A CONTINVATION of Lucan's Historicall Poem till the death of IVLIVS CAESAR By T M London Printed for James Boler at the Signe of the Marigold in Pauls Church-yard 1630 TO THE MOST HIGH AND MIGHTY MONARCH CHARLES BY THE GRACE of God King of Great Brittaine France and Ireland c. SIR I SHOVLD haue taught my humble labors a lower presumption than to haue approached your sacred hand if I had onely weighed mine owne weaknesse and disabilitie but the dignitie of this subiect did somewhat encourage mee being a remainder of that great Historie whose former part was so richly dressed in the happie conceits and high raptures of that Noble LVCAN of whose abilitie in writing I was not so ambitious in emulation as officious in desire to continue so stately an argument for your Princely eare with what successe I haue performed it your MAIESTIES acceptation onely can determine to whom if it present but the least delight my end is accomplished for which I haue runne so great a hazard as perchance to be censured a foile onely to Lucan's lustre and chose rather to fall vnder the weight of a great argument than to present a meane one to so high a hand your Maiesties renowned worth and Heroicall vertues the perfection of minde meeting in you with the height of Fortune may make you securely delighted in the reading of great actions to whom I humbly present this weake Worke beseeching Almighty GOD long to establish your MAIESTIES Throne vpon earth enriching it with blessings of the right hand and the left and after to Crowne you with incorruptible Glorie So prayeth Your Maiesties most humble subiect THO. MAY. IOHANNIS SVLPITII Verulani querela de interitu Lucani opere nondum perfecto HAEC cecinit vates scripturus plura sed illum In medio cursu iussit mors dira silere Accidit vt cigno qui fixus arundine carmen Mille modis querulum quod caeperat interrumpit Nec Phaenix aliter cum sese imponit in altum Quem struit ipse rogum cantus dulcedine mira Nondum perfectos plaudenti morte relinquit Nec secus Ismariis vates oppressus in oris A Ciconum nuribus Superûm dum cantat amores Brutaque cum syluis saxa sequentia ducit Haud potuit moriens medios absoluere cantus Proh scelera Oh superi cruciat quae poena NeroneÌ„ Num rota num saxum num stagna fugacia vexant An vultur pendensue silex an feruet in vnda Illum comburat Phlegeton lacerentque Cerastae Hydra voret raptentque canes semperque flagellis Torua Megaera secet nec sit requiesque modusque Quanto fraudata est tua gloria plena nitore Corduba quamque minus te Mantua docta veretur Mantua cui primae fulget nunc gloria palmae Sed contenta tribus longè lacteris alumnis Tu verò O nostrum vates diuine laborem Quem pro te subij non auersate probabis THE COMPLAINT OF CALLIOPE AGAINST THE DESTINIES TOO cruell Sisters why againe am I Enforc'd to weepe and tax your tyranny Was not my Orpheus death though long agoe Enough for me to beare for you to doe Orpheus so much by all the graces lou'd Whose charming skill and matchlesse Musiâ—ke mou'd The sauage beasts the stones and senselesse trees Yet could not moue the harder Destinies J saw his limbes alas scattered abroad On Hebrus bankes while downe the siluer flood His learned head was rowl'd and all along Heard the sad murmurs of his dying tongue No other Tragedy but Lucan slaine By your vntimely stroke could thus againe Reuiue my griefe Oh could you not prolong That thread awhile vntill the stately song Of his Pharsalia had beene finish'd quite What sauage bird of prey what murdring Kite Could in the mid'st of that melodious lay Rauish the charming Nightingall away Thou sung'st no lusts no riots nor mad'st knowne Corrupting others manners with thine owne New crimes nor with lasciuious wantoning Did'st thou defile the sacred Thespian spring Thy verses teach no foule adulteries Nor rapes committed by the Deities Which may from guilt absolue the worst of men But actions great and true thy happie pen Adorning History with raptures high With quicke conceits and sound moralitie Condemn'd the strong iniustice of that age And reines too much let lose to ciuill rage When Rome the strength which she had made did feare No longer able her owne weight to beare Taxing bad greatnesse and in deathlesse verse Bestowing fame on Noble Sepulchers And had'st enobled moe but woe is me Th' vntimely stroke of death did silence thee Of which the griefe not onely vs inuades But diues into the blest Elysian shades Sadding the worthies there that so did long To fill a roome in thine eternall song There Cato thinkes and grieues it was deny'd If thou had'st liu'd how great he should haue dy'd The Roman Scipio did disdaine a Tombe On Libya's shore in hope to finde a roome Within thy stately Poem well content Saue there to haue no other Monument Those stately Temples where Great Caesar's name Shall be by Rome ador'd wanting the fame Which thy high lines might giue in time to come Shall enuy Pompey's small Aegyptian Tombe Had Iuba's Tragicke fall beene sung by thee 'T had eas'd the losse of his great Monarchy But that to them and vs did Fate deny That we the more might waile thy Tragedy A CONTINVATION of the Subiect OF LVCAN'S HISTORICALL POEM till the death of Iulius Caesar The first Booke The Argument of the first Booke Th'Aegyptians sue to Caesar for a peace Excuse their crime and craue their King's release The King restor'd by Caesar to his state Reuolts againe Euphranor's noble fate Ptolomey's vision from Serapis sent Foreshews the change of Aegypts gouernment The warre in Delta Caesars victory The ouerthrow and death of Ptolomey THe threatning Ocean now had spent in vaine His swelling spite and from the watery maine From Aegypts feeble Treason and the band Of Pharian slaues is Caesar safe at land Fill'd with reuenge and scorne arm'd with a rage Greater than Aegypts ruine can asswage His warre is now made iust but that great minde Too much disdaines so iust a cause to finde From such a State grieu'd that they durst afford Wrongs proud enough to call on Caesar's sword Or prouocation to his fury lend Whom Rome it selfe had trembled to offend And ru'd his anger at no cheaper rate Than Pompey's fall and ruine of the State How well could Rome excuse the gods aboue For Caesar's late-wrought safetie and approue Their fauour in it if no other State Had felt the force of his reuiued fate But Aegypts guilty land in that warre nought But iust reuenge for Pompey had beene wrought The willing Senate had with ioy decreed Honours for such a conquest for that deed From euery Towne th' Italian youth in throngs Had met his Charriot with triumphall songs Nor had great Pompey's spirit from the skie Repin'd at sight of that solemnitie That
here By pure and perfect contemplation were Abstracted from the body that with true Desires did oft the heauenly beauties view Shall thither goe when they from hence are fled To haue their ioyes and knowledge perfected Within the Heauens shall they for euer be Since here with Heauen they made affinitie But those darke Soules which drowned in the flesh Did neuer dreame of future happinesse That while they liued here beleeu'd or lou'd Nothing but what the bodies taste approu'd When they depart from hence shall feare the sight Of Heauen nor dare t' approach that glorious light But wander still in dismall darknesse neere Their bodies whom alone they loued here Those sad and ghastly visions which to sight Of frighted people doe appeare by night About the Tombes and Graues where dead men lie Are such darke Soules condemn'd t' accompany Their bodies there which Soules because they be Grosse and corporeall men doe therefore see How different shall the Soules condition be If this quoth he be true Philosophy As true it is nor doe I thinke it lesse If vertue be the way to happinesse And that be vertue which we men haue thought What in-bred reason to our Soules has taught And Lawes commanded vs if such thou be Oh vertue Cato still has follow'd thee And neuer from thy hardest precepts sweru'd Nere has this Soule the bodies pleasures seru'd What doubts can shake my long securitie But doubts where frailtie is will euer be Farewell fraile World what here we cannot see I goe to finde cleare truth and certaintie Then with a fatall stroke he pierc'd his brest At noise of which his seruants vainely prest In to preuent the Fate nor could they lend Helpe to his life but trouble to his end Who sadly shew'd death could not be deny'd And rending wider his large wound he dy'd The Citizens with honour did interâ—e That spotlesse mansion of a Soule so cleare Caesar from Thapsus now secur'd from foes By that full conquest to Vzzita goes With ease possessing there all Scipio's store Of corne and armes and where the Sword before Threaten'd his march where horrid dangers lay And ambushes he now findes quiet way To Adâ—umetum backe where he bestowes A cheerefull pardon on his yeelding foes Since now all Affricke from his feares was free And Fortune had secur'd his clemency Marching away to Vtica from thence Humbly receiu'd by all the Citizens Who then solemniz'd Cato's funerall He sigh'd and thus complain'd Why did'st thou fall Oh enuious man Rather than not depriue Caesar of honour Cato could not liue How sadly cruell hast thou beene to me Against thy selfe to wrong my clemency And shew thy death a greater enemy Than all thy liuing power or armes could be To kill my ioyes thou dy'st choosing to be Lamented rather than embrac'd by me It is my sorrow not my loue is sought What strange rewards haue all my mercies got That greatest Romans rather chose to flie To death it selfe than to my clemency So haplesse Pompey while he fled from me Durst rather trust th' Aegyptian treachery And there to perish by ignoble hands Than liue with Caesar thinking barbarous lands Better than Rome with vs but he againe Hop'd to repaire his strength thou in disdaine Of Caesar dy'st but yet my goodnesse shall Orecome thy enuy and quiâ—e frustrate all Thy scope in death I le giue all dues to thee Thy sonne in honour shall remaine with me And to the World shall witnesse thou didst die By thine owne enuy not my crueltie Then to his grace he takes th' inhabitants Of Vtica and for his armies wants Commands prouision and while there he stayes The Cities walls and fortresses suruayes Walking not farre from off the Towne he saw Vpon the sandy banke of Bagrada Which slowly there his muddy waues doth moue Within that Countrey rare a stately groue Not wide in circuit where an awfull shade The meering boughs exiling Phaebus made That shady groue whilest with a curious eye Caesar suruey'd he chanced to espy Within a deepe and vast descent of ground The iawes of Taenarus that balefull bound Twixt earth and hell is not a blacker roome To which they say the ghosts infernall come A Caue there was in which no cheering light At all ere peep'd but sad and drery night A squallid filth and mouldinesse had made From whence exhaled stinches did inuade The vpper aire Whilest Caesar in amaze Doth neerely view the horrour of the place His longing thoughts a Libyan standing by Taught by tradition thus doth satisfie This denne Oh Caesar which for many a yeare Hath emptie stood and freed the land from feare A monstrous Serpent by Heauens vengeance bred The plague of Affrick once inhabited The earth a greater monster neuer bare Not Hydra might with this dire Snake compare Nor that great Dragon whose still waking eyes Medea charm'd when Colcho's golden prize The venturous Iason bore to Thessaly Nor that as great and watchfull too as he Whom great Alcides conquer'd to possesse The glittering orchard of th' Hesperides Nor though the Sunne that mighty Python slew Did ere the Sunne a greater Serpent view The seuerall Snakes that out of Libya's slime Are bred might all haue beene combin'd in him Nor could Medusa's head had all the blood At one place fall'n produce a greater brood A hundred ells in length was his extent When he vpon this side the riuer went With his long necke stretch'd out what ere he spy'd With ease he seized from the other side With Lions here he fill'd his hungry maw That came to drinke the streames of Bagrada And fiercest Tigers all besmear'd with blood Of cattell slaine became themselues his food When first the Roman armies sailing ore And threatning Carthage on the Libyan shore Were led by Regulus whose tragicke fall Sadly renown'd the Spartan Generall Here then this hideous monster did remaine The army marching on you spatious plaine Three Roman Souldiers by ill Fate drew neere To quench their fiery thirst the riuer here And tempted by these shady trees to shunne A while the scorching fury of the Sunne Entring the wood downe to the streame they stoope And take in helmets the coole liquour vp When suddenly surpris'd with chilling feare A horrid hissing through the aire they heare And from the den the Serpents head appeares At once amazing both their eyes and eares What should they doe For helpe they could not call The Serpents hissing loud had filled all The wood nor strength nor hearts had they to fight Nor scarce did any hope appeare by flight Nor could their trembling hands the helmets hold When straight the Serpent from his scaly fold Shot forth and seized one who calling on His fellowes names in vaine was swallowed downe And buried in the Monsters hungry maw His horrid destiny when th' other saw They leapt into the streame to saue their liues But that alas to them no safetie giues For forth his long twin'd necke the Serpent stretch'd And swimming Hauens in
to the Senate and bestow That one poore day if not vpon his owne Deare safetie yet vpon her feares alone And grant to her as much as to a wife Was due of int'rest in a husbands life That he those Spanish guards would entertaine Which had so lately beene dismiss'd againe That safe preuention of a danger neere Was Noble still and could be stiled feare No more than scorning the gods threats could be True fortitude or magnanimitie Caesar replies Ah deare Calphurnia Dearer to me than that life-breath I draw Would'st thou forbeare thy griefe it could not lie Within the power of any prodigie To make this day a sad one should I here Begin to learne that superstitious feare Of fatall dayes and houres what day to me Could ere hereafter from such feares be free I onely should my wretched life torment And not my destin'd time of death preuent But liue for euer with vaine feares diseas'd When ere Astrologers or Augurs pleas'd Euery beasts entrailes were a care to me And flight of euery bird a malady If Caesar's danger grow from discontent Of Rome not one dayes absence can preuent Nor scarce repriue my Fate and once to die Better than euer feare conspiracie What good can strongest guards on me conferre But make me liue perpetuall prisoner Why should I feare the peoples discontent Who now enioy vnder my gouernment More wealth more safetie and prosperitie Than by my death they could The death of me That haue already reach'd the height of all Glory and State that can to man befall And wrought my farthest ends can neuer be So much mine owne as their calamitie Who will againe with Ciuâ—ll iarres be rent And wish a safe and setled gouernment Oh doe not feare thy dreame Calphurnia Nor sad presages from such trifles draw If dreames were fatall Loue sleepe were not rest Since most our cares would be by sleepe increast But if they were presages tell me then For our two dreames to night haue different beene Which should preuaile Me thought I flew aboue The loftie Cloudes and touch'd the hand of Joue And to my selfe did seeme more great and high Than ere before what but felicitie Should this portend I dare not now suspect In calmest peace those powers that did effect My roughest warres Oh let no sad surmise With causelesse griefe distaine Calphurnia's eyes Aurora now from Tâ—thon's purple bed Arose and th' Easterne skie discoloured Gaue cheerefull notice of th' approaching Sunne When forth through Rome th' officious clients â—unne The Palace all with early visitants Was fill'd to wait when Caesar would aduance Forth to the Senate striuing to be seene Neere th' earthly Sunne and in his raies to shine Some to doe grace and grace receiue from him Some like malignant cloudes prepar'd to dim Or in eclipse eternall bury quite Before the set of Phaebus Caesar's light Among the rest did Decimus attend With fained seruice and the name of friend To Fatall ends abusing hasten'd on Perswaded Caesar to destruction Though ere they goe the Sacrifices all Threatning and blacke appear'd and did appall The fearefull Priests who from those entrailes show Portent of dire calamitie and woe Some Bulls they could not at the Altar stay Who breaking thence fled through the streets away In others which were slaine and open'd there None but th' infernall gods deign'd to appeare The hearts were perish'd and corruption flow'd Through all the vitall parts blacke was the blood The burning entrailes yeelded onely fume No flame at all but darkely did consume Mouldring away to ashes and with blacke Vnsauoury clouds through th' aire a darkenesse make But Caesar maugre what the entrailes threat Vndaunted passes on how wondrous great Is Destiny and as he goes neglects That Scroll presented to him which detects The whole conspiracy which as of small Import he pockets vp not read at all And enters Pompey's bloody Court led on By powerfull Fate to his destruction Where ominously receiu'd he mounts his high Dictator's Sell of Gold and Iuory The Lords obeisance make in humblest wise When different passions in their brests arise Euen those bold hearts that vow'd his Tragedy Almost relent the mans great Maiestie That awfull Fortune that did still attend His deeds in all extremes a constant friend Produce a feare t' encounter discontent Nor doe their fancies onely him present Inuincible in open field as when He stood enuiron'd with his armed men But such as when alone he wrought his ends Aided by none but Fortune as his friends As when he scap'd th' Aegyptian treachery When he appeas'd his Souldiers muteny Or when the stormy Seas he crossed ore By night and safely reach'd Brundusium's shore And why should not that friendly Fortune now As then thinke they preuent his ouerthrow And to their ruine quite defeat the plot But shame forbid them to relent the knot Among too many conscious brests was ty'd To let them start and on the other side Reuenge encourag'd by the multitude Of Actors enter'd and all feares subdu'd First to his Sell bold Cimber made approach And seiz'd his Purple robe at whose rude touch While Caesar's wrath together with amaze Began to rise the rest from euery place Drawne neere no longer hiding their intent The fatall Ponyards to his brest present The first wound on him Casca did bestow Whose Ponyard Caesar wresting to his foe Returnes a stabbe backe for the stabbe he gaue Striuing in vaine with one poore strength to saue A life assaulted by so many hands No succours could approach no guard nor bands Of aiding friends were nigh that courage quite Was lost that nere was lost before in fight Vntill enfeebled by a deeper wound And by inuading death enuiron'd round Hopelesse he hides his face and fixed stands T' endure the fury of reuenging hands Repressing groanes or words as loth to shame His former life or dying staine the fame Of those great deeds through all the World exprest These silent thoughts reuoluing in his brest Yet has not Fortune chang'd nor giuen the power Of Caesar's head to any Conquerour By no Superiours proud command I die But by subiected Romes conspiracy Who to the World confesses by her feares My State and strength to be too great for hers And from earths highest Throne sends me to be By after-ages made a Deitie Through many wounds his life disseized fled At last and he who neuer vanquished By open warre with blood and slaughter strew'd So many lands with his owne blood embrew'd The seat of wronged Iustice and fell downe A sacrifice t' appease th' offended gowne FINIS Plat. Phaed.
crimson lake Nor there alas their enmitie forsake But weakely trie the combat out where he That conquers can no long suruiuour be Whilest on that side the Campe both parties fought So furiously and all hands thither brought Caesar perceiued on the other side That seem'd enough by nature fortifi'd Where the ascent was craggie steepe and hard To climbe that Ptolomey had left no guard Or those that had beene left from thence were gone To tother side as aid or lookers on Thither his lightest cohorts he commands Bold Carfulenus leads those actiue hands Who straight as Caesar gaue in charge to him With those light-armed cohorts gins to climbe Th'ascent so steepe and hard that to the foe Did seeme impregnable but prou'd not so Brought on their ruine death there enter'd in From whence with greatest ease he might haue beene Repel'd by them But Carfulenus now Entring th'Aegyptian Campe with small adoe Kills or repells his few resisting foes Feare and distraction through the Campe arose The workes whilest to and fro th' amazed runne On euery side by the Caesarians wonne To whom for mercy now they sue in vaine Nor does the Generall their swords restraine But bids them kill and in their slaughter free The world from so much fraud and treachery Part of th'Aegyptian-Campe had beene before Romes legionary Souldiers and brought ore Vnder Gabinius there in Aegypt left Were by her pleasures softned and bereft Of military vertue and became Degenerate staines vnto the Roman name Like the Aegyptians they were growne to be In manners basenesse fraud and treachery Not farre from thence vnto the riuer side A little vessell by a rope was ti'd Whither the King in this tumultuous heat Of flight escaped from the Campe doth get And now aboord commands his slender traine With all their strength to launch it forth amaine His purple robe vpon the shore he throwes To flie disguis'd but cruell Fate allowes No flight nor safetie to him nought at all Gaines his disguise but a Plebeian fall For loe the flying multitude espi'd That from the Campe prest to the riuers side That barke contending all to get aboord To saue themselues respectlesse of their Lord. He cries the King is here doe not intrude There is no safetie for a multitude In one small vessell why should you destroy Losing your selues the life of Ptolomey Though Fortune worke my ruine doe not you Murder your King but Caesar's men pursue Amazement stops their eares and feare of sword Had banish'd all allegiance to their Lord Till the ore-laden vessell sinking downe Themselues together with their King they drowne Mixt with Plebeian deaths a Monarch lies The royall race of th' ancient Ptolomey's Vnder no couert but his Nile's cold waues No Pyramids nor rich Mausolean graues Nor sacred Vaults whose structures doe excell As his fore-fathers ashes proudly dwell And dead as liuing doe their wealth expresse In sumptuous tombes as gorgeous Palaces Vnhappie Ptolomey how short a date Haue Fates allotted to thy kingly State No otherwise didst thou a Crowne obtaine Than sacrifices crowned to be slaine Happier might'st thou haue di'd before thy reigne Though short it were had left that lasting staine Of Pompey's death vpon thy name and shew'd To future times thy foule ingratitude Depriuing him of breath that did before Thy banish'd e Father to a Crowne restore And now to that dead Roman worthyes Tombe Art thou enforc'd a Sacrifice to come T' appease his Ghost and offer'd vp by him In whose behalfe thou did'st that heinous crime Who chooses rather to reuenge than owe To thee so base a ruine of his foe Caesar possest of this great victory By land through Delta marches speedily To Alexandria but supposing there How much the Citie his iust wrath might feare He sends before to comfort them and free Th' inhabitants from feare and iealousie To be with ioy receiued he declares That all his wrath is ended with his warres That he as Romes Dictatour would preserue Their liues and liberties and still reserue The Crowne of Aegypt free rightly to place Vpon the next of Lagus royall race And that no other now was his intent Than to confirme f Auletes g Testament Annotations to the first Booke a Thus Dion Caesar beleeued that the Aegyptians had truly desired peace disheartned with their designes not succeeding for he had heard they were a people by nature timorous and vnconstant but howsoeuer their intentions were he resolued to grant their request lest he should seeme to withstand an offered peace he sends therefore their King to them for by his presence he knew there was no increase of strength brought to them considering his age and bad education by this meanes he supposed he might afterwards conclude a peace with the Aegyptians vpon his owne termes or finde a iust pretence of conquering the Countrey and giuing the Kingdome to Cleopatra for he was not at all afraid of their strength now hauing receiued his army out of Syria Dion lib. 42. b The young King educated in false and deceitfull disciplines that he might not seeme to degenerate from the manners of his Nation weeping intreated Caesar that he would not send him from him for enioying of a Kingdome could not be to him so pleasant as the presence of Caesar Caesar moued with his teares comforted him and promised if there were need shortly to visite him but Ptolomey at libertie began immediatly to warre against Caesar with so fierce and eager a desire that the teares which at the parting he shed might seeme to be teares of ioy Hirt. Commen de bello Alexan. c None of the Roman ships came at all to the succour of Euphranor either bacause they durst not partake of the danger or because they had a strong confidence in the great vertue and extraordinary felicitie of Euphranor which in all his other fights had euer attended him so that he only at that time behaued himselfe well and perished alone with his victorious Galley Hirt. Commen de bello Alexan. d Of this towne Canopus and the Temple of Serapis there thus Strabo speakes in his seuenteenth booke Canopus distant from Alexandria an hundred and twentie furlongs by land was so called from Canopus Menelaus his Master of his ship who was buried there in it is the Temple of Serapis with great deuotion honoured amongst them insomuch as the Noblemen put great affiance in that god and come thither to take dreames both for themselues and others some of them haue written of diuers cures which haue beene there wrought and many miracles in seuerall kindes but aboue all other things wonderfull is that number who vpon Festiuall times come downe thither by the Lake from Alexandria for night and day is that Lake full of boats in which men and women with songs and gestures of all manner of Lasciuiousnesse doe recreate themselues and in Canopus it selfe diuers Jnns there are vpon the Lake side to entertaine passengers with such leuities and vaine delights Strabo lib.
loue of death now prayes the hypocrite Nights silent reigne had robb'd the World of light To lend in lieu a greater benefit Repose and sleepe when euery mortall brest Whom care or griefe permitted tooke their rest But Cato's brest was not alone set free From perturbation and anxietie By vertues constant vse for soft repose Or sleepe the common end but to compose And raise it selfe vnto an act more high The contemplation of eternitie In contemplation the vntroubled Soule Parts from the bodies bonds free from controule Of fleshly passions by no cares distracted Not as in sleepe she does to lie contracted Within her selfe and from all action cease But to imploy her purest faculties At nobler distance where no sense of sight Or outward organ can direct her flight There by her selfe the Soule can take suruey Of those high glorious bodies which display Obiects too bright for sense in their owne light Some beames and glimpses of that infinite Eternall essence from whose fulnesse they Deriue their beauties there the Soule would stay Or wishes that from lets corporeall free She might what now she cannot plainly see Those formes and does in that desire imply Her owne vndoubted immortalitie But ere the minde of man can fitted be To search the depth of true Philosophy It must be purg'd by morall rules and freed From impious lusts from vice of thought and deed And as a wise Physitian euer giues Before his medicines cleane preparatiues So let no Soule contemplate till it be Prepar'd and purg'd by sound moralitie First let it practise vertue here before With contemplations wings it dare to soare In search of that which is the perfect'st good And height of all that can be vnderstood Lest as in Physicke th' vnpurg'd humours may Distract the medicines working force so they Not purg'd from vices through false glasses see And oft deceiu'd in speculation be Vnto thy selfe first morall Physicke giue And then securely be contemplatiue So cleans'd was Cato's soule and fit was he For strictest precepts of Philosophy Since vertues paths which rough to others seeme Long vse had made habituall to him To whom the Fates present as now on high His thoughts were soaring to eternitie An obiect fit casting his eye aside Diuinest Plato's Phaedon he espy'd Oh welcome Booke sent from the gods quoth he To teach a dying man Philosophy And though thou canst not further or controule The resolution of my fixed soule Since Fate has doom'd my end yet may'st thou giue Comfort to those few houres I haue to liue Man's Soule immortall is whilest here they liue The purest mindes for perfect knowledge striue Which is the knowledge of that glorious God From whom all life proceeds in this abode Of flesh the Soule can neuer reach so high So reason tells vs if the Soule then die When from the bodies bonds she takes her flight Her vnfulfill'd desire is frustrate quite And so bestow'd in vaine it followes then The best desires vnto the best of men The great Creator did in vaine dispence Or else the Soule must liue when gone from hence And if it liue after the body fall What reason proues that it should die at all Since not compounded as the body is And mixt of euer-fighting contraries But one pure substance like it selfe and may By reasons rules subsist alone for aye And though we yeeld that God who did create Can if he please againe annihilate The Soule and nothing in that sense can be Indissoluble saue the Deitie Yet Soules which in their nature doe agree So neare with that shall nere dâ—ssolued be Till they at last their wished end attaine And so immortall by themselues remaine True grounds quoth he diuine Philosopher Else what were vertue or true knowledge here But waking dreames Why more than beasts should we Oblige our selues to Lawes of pietie Or curbe our lusts Oh why should vertue be Iudg'd by the wisest true felicitie Before wealth honour pleasure Vertue here Does not alas so beautifull appeare But poore and wretched rather nor is she Vnlesse which in this life we doe not see Some fairer substance or true forme she haue Ought but an emptie name or Fortunes slaue The wisest men are glad to die no feare Of death can touch a true Philosopher Death sets the Soule at libertie to flie And search the depth of that Diuinitie Which whilest imprison'd in the body here She cannot learne a true Philosopher Makes death his common practice while he liues And euery day by contemplation striues To separate the soule farre as he can From off the body what 's the death of man But separation of those two Should he That euery day did striue in some degree To gaine this freedome feare it at the time When nature has allotted it to him Would birds incag'd that with all motions trie And seeke all wayes to gaine their libertie The cage set ope refuse to flie from thence Nay more haue louers in impatience Forc'd out their liues and violently fled Into the other World to finde their dead Deare loues And should the Soule which here below Clos'd in the body euery day did wooe And court that knowledge which is perfect blisse Refuse to goe and finde it where it is Then when the gods haue open'd her the way But here till then the Soule is bound to stay Nor must she leaue her station till that God Dee call her hence that gaue her this abode Here Cato stopt and paws'd is death quoth he Vnlawfull then till rude necessitie Inforce a man to taste it And must I Weare this loath'd life till Caesar bid me die Is not the fatall ouerthrow so late In Thapsus fields and ruine of the State Necessitie of death enough for me May I not thinke the gods in that decree The death of Cato But must hold my hand Expecting till the Conquerour command And giue more power to him whose lawlesse might Already has vsurp'd aboue his right Or begge for life acknowledging him so My Lord whom iustly I adiudg'd Romes foe So saue my life by sinning or elâ—e die With one sinne more if mercy he deny But this sure hand shall saue that hazard now Plato and all diuinest Lawes allow Rather than act a crime a man should die Should I take life from Caesar's clemencie It would be iudg'd by all what ere were ment I did approue of Caesar's gouernment How great a crime might mine example proue How great a wrong to Rome and all that loue Her Lawes and liberties Great Pompey's sonnes That now doe arme the Westerne regions And for their Countrie yet intend to fight Might thinke themselues excus'd if I submit And from their iustest resolution swerue When old free Cato were content to serue I le trie since most assur'd the Soules doe liue What Lawes to vs the other World will giue For sure the gods ' mongst Soules departed hence Twixt good and bad will put a difference Those happy Soules that while they liued
you the warre decree When first the Spring dissolues the mountaine snow And Westerne winds vpon the waters blow When with his golden hornes bright Taurus opes The chearefull yeare shall these victorious troops Aduance against the Parthians and there die Or fetch those Eagles home with victory Which Crassus lost till then you need not feare The insolency of the Souldier That their disorder'd licence here at home May any way disturbe the peace of Rome My care already has besides the spoiles Of forren foes rewarded all their toiles With those great summes which here so lately I Perchance much enuy'd rais'd in Italy To keepe them still and did not feare to buy With mine owne Enuy your security Then Conscript Fathers if your wisdomes shall Esteeme of Caesar as a Generall Fit to reuenge the Roman infamy ' Gainst Parthia's pride decree the warre to me I am your Souldier still nor ere has ought But Romes renowne by all my toiles beene sought You shall perceiue that Caesar's Souldiers are Not onely fortunate in Ciuill warre Caesar had ended when the Fathers all To such a warre and such a Generall Giue glad consent and with one voyce decree The Parthian warre to Caesar's auspicie But Fates deny what they so much desir'd The date of Caesar's glory was expir'd And Fortune weary'd with his Triumphs now Reuolts from him more ruine and more woe Was yet behinde for wretched Rome to tast Nor can their quiet happinesse out-last The life of Caesar whose approaching Fate More Ciuill warres and wounds must expiate No vertue bountie grace nor clemency Could long secure vsurped Soueraignty For more that power to Citizens borne free Distastfull was than benefits could be Sweet and delight some which soone hasten'd on Th' vntimely death of Caesar Nor alone To this conspiracy did hatred draw His ancient foes as Pontius Aquila Bucolianus and Cecilius Ligarius pardon'd once and Rubrius Scruilius Galba Sextus Naso too Spurius with many of the faction moe But euen ' mongst Caesar's friends dire Enuy wrought And to his slaughter bold Trebonius brought Casca and Cimber and Minutius His seeming friends nor thee Oh Cassius Could Caesar's fauour nor thy Pretorship Of Rome obtain'd from this dire murther keepe Decimus Brutus too so highly grac'd And in so neere a ranke of friendship plac'd With Caesar to whose trust and gouernance The wealthy prouince of Transalpine France Caesar had left enuying his Patrons power Among the rest is turn'd conspiratour Nor seemes the knot of this great faction yet To be of strength enough vnlesse they get Young Marcus Brutus in who then did sway The Prouince of Cisalpine Gallia Colleague with Cassius as Romes Pretors then And high in Caesar's grace this braue young man For his knowne vertues and admired parts In all the peoples discontented hearts Did seeme most thought of and mark'd out to be The vindicatour of lost libertie Nor did they hide it but in libells wrote On his Pretorian cell exprest their thought Taxing his courage as degenerate From th' ancient Brutus who first freed the State Of Rome from Monarchy as if the fame Of such an act could suit no other name And he by fatall birth condemn'd to be An Actor now in Caesar's Tragedy Now had Rhâ—m nâ—sian Nemesis possest In all her blackest formes the vengefull brest Of fierie Cassius and did wholly sway His eager thoughts impatient of delay Who by nights silence enters Brutus house Him there he findes alone and anxious Wailing his Countries Fate and sadder farre Than when the feare of this great Ciuill warre First seiz'd the peoples hearts and frighted Rome Was fill'd with fatall prodigies to whom Cassius beginnes Oh why should Brutus spend That pretious time in thought which he should lend In actiue aid to his sad Countries need That would againe by Brutus hand be freed See what the peoples longing thoughts expect That thou should'st worke for them marke the effect Of what they write on thy Praetorian Sell There may'st thou read that though contented well They look'd no farther than for vaine delights As Libyan huntings and Circensian sights From other Praetors they expect from thee A benefit no lesse than libertie Can Brutus thinke that Caesar while he liues Will ere resigne so great a power who striues To make it more his owne and not content With a Dictator's name and gouernment An office oft bestow'd while Rome was free Aimes at more certaine markes of Monarchy The Regall Crowne and Scepter thinking all The Senate giues cause they can giue it small Why were the Tribunes else for taking downe From Caesar's Statue late a golden Crowne Depos'd Or what could he by law alleage Against their persons sacred priuilege Did lewd Antonius put a Diadem On Caesar's head to be refus'd by him In publike onely and not there to trie How we would all allow his Monarchy Besides a thousand more ambitious arts He daily findes to sound the peoples hearts His death the period of his pride must be And must with speed be wrought for if till he Returne triumphant from the Parthian warre We should delay our vengeance harder farre And with more enuy must it then be done When he more honour and more loue has wonne To shake off Caesar's yoke this is the time Or make it not our owne but Fortunes crime The Noble Brutus sigh'd Oh Cassius If Heauens quoth he haue not allotted vs A longer date of freedome how can we With feeble armes controule their high decree They that in Affricke Spaine and Thessaly Condemn'd the cause of Roman liberty Will not protect it now and better farre It should be lost in faire and open warre From whence at first it sprung and grew so high Than to be sau'd by secret treachery Such as the ancient Romans scorn'd to vse ' Gainst worst of foes Noble Fabritius When conquering Pyrrhus threaten'd Rome disdain'd To free his Countrey by a traitours hand Aduenturing rather Romes sad ouerthrow By open warre nor ' gainst a forren foe Were these respects obseru'd alone by vs What greater traitour than Sertorius And foe to Rome Yet he by treason slaine On base Perpenna stucke a lasting staine What hope was there that one so deepe in blood As was that Butcher Sylla euer would Resigne his reigne to be a priuate man Yet who ' gainst Sylla's life attempted then Twixt whom and Caesar was as great an ods Almost as twixt the Furies and the Gods As much as those then liuing Romans were Too timorous too base and prone to beare A Tyrants yoke as much for this shall we Be iudg'd ingrate to Caesar's clemency And those old men will more accuse our crime That can remember Sylla's bloody time But I of all accurst that so much owe To Caesar's fauours am condemned now To be a subiect or from seruitude To free my selfe by foule ingratitude Oh what a torture my distracted brest Suffers twixt two such sad extremes opprest Oh why when dire Pharsalia's field was fought