which way the world it slides The wandring Scyths with poysned darts Their aid vnto this warre imparts And Bactrians closd with chilly gulfes VVith Hircane forrests fostring wolfes Then the Henochians bring their band A part of Lacedemon land That headstrong are where they withstand And of Sarmatia all that track That ioynes to Mosko backe to back And where rich Phasis cuts and bounds The Colchos fields and fruitfull grounds VVith Halis bringing heauy fate To Craesus in his rich estate And where as Tannais tumbling downe His streames from off Rypheus crowne Giues vnto Nations sundry names As she her winding channels frames And Europe doth on either side From Asia with her bankes diuide Now here now there which way she bends The limits of the world extends And where the Euxine sea doth take Huge torrents from Meotis lake And so the glory doth abate Of Gades whom as tales relate Did onely through her pillars twaine That way let in the westerne maine VVrought by the huge Herculean paine Then aids come from Scythonian ports With whom the Arimasps consorts Those doe with golden phillets dresse Their curled lockes and combed tresse The Axij Pompey's part professe With Massagets that did let blood Their horses hoofes in steed of food So to releieue their hungry mood In the Sarmatick lingring brawle And Gelons swiftest of them all So huge a masse of Martiall bands Came not from the Memnonian lands When Cyrus did his armies make For warres that he had vndertake Nor Zerxes with his boysterous crew That all his thousands onely knew By counting of the darts they threw Nor Agamemnons nauy strong Which to reuenge his brothers wrong With Graecian Princes past the seas In number euer equal'd these So many Kings to battaile prest Neuer obay'd one Chiefetaines hest Such diuers formes of habites strange Of language such confused change So great a traine of royall Peeres Was neuer seene in former yeares As Fortune now did lead in dance To mingle with this warres mischance Like funerals for Pompey's sake A fitting exequie to make Then Corniger that Hammon hight Did not forbeare with supreme might To summon all Marmatick lands Vnto these warres to leade their bands Or
abundance that the froth Of clotted gore made Neptune wroth And whilst with force their arms they straine To linke themselues with grappling chaine The bodies slaine in heapes so rides They cannot ioyne their sides to sides Some halfe dead sprawling down-right sink Some their own bloud with salt-waues drink Others halfe drownd resisting death Struggling for life with latest breath VVith timbers from crack't ships that slid Out of their paines are quickly rid And many darts that ouer slips The fight into the Ocean dips Missing the markes their force to stay Embrue their steele another way Lighting on those that swimming fleet VVho in the waues new wounds do meet ¶ The Romans now are throughly try'd Encompast round on euery side And then the fury of the fight Straines on the left hand and the right VVhere whilst that Tagus deales his blowes From his high puppe on Greekish foes Two dismall darts light on his breast And steepe their steele deepe in his cheast So as the bloud did stand in doubt At whether wound it should gush out Vntill at length the boyling blood Draue both the darts out with their flood So life departed with the gore The wounds did open death a dore ¶ Massilian Telo wretched wight The Gally guided to this fight A better Mariner was none That had more Art and practise showne Of any ship to finde the trimme In wrought seas how she best might swimme Nor better knew his markes a farre Nor how to take the Sunne and Starre Nor better gest which way the winde VVas likeliest to be enclin'd This maister with his brasse-beake head Out of a Roman ship had shred A mighty planke but loe the while His breast was pierc'd through with a pile And as this worthy Pilot dy'd Out of his hand the helme did slide ¶ Then whilst Gayareus Gallicke Greeke Another shippe doth bordering streeke And straines to enter her by fight A Iauelin pierc'd his bowels quite And to the ship side nailes him fast VVhere he must hang if steele-head last ¶ Two brothers did this fight adorne Twins hard to know at one birth borne These glorious testimonies were Of that rich wombe that did them beare But sundry fates did them pursue Though from one self-same root they grew For one of them in this sterne fight VVith fatall stroke was rest the light And him the parents better knew That did suruiue wanting the view Of him late slaine of semblant hue A chance that much lamenting breedes His halfe-selfe lost his dolour feeds This brother that as yet suruiues Against a Roman Gally striues VVho though the oares his breast withstand Yet on her side he graspt his hand Till one dire stroke the hand did reaue VVhich to his hold still fast did cleaue Not vtterly depriu'd of sence Whose ioints wold not be losd from thence Now valor with mishap increast The noble stumpe more wrath expreast Stirring vp then his left hands might To take reuenge of this despight But as hee stoop't for to recouer The first lost hand he lost the other And both into the sea did fall Slasht from the body arme and all Thus of his limbes dispoild and wrack't His Target both and sword he lack't Yet for all this aloft he bides And vnder hatches neuer hides But his bare trunke he did display On his slaine brother where he lay Whil'st many wounds he did assay And then as one that life disdaines Other mens harmes he entertaines Vntill at last with wounds opprest Finding that life would leaue his breast That little strength that yet remaines He doth collect into his vaines And with that small store of life-blood He armes his legges and with fierce mood Into the ship did leaping rush That with his weight he might her crush This ship opprest with slaughtered limbes The bloud about the hatches swimmes And being crack't with many a crush That oft a-thwart her ribbes did brush Her knees were loosd her ioynts did ope The leakes in her did giue free scope The waues so fast to sucke and gull That all her deckes at last were full Then to the bottome downe she sinkes Making a gulfe with circling crinkes The hollow where the ship did ride That did before the waues diuide Is now againe with seas supply'd This day in midst of Thetis lappe Many strange accidents did happe ¶ Then whilst into another ship The Harping-irons they did slip Which in her sides their hooks should fixe In Lycida one of them stickes Which would haue hald him ouer-boord But that his mates their helpe affoord And by the legges still held him fast Till he in peeces flew at last Whereby his bloud dropt not so slow As that which from a wound doth flow But out at euery broken vaine A streame of crimson gusht amaine And that which wont was to impart Life to the limbes from out the heart With that same element was mixt That earth and aier lies betwixt Neuer did any dying wight So many wayes breathe out his spright The lower parts of that torne trunke Depriu'd of spirits fainting shrunke But where the lungs and liuer lies And noblest parts that heat supplies That did a while his breath prolong And still for life did struggle strong But he with stretching grew so lither That limbe with limbe scarce held together ¶ Now whilst the fight is fiercely try'd The Souldiers all runne to that side Whereas the foes doe thickest stand And left the other side vnmand With which vnequall poise ore-way'd One ship is topsie-turuy sway'd And dooth into the Ocean reele And ouer head turnes vp her keele Which so oppressed all the swarme That none could stretch a legge or arme Whereby to swim and saue their liues And so the sea their breath depriues ¶ Thus death amongst them al doth raue For whilst one youth did striue to saue His life by swimming on the waue Two hostile ships together ran Which 'twixt them bare this haplesse man And with such force their powers did rush That flesh and bones together crush The body was not of such proofe To keepe those ships so farre aloofe But they so close together fall That their brasse beakes did ring withall Herewith his belly being ript Into the panch the water slipt And at his mouth he powred out His bloud and bowels like a spout But now the Oares doe backward steere So as their beake-heads were set cleere And so this carkasse rent and slit Vpon the waues did weltring flit ¶ There were beside a hugie rout That suffering shipwracke swamme about To saue their liues and to that end Sought for some ship that was a frend But by mischance they light vpon A Greekish Gally of their fone Hanging vpon her sides and helme So thick that might her ouer-whelme Wherewith the souldiers then aboord Hewd off their armes with edge of sword And left the hands claspt on the sides From whence their maimed bodies slides So
Nor when thou didst on seas of late The stout Massilian force abate Nor when thou didst in Aegypts soyle At Pharos giue thy foes the foyle But their outrage and thy milde course Betters thy cause and makes theirs worse For now these Captaines spirits droopes They dare not with polluted troopes Longer incampe in Champian lands Their Tents too neere to Caesars stands But to Ilerda they willl flee VVhose walles they thinke much safer be But Caesars horse-men them preuent And in dry hilles they are vp-pent VVhere want of water they sustaine For Caesar did their ditches draine And them with Troopes incompast so That from their Campe they dare not goe To fetch in water where springs flow ¶ When these men saw their deaths at hand No longer now in feare they stand But carried on with raging will Their horses first of all they kill VVhich now can serue them to no vse Being thus pent vp in a muse And therefore set aside all hope Seeing to scape was left no scope Towards their armed foes they flye But when that Caesar did espye In them this furious desperate vaine Souldiers quoth he your Armes refraine Though rushing thus they you confront Do not receiue their head-strong brunt I know a better way by farre In blood I list not bathe my warre Hee conquest gaines at too high price That striues with those that death entice These laddes now weary of their liues Together with their ruine striues To bring some wracke on vs withall But on our swords they shall not fall Though they desire in this staru'd mood To loose their liues to spill our blood O this is but a madding fit Let them a while champe on the bit Barre them that death so faine they would Their courage will be quickly coold Hold them but lingring off from fight Vntill the Sunne with-draw his light And in the Ocean dip his head And that the skies be ouer-spred With starres let Tytan siluer-bright Giue them but space to pawse a night Thus when they saw their Mart was mar'd And meanes of fight they were debar'd Their furious humor waxed cold And in their mindes more temper hold Like him whose breast the sword doth pierce With wounds griefe doth become more fierce Whilst gushing from the nerues and vaines Hot bloud his striuing spirits straines To shew the force that yet remaines And yet vntill the bones beginne Neerer to draw the blood-puft skinne The whilst the witting victor stands Retyr'd and doth with-hold his hands Vntill a chill numme heauinesse The ioynts and spirits doe possesse Of this poore wounded man at length Who findes himselfe depriu'd of strength When as the gore no longer flowes But on the wound stiffe-dried growes ¶ Now want of water them constraines To digge and search out hidden vaines Of springs streames that haue their birth Deepe in the bowels of the earth And whilst about this worke they stand They do not onely take in hand The Pick-axe and the deluing spades But do employ their martiall blades And toppes of hilles they deeper sinke Then any low-lodg'd riuers brinke The pale-hu'd Myners that doe toyle For gold in rich Assyrian soyle Doe not sinke deeper pits downe-right In dungeons more remote from light And yet for all they can deuise They cannot see a spring to rise Nor any streame could be descry'd That vnder-neath the ground did slide Nor from the sides of rocky hilles A droppe of liquor out distilles Though dig'd pierc'd with pick-axe bils No drop of deaw or moisture laues The hollow dampish airy caues Nor in the pits of grauill sand Doth any plash of water stand Their men thus ouer-laid with sweat And fainting now twixt thirst and heat Seeing that they but loose their paine Raise them from out the mines againe But by this diuing vnder ground Whereas some dampish mists they found When they come vp can scarce endure The aire that is more hot and pure Neither are they refresh't with meate They faint for drinke and loath to eate Hunger to them best helpe doth giue Their thirsty humor to relieue But if that any moisty field Do grassie roots or greene turfes yeeld Betweene their hands the same they squees Into their mouth and no drop leese Or if they meet with standing puddles Where slime black mud stinking huddles The Souldiers there to get a draught Will striue as though a world they sought And staruing will contented drinke That which they would else odious thinke And then will take it for their feasts To sucke the vdders of bruit beasts And when therein no milke remaines They sucke the bloud from out the vaines Others fresh leaues and hearbes will pound With dew that on green boughes is found But chiefly those crude stalkes that twines About the tender-budding vines They presse and sap from yong tree rinds ¶ O happy soules full blest were yee That whilst your barb'rous foes did flee They did in all the wayes they past Poyson amongst the waters cast And so destroyd you all at last Our Roman youths will neuer shrinke Witting those water streames to drinke Though Caesar should the springs defile With vennome or with carrion vile Or wholesome welles should in despight Infect with deadly Aconite But now their bowels drowth hath fry'd Their mouthes resemble parchment dry'd Their tongues the baked froth doth furre In their shrunke veines no bloud will sturre Their lights and lungs do scarcely pant They all refreshing humor want And it doth grieue them to the death Through their chopt pipes to draw their breath Their iawes wide gaping they do stretch The cooling deawes by night to ketch They watch when some sweet showres will fall Which but of late ore-whelmed all And euermore they cast their eyes Vpon the niggard cloudy skies And so much more it did them grieue Because that now they did not liue Amongst Meroens parched plants Nor with the naked Garamants Nor vnder Cancers fiery lampe But their staru'd Army did encampe Where they like Tantalus might view Sweet Sicoris with siluer hue And Iberus so swift and cleere Both hard at hand they nere the neere ¶ These tamed Captaines now are calme In stead of Bayes they carry Palme Afranius with a carriage meeke Peace for his guilty Armes doth seeke And so with all his crest-falne troopes That now in starued languor droopes Vnto the hostile Tents he wends And there at Caesars feet he bends But though he sue yet holds his grace Not with mis-fortunes daunted face But carries all in fitting sort For his now fate and his late port And with a brow secure and bold To gaine his peace this tale he told ¶ Had Fate ordain'd that I should stand Thus vanquisht by a strangers hand My dreadlesse Arme I soone would frame To reaue my life and shun that shame But now this reason doth me leade For safety of my life to pleade Because thou Caesar dost beleeue He nobly doth that life doth giue Of
and hides amongst the brakes When by the winde the sent he takes Of bow or shaft or human breath Which he doth shun vnto the death Thus while the hunt with-holds the sounds Of his fleet-hunting wel-mouth'd hounds And therewithall in cooples clogges His Spartane and his Cretan dogges And suffers none the Chase to sue But some old hound that can hunt true· On dry-foots sent with nusling snowt That will not put the beast in rowt With spending of his open iawes But when the tapise neere he drawes Will shake his taile and quiet stand To fit all for the hunters hand Now these huge Raffes with speed they load And then conuey them from the road VVhen as the last of dayes twy-light VVithstood the first approch of night Then Cilix that same Pirate old That did on Pompeys party hold A slight deuisd them to betray VVhen on the seas they were mid-way A long huge chaine there he did sinke And to a rocke the end did linke Of the Ilyrian cliffie shore But lets the first ship passe it ore And so the second in likewise And then the third he did surprise VVith his hook't chaine the which he drew Vnto the shore with her arm'd crew This land doth sheluing hollow lye Ouer the seas strange to the eye VVhereon a tuffe of huge trees growes That on the waues great shadowes strowes Hither from ships by North-windes torne Many dead carkasses are borne And in the creekes a while lye closd But after are againe exposd For when the Cauernes of this bay VVith ebbe returnes his circling sway These whirle-pooles spue vp from their maw More then Charybdis gulfie iaw Here now this Raffe inclosed is Deepe laden with the Colonies Of Opiterge and then the fleet Of enemies about them meet And all about the neighbour strands In Clusters gazing on them stands Vulteius now discerned plaine That he was taken in a traine For of this Raffe he was the chiefe And seeing no meanes of reliefe Nor that this cumbrous tangling chaine By any force would breake in twaine He takes his Armes with doubtfull hope VVhether by flight to compasse scope Or with the sword a passage ope Yet in this hard distressed plight Valour affoords her manly might For being closed in a pownd With thousands that this raffe did rownd Which scarcely had aboord it than One Cohort full the same to man Although not long they maintain'd fight Vntill at last they wanting light The fray was parted by darke night ¶ Then did Vulteius stoutly braue With dreadlesse speech himselfe behaue And cheereth vp his staggering band Amazed with the fate at hand Braue youths quoth he weigh in your breasts This little time of night that rests And do resolue in this short date How you will seeke your latest fate Scarce haue we so long time of breath With leasure to fore-thinke our death More glory we shall giue our end To meet our Fate then it attend Those mindes do merit no lesse praise That dare cut off their doubtfull dayes Then those that shorten doe the scope Of longer yeares that they doe hope For he that doth with his owne fist In sunder breake his life-spun twist A conquest to himselfe hath gain'd Willing to dye comes not constrain'd To scape no meanes vs hope affoords We are empal'd with Romans swords Out-face proud death lay dread aside Freely affect that must betide But let vs not take heed withall Like slaughtred beasts in clusters fall With hostile hands hew'd downe and hack't Be in a cloud obscurely wrack't Or else be slaine whilst night doth last With showres of darts from our foes cast For they that so confusedly Fighting doe intermingled dye True valour shades from sight of eye The Gods on vs this stage bestowes In open view of friends and foes The rowling seas and mountaines hye Shall see our courage death defie This Island witnesse shall the same And to her rockes record our fame The coasts on both sides shall behold Valour vn-vanquisht vn-controld O Fortune we vnwitting are What endlesse fame thou doest prepare Wherewith to glorifie our Fates For all records of future dates That endlesse ages can retaine Our memory shall still maintaine And for our sakes repeat with ruth To constant Mart our spotlesse truth Eternizing our famous youth And Caesar for thy sake we know In this too little we bestow With our owne swords our selues to gore But thus beset we can no more This constant death that we will proue We dedicate vnto thy loue But enuious Fate our praise did grutch And from it hath detracted much In that our Parents and our sonnes With vs none of this fortune runnes Then should they know had we some aid What dauntlesse spirits they way-layd And doubtlesse we should make them feare To mell with vs that such minds beare But they may hold them well-a-paid That no more of our ships they staid For then must they some means haue found For our enlargement to compound And sought with some vaine offers base Our liuing honour to deface O would that now to giue our death One glory more ere our last breath They would but vs some offer make Whereby we might our pardon take That we with scorne might it forsake That thereby they might plainely know How dreadlesse we to death do goe And not as men in hopelesse mood With our own swords coole our own blood Let vs such vertue now expresse That Caesar may with right confesse That he in vs hath vndergone A bloody losse worthy of mone Although we few are but a mite Mongst thousands that for him do fight Though fate would set vs free againe That offer yet would I disdaine Deere mates this life to me is scorne Deaths motiues do my thoughts suborne Fury diuine hath rap't rap't my minde The Gods in fauour haue design'd That we to death should giue our minde To others they such grace deny To thinke it happinesse to dye Because here in this world of strife They should protract a wretched life Now are these noble youths on fire To haste their fates with true desire Who did before gaze on the skies With heauy hearts and watry eyes Expecting death when sunne did rise And did behold with grieuing feare The stooping of the greater Beare Before that they this speech did heare But then they wisht to see dayes light So free they were from deaths affright For now their Captaines glorious words Prouok't their hearts like points of swords The Sphere with all her lampes of night Haste in the seas to plunge their light The Sunne his parting then begins From out the armes of Laeda's twins And now this lofty starre him drawes To lodge more neere to Cancers clawes And for a farewell night imparts With vs her two Thessalian darts ¶ The day spring doth descry abroad How Istrian troopes the Cliffes do load And how the stout Liburnian fleet With Greekish ships in consort meet But
first the rage of warre to cease They offer them to treate of peace And onely this contract would haue To yeeld themselues their liues to saue Except they more desired death Then to preserue a Captiue breath But these braue yonkers did disdaine Parlie for life to entertaine They were resolu'd that their owne Armes Should free them from all scornfull harmes Their mindes prepar'd for vtmost woes Could not be mou'd with clamorous foes Few hands of theirs sustain'd the brunt Of multitudes that them affrunt By land and seas on euery side Constant to death they firme abide And when they saw of hostile gore That they had shed sufficient store They turn'd their fury from the foe And with themselues in hand they goe The noble Captaine led the way Vulteius braue that doth display His naked breast and thus did say That hand amongst you most of worth My blood with glory to let forth Let him giue proofe by wounding me That he likewise himselfe dares free From captiue fate No more he spake But therewithall short worke to make More swords then one became so fierce That all at once his bowels pierce Yet he that on him first did light Him with like kindnesse to requite His dying hand did then bestow On him againe a fatall blow Then all the Troope hand ouer head With mortall wounds each other sped In such sort rag'd the Dircaean breed That did spring vp of Cadmus seed Which did presage the dismall fate Of Theban brethrens dire debate Whose earth-bred race their linnage drawes From that same waking Dragons iawes Whose teeth sowne in the Phasian fields Such cankred bloody natures yeelds As that the furrowes flowing stood With fowle inrag'd allied blood Contriu'd by wrathfull Magickes mood And vile Medea that these harmes Did bring to passe with sorcerous charmes Fear'd what thereof might more betide Because those spelles she had not try'd In this sort dy'd those gallant laddes Whose mutuall fate each other glads Death to great vertue did expose To quell such valiant men as those Yet they together dye and fall No one mans hand did faile at all To giue a wound but it did bring With dying hand deaths deadly sting Neither did they to strong blowes trust But through their breasts the swords did thrust And for it should be throughly donne Vp to the hilts they did them runne In this blood-thirsty slaughtring fray The brother doth the brother slay Sonnes fathers send the selfe-same way And yet their hands were not affright ' Gainst natures lawes to shew their might But this was deem'd a pious deed With one blow and no more to speed Now did the bowels all bestrow The hatches and the bloud did flow Ouer the sides into the seas To see the light did them displease But that with proud disdainfull grace They might looke in the victors face And scornfully their deaths embrace The Raffe was heap't and ouer-spred With these braue youths that there lye dead To whom the Conquerors impart Due funerals as their desart And all the Captaines wondring stood At this braue Captaines dauntlesse mood And now the fame of this deed donne As matchlesse through the world did run But yet this patterne cannot make Many base mindes like heart to take Dread will not let them vnderstand That Vertue with her valiant hand May easily their woes release If slauish Fate do them oppresse But Tyrants swords do them appall Their freedome vnder force doth fall Because they do not vnderstand Why swords were fitted to the hand O Death therefore doe not affright The poore dismaied coward wight But shew thy tyrant murdrous dart Vnto the dauntlesse noble heart Like courage he in Mart exprest That doth the Lybian fields inuest For noble Curio leaues the rode Of Lilybey where his abode With all his fleet a while he made Which now the Ocean do inuade When as a friendly Northerne gale His ships vnto the port did hale Whereas the waues the ruines beat Of great Carthagoes famous seat And then vnto the harbour came Clupea hight of noted name There first he maketh his discents And farre in land did pitch his tents Hard by the stow Bagrada's sides That furrowes vp the sands with tides Then to the hilles his Army goes And to those hollow rockes that showes Where great Antaeus raigned king As old bards do not vainly sing Here Curio seriously desires To heare report of ancient sires And what the peasants of the land Did by tradition vnderstand From what occasion that tale rose That through the world this rumor blowes ¶ Long after that same monstrous brood Of Earth-borne Gyants Ioue with-stood Our Libian Countrey did not reare Such ore-growne creatures as they were Neither was Typhons worth so much Nor Tityos nor Briareus such As in the world they glory bare But sure the earth the heauens did spare That then Antaeus was not borne Nor did in Thessaly soiorne A man so deere vnto the earth From whom he tooke his liuing birth As that he neuer touch't the ground But his maine force did more abound And when his huge limbes fainting grew Fresh strength in them it did renue This caue the house where he did dwell And vnder this high rocke the cell Where he did lodge and for his meate The flesh of Lyons he did eate On wilde beasts skinnes he would not lye Nor on the broad leaues soft and drye But on the bare mould he would rest Wherewith his vigor still encreast The people ouer all the lands Were mangled with his murdrous hands Of strangers that the coast did trade A slaughter and a spoyle he made But for a time proud of his force He did the helpe of earth diuorce And though he were of so great might That none durst him withstand in fight Yet when the fame abroad was spread Of this foule monster so a-dread And what great mischiefe he had donne It mou'd Alcides noble sonne To passe to Affricke on the maine To buckle with this surly swaine ¶ But ere his taske he did beginne From him he casts his Lyons skinne That in Cleoneae he had slaine Antaeus likewise did refraine To weare his Lybicke Lyons spoyle Then Hercules the soueraigne oyle Vpon his brawny limbes infusd That in Olympian games he vsd But now Antaeus earst so stout His proper force began to doubt And therefore stretcht himselfe at length Vpon the sands that gaue him strength Now with their hands they hand-fast take And fiercely doe their straind armes shake Then did they long but all in vaine Each other by the collars straine And brow they doe confront to brow Which neither of them both would bow But each of them did muse to see One that his equall match could bee Alcides yet forbare to show His vtmost vigor on his foe But vrg'd him so with cunning slight That out of breath he puts him quight Which by oft
coast whereas binne The chilly sharpe windes fostered All these with praise were honored Then by the Senators decree Iuba designed was to bee The soueraigne of all Libicke land To sway that scepter with his hand But oh dire Fates thou that hast name Of Ptolomey thou Fortunes shame To thee a kingdome was design'd Whose people were of faithlesse kinde The Gods herein most faulty were To grace thy wretched head of haire VVith that braue Alexandrian crowne That had from Peleus his renowne Thou boy didst take the sword in hand To rule the people of this land And would to God to them alone Thy tyrant sword had beene made knowne But Lagus Realme was giuen thee more And thou defil'd with Pompey's gore Thy sisters Crowne thou didst depriue And Caesars wracke wel-neere contriue This great assembly now dismist The multitude in Armes persist VVhilst Souldiers and the Captaines all Fore-casting nought what might befall Their Ensignes and their Armes aduance Guided by giddy Fortunes chance But Appius was the onely man That did this purpose better scan For he did feare with rash attempt To hazard doubtfull warres euent And therefore he the Gods besought To shew to what end t would be brought VVhich done he takes his iourney then To the Phoebeian Delphicke Denne That he this Oracle might heare VVhich had beene shut vp many a yeare ¶ Parnassus mountaine toppe is spred VVith lofty double forked head And in the worlds mid way doth rest Iust plac't betweene the East and West This sacred hill as eld designes To Phoebus and the God of wines With equall hest was consecrate Where they their Oracles relate His onely toppe surmounting stood Of all the earth aboue the flood That in Deucalions time did drowne The world with her high towring crowne And onely as a confine seene The waters and the skies betweene Yet thou Parnassus didst not rise So high but that one forkes poynt lyes Vnder the water hid from eyes Reuenging Paean there did show The vigor of his arme and bow Calling to minde his mothers wrong Whilst he within her wombe did throng She from her natiue home expeld He with his arrowes Python queld Which yet he scarce had skill to weld This sacred soyle as then did rest With Trypods vnder Thaemis best As soone as Paean first beheld The sounding voyce these caues did yeeld Diuinely breathing out such sawes With windy words from earths deep iawes He secretly himselfe with-drawes And in the sacred dennes did shade There Paean was a Prophet made ¶ What God quoth he is here inclosd What supreme power from heauen deposd Vouchsafes confined thus to dwell Within this solitary Cell What Deity of heauenly birth Can be partaker with this earth Within whose all conceiuing breast Eternall secrets liue and rest Whose high fore-knowledge hath descride What shall in future times betide That preacheth to the peoples eares That humane forme and nature beares Dreadfull and potent in his state And whether he doth sing of Fate Or do command that which he sings He Fate vnto perfection brings Perhaps of Iupiter entire A great part doth his soule inspire Which was vnto the earth downe sent To sway this or by continent With true proportion'd vpright paise Whereby amidst the Aire it staies Which power diuine accustom'd then To haunt in this Cyrrhaean Denne And was withall conioyned nye To thundring Ioue aboue the skye This power that had such grace receiu'd Was in a virgins breast conceiu'd With humane soule it did subsist Sounding his voice when as him list The mouth he opened of the Priest With so great force as flaming blasts That Mountaine Aetna's toppe out casts Or as Typhaeus ouer-prest With hugie weight vpon his breast Whom great Inarymes doth hide Constrained from his stomach wide To vomit vp with ratling grones Campana's flinty rugged stones ¶ This power exposd to all mens good No mortals prayers hath withstood Onely his nature doth disdaine To be defil'd with humane staine Wicked inchanters neuer dwels Nor yet converse within his celles There witches mutter not their spelles A constant truth his speeches are To alter which none ought to dare Forbidding mortals that desire His fauour is the iust mans hire For vnto such cast from their seat He hath restored Cities great The Tyrrians so he did relieue And gaue them meanes away to driue The threatnings proud of hostile Lords As Salaminian sea records The barren lands he fruitfull makes Contagious aires away he takes And teacheth how the same he slakes This age of ours with griese may say The Gods from vs hold not away A blessed gift of greater grace Then was this Delphicke sacred place Which prophesing no longer sings So future feare doth hold our kings And in that iealous doubtfull vaine All Oracles they doe restraine Yet Cyrraen Prophets nought lament That so their voyces are vp-pent Or that their Temples none frequent For if this God-heads spirit lights Within the hearts of mortall wights They that this power diuine receaues Death vnto him thereby bequeaues The full reward of present blisse Or else his paine eternall is For those weake powers of humane life Faint in the waues and vrging strife That in this fury raigneth rife So can the Gods when they doe streeke Shake mortall mindes and make them meeke Now Appius that searcheth out To vnderstand this latest doubt Of the Hesperian hidden Fate Addrest himselfe vnto the gate Of this same silent vncoth caue Whose Oracles no answeres gaue Long time before nor Trypods draue There he the Prelate doth intreat Then to set ope his sacred seate And to let in the fearfull Nunne Phaemonoë that now did runne And gadde about in shady woods And by Castalio's secret floods Where wandring carelesse she was caught And so vnto the Temple brought ¶ The Nunne whom feare did now disswade This vgly entry to invade Vsd all the Art she could inuent To hold this Lord from his intent Whereon his minde was so hot bent Great Roman Lord I muse quoth she What wicked hope inueagleth thee To search to know thy future Fate Where Oracles are out of date Parnassus long hath silent stood The God suppressed hath his mood His voyce is either dumbe or hoarse Or else this seat he doth not force But rometh in by-waies vntry'd Or Trypod-couering hide Is by Barbarians burnt and fry'd Whose ashes in the Cauernes lies And Phoebus passage so denies Or whether that the Gods high hest With Cyrrha's prophesies shall rest And that the Sibylls old presage Of things to come in future age Which are committed vnto verse Sufficiently may Fates rehearse Or Paean that is vsd to chase The spirits of a harmfull race Cannot finde out in this fraile time A truthfull tongue deuoid of crime Now in this virgins words and cheere Dissembling fraud did plaine appeare Her guilty feare did then descry She falsely did the Gods deny Her writhed fillet she
doth dresse Vpon the fore-part of her tresse Her lockes hung downe her backe behinde Vpon her crowne she wreathing twinde A garland greene of Laurell dight With Phocian vaile of lawne pure white But in the porch she made a stay The priest then pusht her on her way Yet she poore soule was sore adread Into the horrid cell to yed Lothing the gastly dennes to proue Nor from the Porch would she remoue But there right doth a muttring faine As though the spright she did retaine And yet her breast he did not straine In this sort she vntroubled stood With quiet voyce and sober mood Which shewd no sacred furies guise Did her distracted sence surprise Neither could that smooth tale she told With Appius more credit hold Then it was able to abuse The Trypods or Apollos muse No trembling sounds doe stoppe her words The Cauerne vaste no voyce affoords Her garland doth not brandling reare With the vp-rising of her haire The Temples steeple no whit shakes The shady groue no blustring makes And she poore wretch the whilst still feares With Oracles to trust her eares This while the Trypods yeeld no signes And Appius vnto rage enclines Wherewith he said thou false for-sworne That hast both Gods and Me in skorne Thy fraud thou deerely shalt abye Except thou enter presently This cauerne and do truths relate Presume not of thy selfe to prate In matters of this great aduice No lesse worth then the worlds whole price Herewith the Nunne was so agast That to the Trypods she makes hast And to the Cauernes being come She stands amaz'd and waxeth dumbe And with an vnaccustom'd breast The spirit she receiues her guest So as not any long of yore This caue so fully did explore Then did the Cyrrhen Furie runne So fiercely through this rapted Nunne That neuer any had like part Of this diuine Phoebaean Art Her proper wits it driues away Now now quoth she heare whilst you may And trust vpon the words I say Her necke she whirles and windes about And madding through the dens doth strout Her phillets and Phoebaean bayes Her vpright staring lockes did raise And through each horrid vacant place She flings about with gastly face And where the Trypods she doth meete She ouer-whelmes them with her feete She frets and burnes with inward fire Phoebus on her exprest his ire Not onely with his stripes and threats But he her bowels flaming heats And her inspires with so great skill That she was stinted of her will For 't was not lawfull she should show Those wondrous things that she did know All times beginnings and their ends She sees and fully comprehends And euery ages destiny Within her racked breast doth lye Huge heapes of things to her appeares She swels with gesse of future yeares Whose fates whilst she conceald doth hold In her did struggle to be told The worlds last dayes she viewed than With that first houre that it began The secrets of the Ocean vast Reuealed were to her forecast And therewithall she vnderstands The iust account of all the sands ¶ So great a Prophetesse some time There liu'd in the Euboean Clime That did disdaine her secret Art With forraigne nations to impart And yet amongst so great a troope That vnder fatall bonds did droope With haughty hand she fram'd her sprite The Roman destinies to write Phoemonoë so with fury fild Labours the like content to yeeld To thee O Appius that seek'st out To be resolued of thy doubt But much a doe she hath God wot To light vpon thy single lot Amongst so many destinies As in Castalia hidden lies With flowing foame her mouth grows white And raptures agonize her sprite She groanes and therewith gasping throbs And yelling shrill she sighing sobs With heauy howling then she raues Which rings throughout the vaulted caues Then growing tame her worke beginnes And thus her latest words she sings Thou Roman shalt the dangers great Of these warres scape that doe thee threat And in the vast Euboean soyle Thou shalt rest safe and free from toyle So said she did conceale the rest And Paean then her tongue supprest ¶ Yee Trypods that the Fates doe keepe And of the world the secrets deepe And thou O Paean that wantst power To hide the future of one hower From knowledge of the Gods on hye Why strangely dost thou so deny The latest ruine to relate That shall oppresse the Empires state The Captaines slaine the death of Kings The fall of Nations that it brings Whose liues the destinies thinke good To mingle with the Latium blood Haue not as yet the powers diuine Resolu'd how this wracke shall encline And are so many Fates obscur'd As though the starres were not assur'd That Pompey's head is doom'd to dye Or else doe these things silent lye That Fortune may due vengeance take Vpon that sword that makes all quake With chastisement his rage to slake And raise the Brutes to quell the raigne Of Tyrants that would rise againe Then with her breast the virgin push't Against the gate which open rush't Out of the Temple so she went But yet her fury was not spent Though not a word at all she spake For yet the God did not forsake Her breast but there his stay did make She still doth whirle her gogling eyes And wistly stares vpon the skies One while she shewes a fearfull grace And sometimes looke with scowling face A steady eye she neuer keepes Her lippes red flaming colour steepes Her cheekes were deadly pale to sight Not as when terror brings affright But bloodlesse wannish and her heart Did beat as though her life did part But as the seas when stormes doe slake Will swell and hollow roaring make So with her many sighes out-sent She grew appeasd her breast had vent ¶ And when she seuerd had her sight A while from out the sacred light Which had reueal'd to her all Fate She was restor'd to her old state Her humane notions came againe And Paean did her bowels baine With water of the Lethe flood All was forgot she vnderstood The secrets of the Gods were fled And she no longer prophised All future fore-cast that inspire To Phoebus Trypods did retire Downe-right she fell into a trance But Appius though thy death aduance Thou dost not yet a right conceaue What doubtfull fate to thee doth cleaue For thou deluded with false hope The whole worlds rule tak'st for thy scope And with an idle misconceit Dost thinke to make thy safe retrait In Calcis and Euboian land And fondly bearst thy selfe in hand O foole with that which cannot be For how canst thou from cares be free Amidst this whole worlds storme of strife Except the Gods bereaue thy life And that is true for thou shalt haue Prepar'd for thee a worthy graue Neere to the strict Euboian costs Whereas huge rockes of marble posts Charistos hath such quarries store And whereas Rhamnis doth adore Great Nemesis that there
doth keepe Neere to the straits of that vaste deepe Euripus cal'd whose rapid course With checking tides and changing sourse The Calcidonian trading masts On Aulis wracking channels casts ¶ Caesar meane while remoues his hoast From the Iberian conquered coast And his victorious Aegles flye Vnto another stranger skye And then the Gods had wel-neere quel'd That good successe which long he held For now whilst he no warre did wage He stands in doubt that mutines rage Within his Campe would raise some broyle And so his plotted warfare spoyle Whilst that his chiefest troopes now fild With blood in many battailes spild Their faith did from their Captaine fall And were it that the Trumpets call Had not of late stir'd vp their sprights Or that from their accustom'd fights Their swords to scabbards now confin'd All martiall rage chast from their minde Or whether that the swaggering sway Was to procure some larger pay But so it was amidst these flawes They curse their Captaine and the cause And do accuse their proper Armes As guilty of these ciuill harmes Neuer was Caesar better try'd Then now this mutiny to guide He sees all in a staggering way Vncertaine how mens mindes would sway And like a body rest of hands As vnassisted now he stands And almost left to his owne sword Saw now what t was that did affoord Him meanes such warres to entertaine ' Gainst all the world by land and maine That 't was the Souldiers ready armes And not the Captaines fatall charmes But now amazed murmure rose Their rage they openly oppose For that same cause that is of wont Of wauering mindes to stay the brunt Is when that men their priuate feare And his owne dread each one doth beare But now them all one humor drawes The Campe takes interest in the cause As tyranny against their lawes They make no stoppe for all the rout Dreadlesse run on and cast no doubt For still a generall offence Doth with all chastisement dispence ¶ Then one of them amongst the rest Their publicke griese this wise exprest Caesar let vs at length in peace From wicked warre finde some release By lands and seas thou dost deuise To make our throats a sacrifice And dost as vile expose our blood To euery hostile raging mood A part of vs in France were slaine Many in these hard warres of Spaine And Latium some with blood did staine So all the world our Troopes deuoures Whilst thou displai'st thy conquering powres But what are we the more of worth For all that bloud shed in the North For Rhodanus and Rhene subdu'd Our labours are but still renu'd And for those warres both neere and farre All our reward is ciuill warre Rome we haue taken and made waste The Senate from our Countrey chaste What spoyles of Gods or men remaines For vs to aske more for our paines Yet still with rauening swords and hands Prest to all spoyle our practise stands Patient in pouerty we pine O when will these warres haue a fine If Rome too little be esteem'd What as sufficient can be deem'd O now respect our hoary haire Our hands that scarce can weapons beare Our weakned arms with wounds and scarres Our liues decayd youth spent in warres Their death in peace let old men take O 't is a strange request I make That dying we might not of force Vpon the bare earth life deuorce And with our cold caskes crush our powles Whilst we are yeelding vp our soules And want a hand to close our eyes When deaths last straine doth vs surprise No wife at all by vs to moane Nor yet to haue a graue alone But vpon heapes in ditches cast Let old age beded dye at last And some thing get by Caesars fate More then sharpe swords and dire debate Why dost thou Caesar hope to draw Vs all as stupid vnder awe As though we wanted sence the while To iudge of employments vile Thinkst thou we cannot gesse aright Vpon whom all the wracke will light And whose liues blood shall pay the price Of all thy ciuill warres deuise What in thy Mart effected was But that our hands hath brought to passe We haue done all and what I say No law nor right can me denay Caesar my Chiefetaine was in Gaule My fellow here I may him call The crime that doth coinquinate Doth likewise yeeld men equall fate Besides the merit of our acts Wrong censure now from vs detracts For whatsoeuer we haue wonne Is deem'd by Caesars fortune spunne Yet let him know we are his Fate Though he hope Ioue supports his state For if thy Souldiers with thee iarre Caesar thou may'st shut vp thy warre Thus said in all the Campe throughout Together they doe clustring rout And raging seeke their Captaine out ¶ Yee Gods so did Romes forttune quaile When piety and faith did faile And wicked manners void of grace In steed thereof did come in place O let our discords raging iarres Once make an end of ciuill warres What Captaine of the greatest spright Would not this mutiny affright But noble Caesar that dares runne Into all Fates and nothing shunne Delighting then to try his chance When dangerss most their threats aduance Comes dauntlesse now with courage bold Not staying till their fit was cold But in the midst of all their rage Himselfe amongst them doth ingage He neuer would haue blam'd their fact If they had Townes or Cities sack't Or had they reuerend Temples burn'd Or Ioues Tarpeia ouer-turn'd The Matrons and the Senate spoil'd Infants and mothers great with child For Caesar would his Souldiers haue All cruelties of him to craue And that they surely should desire The spoyle of warfare as their hire He onely fear'd his furious troope With quiet hands would loytring droope O Caesar art thou not asham'd That still to warre thy minde is fram'd When thine owne Armes doe thee forsake Shall these their thirst from bloud so slake Shall they the murdring steele disdaine Whilst thou dost ruthlesse still remaine And prosecute this impious vaine Be weary and learne without Armes To suffer and shunne ciuill harmes Affect a life of peace at last These heynous humors from thee cast Cruell why dost thou still persist Prouoking men against their list For Caesar thou maist plainly see This ciuill warre thy sword doth flee He stands vpon a little hill His stout lookes he retaineth still Deseruing to be fear'd of all For that no feare could him appall Then to this swarme his minde he breakes And wroth doth dictate what he speakes ¶ Souldier that so took'st on yer-while And absent didst my name reuile See heere thou hast a naked breast Ready for wounds now do thy best And get thee hence if fault thou finde With warres and leaue thy Armes behinde Sedition that such swaggering makes And nothing manly vndertakes Discouers but a coward minde And such as come of crauen kinde These youths so pamper'd vp with pray Study but now to
battaile now be scan'd No man his perils deemes aright But greater doubts doe them affright For who is hee that sees the maine With surges swallow vp the plaine The highest mountaines ouerflowne With billowes from the Ocean blowne The skies and Phoebus blazing crowne Vnto the earth come tumbling downe In such a publicke wracke each where Would of his priuate stand in feare No man had leasure now to dread The harmes that hanged ore his head Romes destiny and Pompeys fall Was it that did distract them all ¶ Vnto their swords they put no trust Except new ground and scour'd from rust Their darts are sharpned at the end With stronger strings their bowes they bend Their quiuers also stored full With choycest shafts that they could cull The rowels of the horse-mens spurre Enlarg'd to make his courser sturre If it were lawfull to compare Mans labours with the supreame care So Mars did grinde his fauchion Vpon the rough Cycilian stone When the Phlegrean Gyants fierce Did make attempt the skies to pierce So Neptune his three-forked mace With fiery temper did enchase And Paean so new steel'd againe His shafts when he had Python slaine So Pallas furbusht vp her Targe VVith Gorgons head and lockes at large And so to chastise those reuolts Vulcan then chang'd Ioues thunder-bolts ¶ Nature did not that time refraine By many signes to shew most plaine The fearefull accidents at hand The skies the armed troopes withstand Marching to the Pharsalian land The tearing clouds with thunder-claps The Souldiers on their faces raps Contrary flames and pillars bright Of scorching fire did them affright Typhons commixt with sparkling beames That did affect the water streames Brake out withall and lightning flashes Dazled their eyes with findging dashes From off their helmes it strake the crests And from the blades the hilts it wrests It also melts the headed Pile The sulfrie aire rusts murdring steele The swarming bees in clustred flights By heapes vpon their Ensignes lights So as the Ensigne-bearers might Could not from ground raise them vpright The weight thereof was growne so dead It made them bow both backe and head Their publique Standards in a swet And Roman Aegles weeping wet VVhilst forward to the field they set The Bull brought for the sacrifice VVith fury from the Altar flies And running head-long himselfe cast Into Emathias field at last So as no offring could be found To expiate that lucklesse ground ¶ But what malignant Deities And Furies of impieties O Caesar hast thou cal'd vpon What power of Stygian Region What wicked damn'd infernall sprights That range about in gloomy nights Hath stir'd thee vp and whet thy rage This odious wicked warre to wage But now this doubt againe doth rise Whether that feare abus'd their eyes Or that these monstrous visions seene Of Gods the Reuelations beene For many thought they did behold How Pindus to Olympus rold And that mount Aemus that same houre A gaping velley did deuoure And that throughout Pharsalia's ground Strange howlings did by night resound That streames of bloud by Ossa's hill Did to Boebeida's lake distill That they beheld in darke shades vail'd How men with force their foes assail'd The day pale dimnesse ouer-whelmes Darke shades likewise incloud their helmes Their parents buried ghosts did rise And fluttring doe accost their eyes But this one comfort did remaine To ease them in perplexed paine That those who with a guilty minde Did hope the wicked meanes to finde Their aged fathers throats to cut And in their brothers blood to glut Reioyced at the monstrous sights That with such horror maz'd mens sprights And hop't these suddaine furies rage Did vnto them successe presage But why should it seeme strange at all That those for whom death now did call Should changes feele as life growes slacke And trembling fits of natures wracke If to the minde of man be giuen Knowledge of future things to steeuen The guest that wonnes in Tyrian Gades The Roman that Armenia trades And those that vnder any clime Of all the world liu'd at that time Did grieue and yet wist no cause why And tooke their griefes offensiuely But little knew what they should lose At these Emathian fatall blowes ¶ If old Records we credit may Vpon Euganeo's hill they say An Augure sitting neere those streames Where Aponus breath-reeking steames Do rise and spread their springs abrode And in Timavas flood vnlode Where was Antenors first abode Now comes this Augure then did say A great and lamentable day The mightest things of humane state Are like forth-with to haue their date Pompeys and Caesars wicked Armes Will now rush on to ciuill harmes But whether that the thunders rage And Ioues dire darts did thus presage Or that the gazing on the skies The heauens discordant humor spies Or that the sad duskt firmament Did note to him this daies euent By dimnesse of th' eclipsed sunne That was with darknesse ouer-runne Nature in this dayes forme exprest Such difference from all the rest As that if men did vnderstand As did this Augure to haue scan'd And well obseru'd the nouell change Of heauenly signes how they did range Then all the world might plaine haue seene As well as hee Pharsalia's teene O worthy wights by Fate reseru'd Of all the world to be obseru'd Whose destinies to bring to end The whole heauens leasure did intend If after ages heare the same And to our Nephewes come their fame Or if to men of great estate Our labours care Time shall relate So as their mindes it recreate When as these ciuill warres they read It will provoke both hope and dread And draw such wishes from their thought As shall be lost and profite nought For reading they will be distracted As though these were not matters acted But as if they were strifes depending Whose Fates as yet had not their ending And all that while wish from their heart The best successe to Pompeys part ¶ As soone as Pompey's armed bands March't towards the Pharsalian lands The shining Sunne-beames bright aspect Against their armours did reflect So as the valleyes and the hilles All round about with light it filles They did not rashly take the field The haplesse Army order held And Lentulus had for his part The ordring of the left wings Mart And those two Legions therewithall That of the Campe was principall The first and fourth they did them call And vnto thee Domitius stout Was giuen in charge the right wings rout All-be-it with vnlucky hand Thou for thy Countries cause didst stand The middle battaile strong compact With thick rang'd troops that were extract Out of the Cilician hoast That came with Scipio from that coast Who heere held but a Souldiers place Though Affrick after did him grace As chiefe Commander in the field The mountaine Capadocians held Their Cohorts rang'd in ordred rankes On Enipheus riuers bankes And with them all alongst that flood That Pontus large-rain'd
that supreme humane pride That will all honour ouer-stride Then will his noble death beseeme The Fates that him so worthy deeme O let him liue and proudly raigne And then by Brutus sword be slaine ¶ Here now our Countries glory dies Here in a heape confused lies The old Patrician Roman gore Mixt with Plebeian bloudy store And yet amidst this butcherie Of Heroick Nobilitie Domitius stout that death of thine Aboue the rest most cleare did shine Whom fate did oft oppresse and tosse For Fortune still did Pompey crosse Where thou madst one and still hadst losse So often wert thou Caesars pray But now hast clos'd thy latest day With liberty preserued free Which makes those many wounds to thee Pleasing whereof thou now must dye And no more Caesars pardons try But Caesar chanc't that way to passe Where he in gore blood wallowing was And tauntingly vnto him spake Domitius thou that soughtst to take My charge from me and gouerne Gaule Pompey thou canst not serue at all Without thee this warre we shall trye No more he said Then to reply His panting breast him life affoords And thus pronounc't his dying words Caesar thou hast not yet the meed Of thy accursed wicked deed Doubtfull as yet doth stand thy fate And lesse in shew then Pompeys state I one of Pompeys traine doe goe Freely vnto the shades below And safely thither doe I wend And yet by that these warres haue end I well may hope when I am dead Wracke shall befall thy wretched head And vengeance due shall on thee light And yeeld both me and Pompey right So hauing said did life resigne And deaths darke hand clos'd vp his eyne ¶ In vaine alas what should I shed Teares here vpon the thousands dead Of those that from the worlds each part Did finde their ends in this dire Mart Or why should I but single out Some priuate fates in this huge rout Whose bowels pierc't with deadly wounds Their latest liuing dayes confounds Or who on earth dead bodies spurnes Or who their bloody swords poynts turnes Vpon their breast that gasping lye To free their soules that lingring dye Or who at one blow downe is cast Or who with hewd limbes standeth fast Or who with darts doth bodies wound Or with his launce nailes men to ground Or whose veins pierc't whence blood flies out Into the aire and doth besprout The Armour of his murdring foe Who slaies his brother at a blow And as a stranger doth him spoyle Cuts off his head and in the soyle Doth hide the same to hide his guilt Or who his fathers bloud hath spilt And mangled hath his face the while The lookers on so to beguile And doth it with such ragefull ire As t were some foe and not his sire No one mans death can claime lament To waile men now no time is lent The slaughters of Pharsalias field Is nothing such as others yeeld There priuate Fates the warres attends Here Rome and all her people ends There warre to death doth souldiers call But here at once whole Nations fall The Grecian peoples bloud here streames The Ponticke and Assirian realmes And now the bloud of Romans slaine In torrents fleets on that againe And with her ouer-flowing store Sweepes from the fields Barbarian gore More people in this battaile slaine Then our age can supply againe T is more then life and health that 's lost It hath the whole world ruine cost The sword vpon those bodies rages That should haue serued future ages What haue our children yet misdonne That they to seruile state must runne Or what fault in posterity Borne to be thralles to tyranny Haue we so cowardly borne Armes And offred vp our throats to harmes The burthen of anothers feare Vpon our shoulders must we beare O Fortune if thou needs wouldst call Our sonnes to be a tyrants thrall Thou shouldst haue giuen them warres withall ¶ Now doth vnhappy Pompey finde The Gods and Roman Fates vnkinde And ere the fight was throughly ended His cursed fortune he condemned Whilst in the field hee stood on hye Vpon a hill and thence did eye The slaughters and the troopes ramuerst Throughout Pharsalias field disperst The which the fight before did hide He multitudes sees on his side Of weapons and of bodies lost And his owne wracke at their blouds cost Yet did he not as wretches will Desire the whole with him should spill Nor in his ruine wrap them all But on the heauenly powers did call That yet the greatest part might thriue Of Latium blood and him suruiue This is his comfort in annoy O Gods quoth he doe not destroy So many Nations at a clappe The world may stand free from mishappe And Rome may many ages flourish Although that Pompey sinke and perish But if it so your likings please More woes on me to heape then these My wife and children yet subsist For Fates to do with what they list Hath not this ciuill warre cost deere If I and mine must perish heere May not such wounds be deemed wide Though all the world escape beside O Fortune why dost thou so racke And labour to bring all to wracke Nothing is mine I all things lacke So hauing said he rides about The Ensignes and the Armes in rout And in each part throughout the lands Sees how his squadrons broken stands Whom he retraits and doth restraine From running to their deaths amaine He values not himselfe so much That for his sake harme should them touch And yet his courage did not faile The swords and weapons to assaile Or put his life to hazards chance Or vnto death his breast aduance He fear'd if Pompey there should dye The Souldiers would no dangers flye But on his body heaped lye Besides he fouly did despise To lye a scorne to Caesars eyes Yet if thy father-in-law affect To cast his eyes on that prospect Thy head to him will be presented It cannot be by place preuented And thou his wife wert partly cause Why from this slaughter he with-drawes To see thy face for Fates ordaine That in thy sight he should be slaine Then he a Courser swift bestrides And posting from the battaile rides Feare makes him not to turne his backe His heart did neuer courage lacke In most distresse his minde was stout Nor plaints nor teares he powreth out But such a reuerent griefe exprest As with a Maiesty fits best For him at that time to bestow On Roman fortune brought so low And with like constancy beheld The downe-falles of Emathia's field Nor prosperous wars could make thee proud Nor ouer-throwes thy courage cloud That faithlesse Fortune flattring thee With glorious pompe in triumphes three Thou now dost scorne with lesse account And makes thy minde her force surmount Securely thou from hence dost part Freed from the cumbrous cares of Mart. And now at large thou leasure hast To ruminate thy glories past Ambitious hopes neuer suffis'd From thee are fled and now despis'd Now maist
Emathia as forlorne VVouldst humane races hold in scorne As if thou wert that torrid soyle That Phoebus beams doth alwaies broile Or else that frozen ycie land That vnderneath the pole doth stand Vnknowne so wouldst thou lie vnman'd Had this bene but thy first wars blame Not seconded with like defame O Gods if that we may detest A land were wickednesse doth rest Why doth this soyle the world oppresse And so bring mankinde to distresse The bloudy battell fought in Spaine The horrors on Pachinus maine Mutinas and the Lucan fleetes Do wipe away Philippos greetes Finis Libri Septimi Lucans Pharsalia The eighth Booke THE ARGVMENT POmpey repulst and put to flight By secret waies in great affright Himselfe first at Larissa showes And then by seas to Lesbos goes Where all that people him bewailes Thence with his mournfull wife he sailes Vnto Caelicia whither came His sonne and other Lords of name There they consult what land to seeke Accused Aegypt best they like Where he no sooner did arriue But king and Councell did contriue His present death and to that end They thaiterously Achilles send Who in the presence of his wife And of his sonne bereft his life Codrus his seruant with his hands Scrapes him a graue amongst the sands NOw Pompey forward hasting posts Ouer the Herculean coasts Then thorow Tempes woody waies Aemonian forrests he displaies And desart passages assayes His steede though stroken with the spurre Would scarcely forward go or sturre So was he spent and ouer heate With running long and faint with sweate Besides amaze him so did fright That he stood doubtfull in his flight What course to take or where to rest But in and out his way doth wrest The murmuring that the winds doth make Amongst the woods when leaus did shake Causde him for very feare to quake His traine that follow him behind A terror are vnto his minde And those that gallop by his sides Perplexe him also as he rides For though he were from that high place Throwne downe and out of Fortunes grace Yet therewithall he vnderstood That no base prise was worth his blood But mindfull of his former state He knew t was yet at so hie rate That Caesar would giue for head As much as he then valued The price of Caesar to be slaine And would bestow his head to gaine But now he finds no secret place Could serue to hide his honoured face For many that do take his part Now comming to Pharsalias Mart The fame as yet not being blowne That all was lost and ouerthrowne Were much amazed in their mind Pompey in that same place to find And scarcely would beleeue the truth That he himselfe relates with ruth But grieuous was all company To him in this calamity No peoples concurse he desir'd But from the world to liue retir'd In safetie with obscured name But Fortune that vnconstant Dame On him poore man her frowns doth cast To blanch her many fauours past So as the waight of his renowne His happinesse doth more presse downe And with the more offensiue hate His former blisse doth exprobate For now he thinks his honors past Were heaped on him too too fast And doth accurse those Syllan bayes The glory of his youthfull dayes It irkes him now deiected wight To thinke vpon his Nauall fight And those braue ensignes that he wonne In Pontycke kingdome ouerrunne Long life doth manly courage bate And he that in empiring state Hath alwaies liu'd except withall In blisse he close his funerall And doth with speedy death preuent The change that fortune would present He hath but liu'd to see his shame And hath outliu'd his honors name For who would fortunes fauours trie Except he can resolue to die ¶ Now hath he to the shore attain'd Whereas Poeneius streame distain'd With blood of the Pharsalian fields Her Tribute to the Ocean yeelds There fearefully he takes a boate Vnfit in winds and waues to floate Which scarcely safe did him conuey Vpon the riuer to the bay For yet she coasted with her oares Corcyras and Leucades shoares This Cylicke and Lyburnicke Lord In those lands earst so much ador'd Embarks him here with mickle feare Into a little Passenger And with a mind fraught full of cares His course for Lesbos he prepares Where thou Cornelia didst reside And there more heauy dayes hadst tride Then if thou hadst encamped laine With Pompey in Pharsalias plaine Presages great of future ill Her vexed thoughts do fright and fill And in in her sleepings heauinesse Oft trembling fits did her oppresse She sees Thessalia field by night And when that Phoebus spreads his light Vnto the loftie Cliffes she hies And to the shore that vtmost lies Where on the maine she casts her eyes And if she will first of all discouer If any sayles do that way houer And yet to aske she is a dread How Pompey in the warre hath sped ¶ But now behold his ship doth stand Full with the hauen of this land And with all sayles doth hither presse Thogh with what news thou canst not gesse Till at the length greefe to reuiue Thy conquered husband doth arriue The heauie messenger of warres The Harrold of hearts-wounding scarres Why dost thou now lose time to wayle When thou maist weep feare doth preuaile But as the ship drew neare at hand In hast she runs vnto the strand And there she quickly did descrie The cruell blame of Destinie Her Lords discolloured deadly face Whose hoarie haires about it trace Rough and vnkombt and his attire Dasht and besprent with dust and mire Wherewith this poore astonisht wight Was ouercome with deaths darke night That from her eyes depriu'd the light Faint sorrow did her sprites inuest Downe right she sinkes life leaues her brest Her lims were starke her heart grew colde A deadly trance her hope doth holde By this their Anchors being cast Were with their cables mored fast Pompey beholds the vacant sand Where as his faithfull seruants stand Who secretly their griefs do show Amongst themselues with inward woe And mournfull sighs which they bestow Such as well sorted with his fate And therewithall they eleuate In vaine their mistresse from the ground That there halfe dead lay in a sound Whom Pompey colleth in his armes And her lims with embracements warmes ¶ Then as the blood return'd againe And did begin to strength each vaine Her husbands hand she felt withall And to her mind his face did call He wils her not to stoope to fate Nor yet her griefs to aggrauate O why shouldst thou a woman borne Of so great blood like one forlorne Thy noble heart and comfort breake With the first blow of Fortunes freake A meane is offered now to raise Thy glory to all future daies The praise wherein thy sex hath part Is not for letters nor for Mart. Thy honor is thy constancie Vnto thy spouse in miserie Lift vp thy sprites with pious thought
and in such lands As to our state malignant stands And stars that vs no good lucke bods Wilt thou adore Chaldean Gods And with Barbarian rites polluted Be now the Parthians thrall reputed Why did we first to armes discend Our libertie but to defend O wretch thou didst the world delude If thou canst liue in seruitude Shall Parth that thee beheld with hate A ruler in the Roman state That saw thee from Hyrcania leade Great kings thy captiues and with dread Beheld the Indians conquered See thee deiected and cast downe And basely yeeld to fortunes frowne Whilst they puft vp in mind with pride Do but the Latium name deride And value Rome lesse then their state To see thee so degenerate O Pompey in thy speech we finde Nought suting with thy worth or mind The Parth that doth not vnderstand The language of the Latium land When thou of him dost aide request By teares thy mind must be exprest Shall we this wounding scorne endure That Parths shall our reuenge procure Rather then Rome with her owne armes Shall remedy Hesperias harmes Did she for this thee chieftaine make That thou no more regard shouldst take But spread abroad with such disgrace Her maymes vnto the Scythian race And secret scarres her to deface What wilt thou teach the Parthian swarmes The way to vexe vs with their armes Hath Rome the hoped comfort lost Of such a warre and such an host Because no kings she would obey But that her Citizens should sway And wilt thou now the wide world range To bring whole nations fierce and strange To ransacke Rome that will display Those ensignes that they wonne away From Crassus when they vanquished And must from Euphrates be led And here to our disgrace be spred That king that vs his aide denide When as our Fortune was vntride And came not to Emathia field To vs will he now comfort yeeld And so prouoke the victors spight Whom he doth heare to be of might And now will Pompeys fortunes runne Such trust with them did neuer wonne The nations of the Northerne climes Where fals the dewes and foggie rimes Are stout in warre and feare not death But those that in the East take breath And leade their liues in warmer soyles Luld in sweet aire hate martiall broyles You see what loose attires and vailes Their men do weare that flit like sailes The Parth vpon the Median fields And Sarmates downes that large scope yeelds And on those plains by Tygris bankes VVhen they in length may streach their ranks And at their pleasure come and goe Cannot be vanquisht by a foe But where the soyle is full of hills These horsmen come not by their wills Their roaming bow can make no fight In bushie straights or in the night When need requires they neuer guides Their horse to swim from sides to sides Nor with their armes stem streaming tides Nor yet will they their fight make good When as their bodies bathe in blood Nor yet endure the parching heate Nor in the dust to toyle and sweate They haue no engins for the warre For rams they know not what they are They want the art a trench to fill And he the Parth repulseth still And as a wall doth him oppose That can keep out weake arrowes blows His battell weake his warre is flight His troops still ranging and but slight A souldier fit to quit a place But not to put his foe to chace His armes defilde with poysons art He dares not come to handy Mart A farre off he his shafts doth dart VVith euery blast of wind they flit And as it blowes they misse or hit ¶ The sword is of more great import And best with valiant men doth sort The Fauchion sharpe but the first fight Disarmes the Parths of all their might For when their quiuers emptied are They do retire and end their warre They neuer trust vnto their hands In poysned shafts their furie stands O Pompey in the chance of warre Thinkst thou it doth nor make nor marre VVhether the souldier do prouide A trusty sword girt to his side And doth thy case thee so constraine That thou wouldst worthlesse aid retaine And nations so remote wouldst trie And out of thine owne countrey die Is some Barbarian land design'd The place where thou thy graue must find There some base shrine thy lims shall haue Since they would not vouchsafe a graue To Crassus that his fate complaines But better hap for thee remains For our last paine with death is fled Which manly hearts do neuer dread For death Cornelia needs not care That wicked King her life will spare We well do know the barbarous rites That they do vse in loues delights And how like to the brutish beasts All humane laws their lusts detests With wiues they neuer contracts hold But like to swine they do vnfold The secrets of the nuptiall bed And that same Tyrants court is sped With thousands for his concubines After his feasts and change of wines One man prouoketh his delight With sundry women euery night The brothers with the sisters weds The sonnes defile their mothers beds That wicked rumour that doth run Of Oedepus that Theban sonne How doth the world condemne and loth Although vnwitting to them both How often hath Arsaces race That holds in Parth the regall place By this incestious sauage moode Commixed bene with slauish blood So as great Scipios noble child Shall not all onely be defilde But with a thousand more be wed As wiues to this Barbarians bed Although his kingly lust and flame Stird vp with beauty of the dame And glory of her husbands name Will make him more to her incline Then any other Concubine For how much more the Parth delights In humane wrackes and foule despights He wil know her for Crassus mate As destin'd to the Parthian fate And deeme that she her selfe must owe A captiue for that ouer-throw O let that miserable foyle Of Easterne wounds in thy breast boyle And bee not onely thou asham'd That to a base King thou hast fram'd Petitions for to lend thee aid Bu◠be thou all as much dismaid That first thou ciuill armes displaid For no fault more the people loth Acted by thee and Caesar both Then that you two by ciuill warre Reuenge for Crassus doe debarre Our Captaines all should then haue tryde Their force against their Parthian pride And rather then haue Armies wanted The Northern climes should haue displanted And from the Dakes and from the Rhene The Roman Legions withdrawen cleane And so strong forces to prouide Haue bar'd the Empire on that side Vntill perfidious Susis towne And Babylon they had throwne downe To serue the Crassi for their tombe As monuments to honour Rome To fortune we our prayers send That with the Parths our peace may end And if Thessalias battell past Hath giuen this ciuill warre his last Let him that conquest doth enioy Against the
But manfully the stroke did bide And onely turn'd his face aside And from his place he neuer moues But dying so himselfe approues And thus resolues within his thought Who then this villany had wrought All after times that vs succeedes And doe record the Romans deedes This wicked act will not obscure But whilst the heauen and earth endure To all parts of the world will flye This sippe and Pharian perfidie But Pompey now thy fame intend Fate long thee happy life did lend And didst thou not by dying trye The valour that in thee doth lye How should men know that as thou list Aduersity thou couldst resist Giue then no way to others shame Nor yet this actor onely blame Though others hand thy life hath wrack't Beleeue it to be Caesars fact Let them my carkasse rent at will O Gods I shall be famous still No power this happinesse can rend Though Fortune bee no more my frend I am not wretched in my end My deere Cornelia and my sonne Doe see this slaughter on me done And therefore Sorrow I thee pray Shut vp my woes and all dismay But if my wife and sonne see this With griefe their loue the greater is Such was the fortresse of his minde Thus stout in death he life resign'd ¶ But now Cornelias patience Could not so easily dispence To see this deed on Pompey done As if her selfe that hap had runne So as with wretched sighes and cries She dimmes the aire and filles the skies O my deere husband I am she That thus hath bred the wracke of thee When Lesbos Isle with fatall stay Drew thee so farre out of the way Then Caesars plots arriu'd before Thy selfe on damned Nylus shore For who else durst take liberty On thee to shew such cruelty But whosoeuer that thou bee Ordain'd thereto by heauens decree Or else by Caesars hest design'd Or from thine owne corrupted minde Vpon his head such rage to shew O cruell thou dost little know Where noble Pompeys heart doth rest Come with thy sword and pierce this breast That vnto him is vowd and bent That more then death would him torment Shew my head ere his life be spent I am not guiltlesse of this warre As other Roman matrons are For neither I vpon the maine Nor in the Campe did him refraine I stucke to him in misery VVhen Kings did shunne his company Haue I O husband this deeseru'd In thy safe ship to be preseru'd Vngratefull man thou spard'st thy wife Was I then worthy of my life When death on thee his force would trye No I in spight of Kings will dye O Marriners stay not my veaze Headlong to plunge into the seas Or with your hands prepare a twine That strangle may this throate of mine Or some one that was Pompeys frend Come with thy sword and my life end Thou shalt doe that for Pompeys sake Which Caesars fury else will take O cruell wights why should you giue Me longer life that loath to liue But husband mine thou art not dead Of my selfe yet I am not head Of these my death I cannot craue The victor must that honour haue So hauing said amidst them all Rapt with a trance shee downe did fall And thence was borne in mazed plight In her owne shippe that then tooke flight ¶ But thogh their swords from side to side Had pierc't him through with gashes wide Hee still retain'd within his face A sweete aspect and reuerent grace His browes against the Gods hee bent And when his life was gone and spent Yet in his lookes or in his cheare No change at all there did appeare As they themselues did make report That saw him murdred in that sort For cruell hee Septimius To make his act more odious His sacred face laid open bare The couering vaile hee rent and tare And whilst the head yet breathes with sweat Hee takes it vp and thwart a seat The lithy hanging necke hee puts And so the veines and sinewes cuts Then long he hackes the knotty bone To cut it cleane he Art had none But with his hewing that he makes From off the corpes the head he takes The which Achillas from him teares And in his hand it proudly beares O Roman Souldier slauish base That woulds thy selfe so much disgrace To be an vnderling to such For since thy hand had done so much Vpon that head of so great fame Thou shouldst thy selfe haue borne the same O shamefull Fates this boyish King When they to him the head did bring That he might know his manly looke The same in his right hand he tooke And by the haire he did it hold Those reuerent lockes now hoary old That had so many Kings controld And shadowed his comely brow This noble head he pitcheth now Vpon a Pharian sharpned stake Whilst yet with life the cheekes did quake And whilst with throbs the spirits beat And ere the eyes were throughly set So was this honored head abusd That neuer peace for warre refusd The Countries lawes the armed field And Rostrum did him reuerence yeeld That noble face that braue aspect The Romane fortune did affect But yet this wicked Tyrants heart Was not suffisd with this vile part For he desires his villany Might goe beyond his perfidy And when they cleansd his head and braine So as no humors should remaine To putrifie then Art they vse To keepe the face and balme enfuse ¶ Thou off-spring last degenerate Of Lagus line art neere thy date For thy incestious sisters hand Shall reaue thy scepter and thy land Must Pompeys corpes with so great scorne Lye on the sands mangled and torne And thence be cast from side to side Against the rockes with euery tide Whilst that thy Macedonian race In sacred sepulchers haue place And that their ashes quiet rest With Graues and Monuments possest And damned ghosts of wicked mood Come from the Ptolmean brood Be closd in Pyramids of fame And with Mausolas worthy frame Was it a worke of so great paine To let the corpes entire remaine That Caesar might behold it plaine Hath Fortune after all her smiles Thus Pompey foyl'd with her last guiles Are all those glories him assignd Shut vp with death of such a kinde O cruell dame must all thy threapes Fall all on him at once in heapes That neuer earst did feele mis-happe But alwayes dandled in thy lappe Pompey is hee that this can say Hee neuer yet saw lucky day Mingled with any crosse dismay His happy fate without stoppe goes None of the Gods did it oppose But when his ruine was decreed They laid on load and made quicke speed Fortune sometimes did him aduance And by the hand leades him in dance But now on sands hee lyes ore-flowne And on the rockes with billowes throwne And as a scorne in seas is drownd Where waues make gutters through each wound No forme in him is to bee found Pompey hath no marke to be
more invest Though to his sword they gaue renowne Yet knew hee when to lay it downe Hee Armes beyond the Gowne approu'd Yet na'thlesse Armed peace hee lou'd Hee Armies willingly receaues And all as willingly them leaues A ciuill house from ryot free No fortunes gain'd by briberie With forraine Nations hee had fame Who reu'renced his noble name And in like grace at home hee stood For seruice to his Countries good The constant course of liberty Was subiect to seruility When they receiu'd in Rome againe The Marian and the Syllan traine So seeing Pompey is bereft No shew of freedome now is left Men doe not blush at tyranny No colour now of Empery None weigh the Senates Maiesty O happy Pompey to be dead As soone as thou wert conquered And that the Pharian guilt thee brought That sword which else thou must haue sought If not thou mightst haue liu'd perchance Vnder proud Caesars gouernance To dare to dye is high grace gain'd And next to that to be constrain'd But if that Fortune so betide We must be thralles to tyrants pride Then Fortune grant that Iuba bee Another Ptolomey to mee What need I feare my foe to serue When death can me from that preserue ¶ These words did greater glory raise In all mens eares to Pompeys praise Then if the Theaters had sounded With plaudits ecchos that rebounded Whereby the honor of his end Did to his gentle soule ascend But now the people mutter rumors And fall into discordant humors For warres and Armes they doe detest Since Pompey in his graue did rest And Tarchon then did vndertake Catos new Ensignes to forsake He with the shipping suddenly That vtmost rode away did flye Whom Cato thus did vilefie O greedy Cilix most vntrue Wilt thou the seas go scoure anew Now Pompey is by fortune slaine Must thou turne Pirate once againe Then of them all he takes a view That mutin'd in this rogish crew Mongst whom one lad did courage take And to the chiefetaine boldly spake Cato quoth he discharge vs now Our faith to Pompey we did vow For his sake we did take vp Armes And not for loue of ciuill harmes In his behalfe we did our parts But he is dead that held our hearts He whom the world lou'd more then peace With whom our cause of warre doth cease Permit vs now to leaue to roame To see our houshold Gods at home That we so long time haue forborne And our sweet children thus forlorne For what date shall this warre vs yeeld If that Pharsalias bloody field Nor Pompes death can giue it end Our liues in endlesse toyle we spend Let vs goe quiet to our graue Let age his fitting funerall haue For ciuill warres can scarce affoord A Sepulcher to any Lord. We conquerd men are not to fight Against the great Barbarian might Fortune doth not our state prouoke With Scithian or Armenian yoke I serue a gowned Citizen Vnder his law free Denizen Who Pompey liuing seconded To me is first now Pompeys dead To Pompeys sacred worthy spright I will performe all reuerend right But to his soueraigne power I yeeld That conquerd at Pharsalias field Thou Pompey my sole Captaine wert I followed onely thee in Mart. Now will I follow Destinie And yet to finde prosperity I neither may nor will I hope Since Caesars fortune swayes the scope His conquest quaild Aemathian swords Who to vs captiues helpe affoords He onely in the world subsists That will and may euen as he lists Rue on poore vanquisht men in griefe And vnto wretches yeeld reliefe All hope in ciuiil warre is vaine Since Aegypts sword hath Pompey slaine Who liuing carried vs with loue But if the publique cause do moue Thee Cato and thy Countries stay Let vs these ensignes then obay That Roman Consull doth display So said his ship he doth ascend And swarmes of youths do him attend Thus Romes affaires did seeme to end For all that loued seruile bands Did mutine there vpon the sands When Cato from his sacred breast In these words his free minde exprest ¶ It seemes you then indiffrent were On whether side you Armes did beare You were at first for Pompeys part For Rome you did not wage your mart And so you doe desire it still To haue one Lord to rule at will You did not tyranny oppose You car'd not your free state to lose The Senate you refuse to serue Neither recke you well to deserue Of any side to end this strife But would in Idle spend your life Now safer t is our cause to gaine You basely would the warres refraine And now devoyd of true respect Your owne free neckes to yokes subiect And cannot liue without a King Not now when as a worthier thing Calles men to hazard of the warre Your swords and persons you debar For Roman freedome to be vsd Which Pompey mought perchance refusd And for himselfe your bloods abusd Fortune almost hath tyrants reft Of three Lords now but one is left The Parthian bow and Nylus shore For our free lawes haue done the more Goe you degenerate exceed The Ptolemeian guift and deed Who else will thinke that euer you In these warres did your hands embrue But rather prone to turne your backes And first that fled Emathias wrackes Go safe for you doe well deserue That Caesar should your liues preserue Hee needs must take of you remorse Subdued nor by siege nor force O sercile race vnworthy most Now that you haue one Tirant lost His successor you will accost You should no greater grace aspire Then life and pardon for your hire And Pompeys wofull wife conuay Into your ships beare her away Metellus child a noble pray And liuing sonnes of Pompey breed Striue Egypts present to exceed Then take my head with you likewise So odious to the tyrants eyes He shall no meane reward receaue That Catos head will so bequeaue And know you all t is worth your paine To follow me my head to gaine Proceed you therefore and be bold To purchase grace let blood be sold Barely to run away were base So said his words then tooke such place That all the Pirats in such sort Brought backe the ships into the port From out the Seas as Bees do vse When they the waxen hiue refuse Where they haue made their honny combes And ranging leaue their little homes Not mind full now in swarmes to flie But each one his owne way doth hie Not setled yet to sucke and smell The bitter Thyme they loue so well When suddenly the tingling sounds Of Phrygian kettles them confounds With maze they stop their sudden flight And backe returning all do light Vpon their hiues where with their skill Their flowring labours they distill And combes with blessed honny fill At whose returne the clownish royle Is glad to see them in his soyle And on Hyblean grasse to swarme The treasure of his little farme Euen so did Catos powerfull words
Praise-worthy deeds to enterprise And whether that it be successe Makes honest actions more or lesse This we already know as well As Ammon can the same vs tell Vpon the Gods we all depend And though this Temple had an end Yet otherwise nought can succeed But by Gods ordinance decreed His mighty power no voyce doth need The Author of all mortall kinde Hath once for all declar'd his minde Our knowledge is by him confin'd These barren sands are not his choyce Where he will vtter forth his voyce Nor in this dust doth hee conceale Those truthes that he meanes to reueale The sacred seates of God are these The Heauens the Aire the Earth the Seas And vertues selfe why should wee proue To search beyond the Gods aboue What so thou seest where so thou art Of Iupiter himselfe is part Let faithlesse minds these witch-crafts need And such as dread what shall succeed No Oracles can me secure But death it selfe that is most sure The Coward and the valiant Knight Must fall at last and leaue this light And now for all may vs suffice That Ioue himselfe speakes in this wise So hauing said with faiths repose The Temples Altars he forgoes And Ammons counsell doth disdaine Leauing it to those people vaine ¶ Then in his hand he takes his pile And march't a foot himselfe the while Before his troopes that panting went He shewes them how to be content To suffer toyle without constraint Since labour could not make him faint He is not on their shoulders borne A Charret he did hold in scorne Small rest and sleepe he vsd to take And last of all his thirst would slake For when by chance a spring they met The thirsty Souldier dry with heat Constrained was to drinke then he The last of all the troope would be That tooke his share and did forbeare Vntill the Scullions serued were If great renowne be deemed due To goodnesse that is meerely true Or if that naked vertues praise That wants successe men rightly waighes What euer was so much renown'd That in our ancestors was found Were fortunes gifts that did abound For which of them for happy Mart Could challenge that as their desart Or who could claime as his owne good The fame they wanne with others blood But this mans triumph I would more Desire to follow on this shore Whereas the Syrts doe dangers threat And thorough Lybias parching heate Then thrice in Pompeys Carre to wend And to the Capitoll ascend Or gIuurths warre to bring to end Behold him that true father is Vnto his Countries cause and blisse When Rome may thinke fit to aspire Vnto her Altars sacred fire To honor whom she needs not shame To sweare and vow by his deere name And whom if euer Rome should see Her state restor'd from dangers free Hereafter him to glorifie His name she well may deifie Now march they through a wretched soyle That feruent heates doe parch and broyle A clymate neere the torrid zone Which heauens wold haue to men vnknown Here water rare was to be found And yet amidst this dusty ground One fountaine large the Souldiers spide Where many Serpents did reside So thicke that they the waters hide Vpon the brinkes the Aspickes sit And in the midst the Dipsa's flit ¶ When Cato saw his men opprest VVith heates and thirst this fount detest He said O Souldier whom vaine feare Of death makes thee this spring forbeare Thou needst not doubt thy thirst to slake These waters safely thou maist take The Serpents pest no dangers brings Except when as with blood it mings His sting from it doth poyson send And with his bite doth life offend The fountaine holsome is and pure So said he drinkes them to assure The water that they poysnous thinke But still before he vsd to drinke The last of all during the time That they had spent in Lybias clime Our care and labour cannot finde The cause why Lybia is enclin'd To aire of such contagious kinde Where many plagues abounding swarmes Fruitfull in nought but deadly harmes Nor yet what secret nature did When in that soyle such faults she hid Except it be that fabling lye That ouer all the world doth flye The which doth euery age deceiue When for a truth they it receiue ¶ In the extreames of Lybias soyle Wheras the ground with heat doth broyle And where the Ocean it confines Warm'd with the Sunne when he declines Those fields and Countries all abrode With foule Medusas filth was strode No greene-leau'd woods did yeeld a shade Nor Coulters there had furrowes made But with their Mistresse balesull eyes There onely stones and rockes did rise Hence hurtfull nature first drew seedes That mortall plagues in bodies breedes About her eares there dangling hung The hissing snakes with stinging tongue Which like a tresse her backe behinde Did spred as haire of women kinde And whilst about her necke they crawle The fell Medusa ioy'd withall Then all their heads vp-right in ranke Her brow did like a frontlet pranke But when she comb'd her crawling crowne The viprous venome trailed downe Cursed Medusa taxlesse pries On whom she list with fatall eyes For who can feare this monsters face VVhen to dread death they haue no space For where her ghastly looke she bends They are trans-form'd before their ends And rap't away from doubtfull fate Preuenting feare before their date The bodies metamorphosed Retaine the spirits captiued And buried so within the bones Turne stupid like to sencelesse stones The Furies with their gastly haires Did onely stirre vp franticke feares And Cerberus that hellish hound Orphaeus calm'd with musicke sound And Hydra Hercules beheld When he that vgly Serpent queld But this vile monster did affright Phorcus her father with her sight Phorcus that next doth rule and raigne To Neptune on the raging maine Ceto her mother with her looke She scarres her sisters cannot brooke Her vgly sight the seas and skies She can make stone with her sterne eyes She vttterly can raze from earth The worlds whole race of humane birth Amidst the aire from lofty flight The winged fowles do fall downe-right The wilde beasts and the horned Harts She into craggie rockes conuarts And all the people in the scope That bounds next vnto Aethiope She hath transform'd from flesh and bones Into hard rugged Marble stones No creatures can her sight abide Her hairy snakes behinde her hide And will not of her eyes be spy'd The mighty Atlas Tytans sonne That by Hesperian straights did wonne She turn'd into a hugie rocke The Gyants of Phlaegraean flocke That with their Serpents feet sometime Did striue into the heauens to clime She lofty mountaines of them fram'd Whereby that Gyants warre was tam'd When Pallas in her shield did place This grisly Gorgons hideous face Now after that Mercurius wings The first concorder of those strings That on th' Arcadian harpe doe sound And first likewise that wrestling found
last the sands doth trie Where any filthie puddles lie And then vnto the Syrtes returnes And bathes in floods his mouth that burnes The stoare of waues did him delight Yet nought asswag'd his thirstie plight His kind of griefe he nothing knowes Nor that his bale from poyson flowes He thinks thirst onely his disease The which the better to appease With his owne sword he cuts his vaines And with the blood his mouth he baines ¶ Cato forthwith commanded than To take the ensigne from this man And so t was handled that none durst To say this sickenesse came of thurst But straight againe another dies More grieuously before their eyes For loe a little Seps their lights On poore Sabellus thigh and bites Who with his hand away did plucke This worme that by the teeth then stucke And with his pyle that he did beare Vnto the ground he naild it there A little Serpent t is God knowes But whence most cruell poyson flowes And none doth bring more deadly throes For all about where he had bit The skin and flesh away did flit So as the bone all bared lay The carkasse likewise melts away One naked wound all did display His members all with venome swell His brawnie calues then from him fell The synews of his hams Were reft No skin or flesh about them left The verie muskles of his thighs Did rotting drop away likewise His flancks to blacke corruption turnd The midriffe shriueled vp and burnd So as his bowels burst withall And yet the body did not fall Together to the ground at once But by peace-meale dropt from the bones Thus with a little poysned bite Death suddenly all parts did smite The venome had such ample scope That nerues and sinews it laies ope The ribs it did vncouer quite The hollow brest it rots outright The vitall veines that feed the heart And what else was of this mans part That Nature gaue when he tooke breath Abandond lay to this strange death His shoulders drop and his strong armes His necke and head receiue like harmes The thawing snow melts not more fast That feels the warmth of Southerne blast Nor yet the waxe against the Sun Doth to more liquid humors run But this is nothing that I say That poisons heate melts flesh away The fire can shew the selfe same power But what flame so can bones deuoure For heare euen as the marrow melts The bones likewise consuming swelts It suffers no signes to remaine A rapting fate so all doth straine Of all the plagues that Affricke tries Thy selfe alone shalt haue the prize The rest do bring but life to end But thou both life and bones dost spend And now behold another kind Of swelling death they likewise find The firie Prester with his sting Nasidius to his end doth bring Nasidius that with his plough shares The Marsian fields for graines prepares His face is colourd furie red His puft swolne skin at large is spred All forme and shape his lookes hath lost The tumor so his corps imbost And so his veins the poyson feeds That human measure he exceeds One lumpe doth all his parts confound Within a formelesse body dround His habbergon was not of space His swollen carkasse to embrace The boyling caudrons frothy scum Doth not in bubbles rise so plum Nor yet the saile doth swell so vast When it is puft with windy blast The mishapt corps could scarce containe The lims that so with swelling straine And that same trunks confused heft They durst not to the funerall weft But to the foules vntoucht it left And for a pray vnto wild beasts If thereon they durst make their feasts For now the swelling corps they leaue Before the fulnesse it receaue ¶ But spectacles of more dismay The Lybian poysons yet display The sharpe Hemorrhois hath imprest His venom'd teeth that did infest Tullus that noble hopefull youth A follower of Catos truth And as we seethe Saffron staine The cloth through which the same we straine So did this poysons ruddy taint Like blood his body all depaint The teares that from his eyes then fell Were drops of blood wherewith they swell And all the passages besides Through which the bodies humour slides Huge streams of blood by those vents flowes So from his mouth and from his nose He liquid blood doth likewise sweate Wherewith his members were repleate That through the swelling veins did freate And so his bleeding did abound That all his body was one wound ¶ But on thee Leua wretched wight The Nylus serpents rage did light Whose poyson fixt remedilesse The heart root strings did so oppesse That of his bite no paine was felt Yet suddenly in death didst swelt And in a slumber tookst thy end And so to Stygian shades discend The poyson gathered vnawares That fatall Sabeas so prepares When they a harmefull twig do chuse For francumcense which they would vse Doth not with that strong potion Hast death with so swift motion But now behold from farre doth flee Out of a hollow withered tree A cruell serpent like a flight That deeply wounds where it doth light And whirling with a courage fierce Through Paulus temples it did pierce A Iaculum they do it call It poysons not the part withall But whomsoeuer that it wounds There present death the life confounds By this experience we may know That vnto this a sling is slow And in compare how this doth pierce The Scythian shaft flies not so fierce ¶ What helpe at all doth it aduance That Murrus hath with his sharpe lance The Basiliske pierc't thorow quite When as the deadly venoms might Alongst the lance so fast doth creepe That it within his hands doth steepe Which he lifts vp finding the harme And instantly cuts off his arme With his owne sword which fell to ground And he by this experience found The hand cut off that he endures His life thereby to him assures But who would thinke the Scorpions sting Had such like force in poysoning And present death with it could bring He cruell is in deadly bites And mortally his taile he smites The which the heauens themselues explaine In honor of Orion slaine Or who would doubt that earth to treade Where thou Salpuga mak'st thy bed And yet the fatall sisters three No little power haue giuen to thee Our vitall twists to shred in twaine By force of thy strange poysnous vaine ¶ Thus neither by the dayes faire light Could they find rest nor in darke night These wretched men were still in dread Vpon what ground to rest or tread For neither heapes of leaues they take Nor bundled reeds their beds to make But euen as men to fates exposd Vpon the bared ground reposd And to the vapors that do rise Where their warme bodies heaped lies The chilly serpents do repaire Offended with the nights cold aire Amongst their lims their skins they warme And all that while they do no harme The cold dew