Serranus a Renowned Name thy Son Great Regulus whose lasting Fame shall run Along with Time to tell all Ages how With the perfidious Carthaginians Thou Thy Faith didst keep in the first glorious State Of 's Youth had enter'd with his Father's Fate The Punick War and now sore wounded from The Fight to his sad Mother and dear Home Alone return'd no Company to ease His smarting wounds but thus through devious waies Supported by his broken Lance while Night Gave him Protection he a silent Flight Towards thy Plains Perusa takes and there To a small Cottage weary doth repair Resolv'd to try his Fate and knock's at Door Marus who to his Father long before A Souldier of no mean Esteem had been Leaps quickly from his Bed to let him in And borrowing Light from the few Coals that lay Upon the Hearth lifts it up to survey His Face which strait he knows and saw sad Sight Those cruel Wounds were giv'n him in the Fight His fainting Steps supported by his Spear The Rumour of this Loss before his Ear Had struck What Wickdness is this said he Oh! born to bear too much Calamity That I now see Thee greatest Captain I Beheld when ev'n in thy Captivity Thy Looks affrighted Carthage and thy Fall Which We the Guilt and Crime of Iove may call Gave me so deep a Wound that from my Heart Not Libya's Ruin can remove the Smart But Oh! where are Ye now Ye Gods again Himself great Regulus offers to be Slain And perjur'd Carthage now Oh Grief to see This rising Branch of that great Family Hath quite Alass destroy'd Thus having said The fainting Youth upon his Bed he lai'd Nor was he ignorant for he in War That Skill had learn'd fit Med'cines to prepare And first with Water purg'd his Wounds then Juicâ— Of Herbs of healing Virtue doth infuse Then binds them up and with a tender Hand Swaths on the Bolsters with a gentle Band. Thus having giv'n him Ease 't was his next Care T' allay his tedious Thirst and to repair His Strength with frugal Diet this in Haste Perform'd kinde Sleep its Benefits at last Apply'd and gave his Body gentle Rest. But e're the Day again did gild the East Marus as if he 'd cast off Age again Was ready to allay the burning Pain That then return'd with Med'cines try'd before And piously doth Nat'ral Warmth restore But here the Youth lifting up to the Skies With Sighs and frequent Groans his weeping Eyes Said Oh Immortal Iove if yet thy Hate To the Tarpeian Rock Quirinus State Hath not condemn'd with a more kinde Aspect On Italie's distress'd Affairs reflect Our Iliads of Woes behold for we The Alps have lost and our Adversity No Limits finds Ticinus and the Po Swoln high with Romane Slaughter overflow And Trebia's by Sidonian Trophies known With that sad Land that Annus did renown But why do I complain of this Alass Our present Miseries the rest surpass I saw thy Waters Thrasimenus swell With slaughter'd Men. Flaminius when he fell Amidst the Weapons I beheld and all The Shades below my Gods to witness call That by a Death worthy my Father I With Slaughter of my Foes then sought to dy Had not hard Fates as they my dearest Sire Refus'd deny'd a Death to my Desire Thus bitterly complaining to divert The Rest old Marus speaks Most noble Heart Whatever be our Lot or whatsoe're Our Fortune it like Romanes let us bear Through various Chances such by the Decree Of Heav'n the Wheel of our Mortality In a steep Path doth swiftly run Of this Thy Family a great Example is And fam'd through all the World That Divine He Thy Noble Father whom no Deity Excells 'mong all Eternal Honour gain'd For that he did Adversity withstand Nor shrunk from any Virtue till his Breath Was from his struggling Body forc'd by Death I hardly was a Youth when Down began On Regulus his Cheeks to sign him Man Yet then I his Companion was and We Our Years still pass'd with kinde Society Untill the angry Gods decreed that Light Of the Italian Nation should quite Extinguish'd be within whose Noble Breast Faith kept her Temple and his Soul possest That Sword an Ensign of great Honour He As a Reward of Magnanimity On Me bestow'd and Reins you see with Dust And Smoak now cover'd o're but yet no Rust Their Brightness stains such Gifts as these prefer Marus to any Romane Cavalier But above all my Honours I must prize That (b) By this Relique Marus signified the old Religion of the Latines who had in great Veneration the Spears or other Arms of antient Heroes For as Arnobius lib. 6. Contra Gentes affirms the Romanes formerly adored a Spear instead of Mars Spear to which I often Sacrifice Streams of Lyaeus Blood as here you see 'T is worth your Time to know the History Slow Bragada plows up the thirsty Sand With troubled Waves in all the Libyan Land No Flood more largely doth it self extend Or Swelling doth its Waters farther send O're all the Fields As thither We withdrew In search of Springs of which that Land but few Affords upon the Banks We joyfull sate Hard by the Stygian Grove that did dilate T'exclude the Day its Shadow ev'ry where And a thick Vapour breaking through the Air Expir'd a noisom Smell within was found A dire and spacious Cave that under Ground With many Labyrinths did winding run And ever Dark had ne're beheld the Sun The very Thoughts of it my Soul invades With Fear That fatal Bank and Stygian Shades A most pernicious Monster by the Rage Of Earth produc'd whose Equal in no Age Was seen inhabited a Snake of Strength Prodigious and an hundred Ells in Length His immense Paunch surcharg'd with Poison kill'd Upon the River's Banks or Lyons fill'd Or Heards that scorched by the furious Heat Of the Sun's Rays did thither make Retreat Or Birds that by his pestilential Breath Attracted from the Skies there found their Death Bones half-devour'd upon the Ground were spread And thus when he had plentifully fed On divers Prey within his Noisom Den He belching lay and when the Fire agen Of Thirst was kindled from his fervent Food He came to quench it in the Neighb'ring Flood And foaming Waves and e're half-way within The Water his vast Bulk had drenched been His Head upon the adverse Bank would ly Not thinking of so great a Monster I With Havens and Aquinus forward go T' explore the Silence of the Place and know The Wood when Horrour seiz'd as we drew near Our Joynts and all our Limbs congealed were With a most strange unusual Cold and yet We enter and the Nymphs and Gods intreat O' th' Flood unknown to favour what we do And thus though full of Fear presume to go Into the secret Wood when from the Mouth And Entrance of the Den as from the South Raging with furious Storms a Stygian Blaâ—t Broke forth and o're the Flood the Tempest cast Mix'd
Circle up with winding Streams Over whose Banks fierce Hannibal from far Calls (o) Upon Conclusion of the first Punick War the Carthaginians were obliged by Article not to pass over the River â—berus which Article was transgressed by Hannibal Africk-People to the Romane War On his broad Shoulders as he smiling tries These wealthy Presents proudly thus he cries In how much Romane Blood shall I imbrue These Arms with how great Punishments pursue That Gowned Senate that themselves do make Revengers of the War we undertake Now in the Siege the Fo grows old a Day Concludes the Citie 's Fate while weary they Their forein Aids expect but now no more They look upon the Seas or helpless Shore (p) Disparing of their long expected Aid from the Romanes the Saâ—unthines after eight months Sieg resolved to dy within their Walls What miseries they endured till the City was taken are at large discoursed in Livy Lib. 22. Perceiving Deaths approach with sad Despair For their parch'd Entrails the Contagious Air Enflames while Famine in their Bowels reigns And dries the Blood in their contracted Veins From their faln Cheeks their sinking Eyes within Their Heads retire and through the shrivled Skin The Bones and ill-knit Joints a wofull Sight With Nervs consum'd appear the Dew of Night Some gather from the Earth to quench the Fire Of thirst and some themselves do vainly tire For Liquour while they hardest Oaks do bruise Their rav'ning Hunger which doth nought refuse Compels them to strange Food From Shields they tare The Hides to feed upon and leave them bare These Ruins of his Citie from the Skie Alcides look'd on with a mournfull Eye But all in vain for him the strict command And fear of his great Father Iove withstand That he should nothing act 'gainst the Decree Of his severe (*) Iuno Step-Mother Therefore He Concealing his Design to Faith repairs Who in the farthest part of Heav'n the Cares Of Deities revolv'd thus at her Shrine He tries Her Counsels Thou great Power Divine Born before Iove himself who art the Grace And Honour both of Gods and Humane Race Consort of Justice without whom nor Seas Nor Earth can know the benefit of Peace A Goddess where thou art in every Breast Canst thou behold Sagunthus thus opprest Unmov'd That Citie which for Thee alone So many so great ills hath undergone For Thee the People dy upon Thee all Men Women Children that can speak do call By Famine overcome from Heaven relieve Their sad Estate and some Assistance give Thus He To whom the Heav'nly Maid again Replies I see all this nor is' t in vain That thus my Leagues infringed are a Day Shall come Alcides that shall sure repay With Vengance these their dire Attempts But I Was forc'd from the polluted Earth to fly To seek in Iove's blest Mansions a Place Free from the num'rous Frauds of Humane Race I left their Tyrans that their Scepters hold Fearing as they are Fear'd that Fury Gold The vile Reward of Treacheries I left And above all the Men who now bereft Of all Humanity like Beasts by Spoil And Rapine live while Honour is the Foil To Luxury and Modesty by Night And her dark Crimes opprest avoids the Light The place of Right the too imperious Sword Doth arrogate and Force alone 's Ador'd Vertue gives way to Vice for look upon The Nations of the Earth and there is none Is Innocent their frequent Fellowship In Crimes alone the Common Peace doth keep But that these Walls erected by thy Hand May in the Book of Fame for ever stand By an End worthy Thee and that they may Not give their Bodies up a Captive Prey To the Proud African which onely now The Fates and State of Future things allow The Honour of their Death will I extend Beyond the pow'r of Fate and them commend As Patterns to Posterity and go With their prais'd Souls unto the Shades below This said The constant Virgin through the Air Descends and to Sagunthus doth repair Then strugling with the Fates through ev'ry Breast She goes invades their Minds which all-possest By her great Deitie each Soul doth prove Her Altar burning by her Sacred Love Now as if Strong again for Arms they cry And in the Fight their weak Endeavours try Strength above Hope they find while the sweet Name And Honour of the Goddess doth inflame Their Hearts resolved for her Sake to dye And suffer things far worse then Death to try The Food of Savage Beasts and Crimes to add To their Repast but them chaste Faith forbad Longer with so much Guilt to view the Day Or with Man's Flesh their Hunger to allay Her when Saturnia who by chance came down Into the Libyan Camp within the Town Which she so hated saw she doth upbraid The Virgin 's Courage and the War she made Then in a Rage with troubled Steps she went To that dire Fury that doth still torment The guilty Souls and thus upon her calls With Hands extended Strike said she those Walls Thou Darling of the Night let thy fell Hands Destroy that People 't is Iuno commands My self within a Cloud will here stand by And see the Issue of thy Industry Those Weapons which sometimes immortal Iove Disturb by which thou Acheron dost move Thy Flames of Sulphure and thy hideous Snakes In Curls thy horrid Voice which silent makes Hell's Triple-headed Porter and let fall From 's Jaws his poys'nous Spume commixt with Gall What Plagues and Mischief what Impiety Soe're within thy fruitful Breast do lie Upon these hated Rutuli throw down And let Sagunthus sink to Acheron Thus let their peevish Faith rewarded be Incited by these words Tisiphone Invades the Walls then round about the Hill Trembles and roaring Waves the Shore do fill Innumerable Serpents on her Head Hissing her tumid Neck and Breast or'espread Death walking with her his wide Jaws extends On whom pale Sorrow and black Grief attends All Plagues were present that created were While Cerberus with howling rends the Air. Forthwith she counterfeits Tyburna's Face Her Voice her Speech her Gesture and her Pace Tyburna of a Noble Race deriv'd Her Blood from Daunus and by War depriv'd Of her dear Husband Murrus then bewail'd Her Widdowed Bed The Fury having vail'd Her self with her sad Countenance her Hair Dishevel'd to the Assembly doth repair And tearing there her Cheeks What end said she Of our great Faith and Citie shall we see I have my Murrus seen who every Night Doth me with his yet gaping Wounds affright And lamentably thus on me doth call Flie my Tyburna Flie this Citie 's Fall Or if the Conqu'ring Libyan deny The Earth to thee to me Tyburna flie Our Gods are faln and we poor Rutuli Are lost the Punick Sword doth all enjoy I tremble and his Ghost as yet before Mine Eyes me-thinks appears Shall I no more Thy Stately Palaces Sagunthus see Happy my Murrus was thrice happy He Who saw his Countrey
why then Do We for our exacted Talents grieve Nor rather with that Wealth our selves relieve But if consum'd through his Ambition We Have with our Riches lost our Liberty Why should that guilty Head to whom we ow These Ruins and the Curse of all our Wo Amongst Us still remain and with a Pride (l) Hannibal when he saw the Senate and People excessively Lament the Paiment of their Tribute which was very great Laughed at their Follies who more bewailed the emptying of their Purses then the loss of their Liberty and Honour Great as the Conquerours our Tears divide Consider this and as infused Oil Doth heighten Flames hence let thy Fury boil Create more Spleen within Thee make Thee rude As Caucasus till thou hast fully shew'd Th' amazed World thou wert not born to bear The Romane Yoak But do what others dare Not think and 'gainst the Latine Name where're There shall be War do Thou in Arms appear Till Fate absolve thy Vow and Thou shalt be Crown'd with a Noble Death or Victory When thus the Fury had her self inspir'd Into his Soul with Night She strait retir'd To Hell While He now void of all Repose Soon as from Tithon's Bed Aurora rose To that fam'd Stygian Temple doth repair Where when a Childe his Father made him swear The War Soon as He comes into the Grove Strange horrid Murmurs round about him move The Goddess call'd to Minde what he before Had offer'd there and now expected more Then over all the Place a Cloud She casts Which thither calls the Night again and blasts The rising Day At length She open throws The Temple-Gates while on he Fearless goes Till at the Entrance from her Gloomy Cell The aged Priestess thus bespeaks him Tell What is it that so early hither Thee Invites and who thou art For well I see Thou com'st to offer to the Pow'rs below And therefore with this Horrour they foreshow Thy Welcome tell me then what is thy Name Though now thou know'st Me not I 'me sure my Fame Said Hannibal long since hath fill'd thine Ears I am that Hannibal who e're my Years Two Lustra had fulfill'd a War before These Stygian Altars 'gainst the Romans swore The rest the World hath told Thee and I now In prosecution of that Sacred Vow Am come to know what yet remains by Me To be pursu'd and what the Fates decree The Priestess thus I know Thee now nor can The Universe afford another Man More dear unto the Pow'rs which we adore But we our Rites cannot perform before The following Night hath finish'd half her Reign Now therefore to thy House make haste again And my Advice embrace For often Wo Have of the Gods enquir'd concerning Thee Whose thread of Life is twisted with the Fate Of Carthage and in That her better State Consists and hence it is Imperious Rome By her Embassadours who now are come Will not so much for Masanissa plead As joyn with Hanno to obtain thy Head Or cast Thee into Chains therefore till Night Returns be Wary and prepare for Flight And when Bootes hath his lazy Wain Turn'd half about the Pole hither again Repair and I shall then enquire the Minde O' th' Gods and what they have for Thee design'd Pensive with this Advice strait Home He goes And ruminating on his Country's Woes His Chamber enters with a troubl'd Face When almost drown'd in Tears to his Embrace Imilcè flys and thus begins What now Thy Minde disturbs what on thy Angry Brow Creates that Cloud which wheresoe're it be Discharg'd my Hannibal must Ruin Me. I know 't is War for such the dire Alarms Of lost Sagunthus snatch'd I hee from mine Arms. So from my Bed before the Night was done To meet their Sallies thou wert wont to run While Fury arm'd thee and pale Death did wait Upon Thee as upon the Hand of Fate But then Thou wert protected Heav'n did then For Thee and Carthage fight if now agen The Gods would hear our Pray'rs and bless Thee so How gladly would I yield to let Thee go But they alass are Angry and no more Will lend their Thunder as they did before Unto Thine Arm. Rome now their Ears hath charm'd Against Thee and Thy Fortune quite disarm'd Naked against the World Thou now dost stand All have submitted to Her Conqu'ring Hand Carthage is Hers nor Libya nor Spain Pyrenè nor the Celtae can again Afford Thee Aid (m) Philip King of Macedon who with the Acarnanians made several incursions upon the Allies of the Romanes but his Success not answearing his Ambition he made a dishonourable Peace with the Romanes in which the Carthaginians lost all Hopes of his Assistance The Macedonian King Who to our fainting Hopes appear'd to bring Some Shadows of Relief while He o'reran The Bounds of Athens and a War began With that sad Omen that Sagunthus turn'd To Ashes and the (n) The Abydenians strictly besieged by Philip and despairing of Relief after the Example of Sagunthus burned themselves with all their Wealth Abydenians burn'd On Pyles of their own Wealth is forc'd at last To yield to Fortune and himself to cast A Prostrate at Rome's Feet and Peace implore Content with those great Acts that He before Had done He now resolves at Home t' attend His Fate and would my Hannibal now lend A Pity to these Tears Thou should'st no more That Hand of Fortune try which Thee before In one Day thrust from that great Height to which The Toil of seventeen Years had rais'd Thee Rich In Fame thou art and though all else is gone That 's such a Treasure that for it alone The World may envy Thee and Times to come Shall put thy Name in Balance against Rome And all her Generals But what of Life After such Deeds remains unto thy Wife And Son should be allow'd and if thy Breast With Thoughts of sworn Revenge be still possest Since Fortune courts the Young and Thou art now In Years to which She seldom doth allow Her Smiles derive thine Anger to thy Son Instruct him here at Home what 's to be done To perfect thy Desires and at thy Death Into His Breast with thy Departing Breath (o) It was antiently a Custom in many Nations to receive the last Breath of their Expiring Friends Inspire my Hannibal thy mighty Spirit That so He may entirely Thee Inherit And live the Fear of Rome But if Thou fly From hence and leave Us to the Cruelty Of Our insulting Foes Our Captiv'd Names Will strait become the Talk of Romane Dames ' Midst their Triumphal Feasts or be in Scorn Suppress'd as if We never had been born This with a thousand Sighs and all the Charms Of Kisses mix'd with Tears between his Arms Speaking She sinks while with that constant Face With which He entred in a strict Embrace He holds Her up and thus replies Thy Love My dear Imilcè is so much above The Value of my Life that I would
While their insulting General prepares Their Minds and to their Fury still doth give Fresh Fewel What third Consul doth survive In Rome said He What other Sicily Remaineth now in Arms against us See! All the Italian Bands and Daunian Line Are met Now let the Latine Princes joyn In League with Me now let them Laws require But thou that in the Fight unhappy Sire Ow'st to thy Son thy Life so may'st thou live May'st thou to him again that Honour give May'st thou not dy in War so old 't is I When Fate shall call that must in Battel dy This with high Rage express'd he doth advance With his Massilian Troops and with his Lance Ev'n at the Trenches doth provoke the Fo. The Latine Souldiers scorning thus to ow Their Safety to their Rampires and to hear The Gates to Eccho with an Hostile Spear Break forth and through the Breach before the Rest The valiant Consul flies The plumed Crest Of his bright Helmet waving with the Wind His Cassock stain'd with honour'd Blood behind He calls with a loud Voice the following Bands And where the Fo in strongest Bodies stands He breaks his Way and chargeth through the Plain As when a furious Torrent swell'd with Rain Falling from lofty Pindus Top doth fill The Vallies with a Noise as if the Hill By some rude Tempest were in Pieces torn The Heards and salvage Beasts and Woods are born Away the foaming Waves o're all prevail And pass with Roaring through the stony Dale Could I like the Maeonian (l) Hâ—mer Prophet sing Or would Apollo to assist me bring An hundred Voices I could not declare What Slaughter here the Consul made what there The Libyan's Fury acted Hannibal Murranus and the Romane General Phalantus old in Labours and for Skill In War all famous hand to hand did kill From Anxur's stormy Cliffs Murranus from Sea-wash'd Tritonis did Phalantus come But when by his Illustrious Habit shown The Consul was engag'd Cupentus one Depriv'd of half his Sight that with one Eye Pursu'd the War assaults him suddenly And fixeth in the Margent of his Shield His trembling Lance. The Consul him beheld With boiling Rage Now Villain lay aside Said he what ever Mischief thou dost hide Beneath thy Ugly and Deformed Brow And as he spake with Aim directly through His glaring Eye he thrusts his fatal Spear No less incens'd doth Hannibal appear By whom in silver Arms unfortunate Varrenus fell Varrenus whom of late Fertile Fulginia's wealthy Fields with Gain Enrich'd and wandring in the open Plain His curled Bulls as white as Alpine Snow Return'd from cold (k) Clitumnus a River in Tuscany wherein such Bulls as were to be Sacrificed to Iupiter were washed and became White See the Continuation of the first Book Clitumnus Stream but now The Gods were angry and those Victimes prove Nourish'd in vain which for Tarpeian Iove With so much Care by him were fed before Then light Iberians with the nimble Moor Advance Here Piles there Libyan Arrows fly So thick from either Side they hide the Sky And all the Space between the River's Shore And Champagn-Ground with Darts is cover'd o're So thick they stand the Wounded have no Room To Fall and Dy. There Allius that from Argyripa through Daunian Fields with rude Unpolish'd Shafts his flying Game pursu'd Was born into the midst of all his Foes Upon his Iapygian Steed and throws Not vainly his Apâ—lian Darts his Breast The Skins of rough Samnitick Bears invest Instead of Steel his Head an Helmet wore Fenc'd with the Tushes of an Aged Boar. But him thus Active as if he had bin Then following the Chase of Beasts within The Gargan Woods when Mago here espy'd There bold Maharbal they on either Side Charge him As Bears more fierce by Hunger made From sev'ral Rocks a trembling Bull invade Their Fury not permitting them to share Their Prey with Leisure so both here and there 'Gainst Allius discharged Weapons flew At length through both his Sides the Libyan Yew Doth singing pierce into his trembling Heart And Death remain'd ambiguous to which Dart It should give way for both together there As in their Center met Now full of Fear The Romane Troops with scatter'd Ensigns fly Whom to the Banks the Libyan furiously A Sight of Pitty wandring up and down Pursues and in the River strives to drown Then Trebia to their Ruin doth conspire And raising at Saturnia's Desire His fatal Waves begins a second War Against the weary Vanquished who are By Earth that shrank beneath them where they stood Devour'd and cover'd by the treach'rous Flood Nor could they from the thick tenacious Mire If once engag'd their weary Limbs retire But stand as bound and fix'd within the Mud Untill o'rewhelm'd by the deceitfull Flood Or Ruins of the hollow Banks some fall While others through the Slippery places crawl And seek through the inextricable Shore Their several Ways to Safety But as or'e The rotten Bogs they fly and Ruin think To shun by their own Weight oppress'd they Sink Here one swims swiftly and now near the Land Snatching the tops of Rushes in his Hand To raise himself above the Flood again Nail'd by a Jav'lin to the Bank is slain Another having lost his Weapon fast Within his Arms his strugling Fo embrac't And in one Fate both joyn'd together dy'd Death in a thousand Shapes on ev'ry Side Appears There wounded Ligus backward fell Upon the Shore and as the Flood doth swell With Heaps of Bodies and his Visage laves He sucks in with his Sighs the bloody Waves But scarce half-way did fair Hirpinus swim And beckned to the rest to follow him When carryed by the Stream's impetuous Force And gaul'd with many wounds his head-strong Horse Obeys the Torrent till with Labour tir'd Under prevailing Waves they both expir'd Yet still these Miseries encrease for as The towred Elephants attempt to pass Into the Flood with Violence they fell As when a Rock torn from its native Hill By Tempest falls into the angry Main And Trebia afraid to entertain Such Monstrous Bodies flies before their Breast Or shrinks beneath them with their Weight opprest But as Adversity man's Courage tries And fearless Valour doth to Honour rise Through Danger stout Fibrenus doth disclaim A Death ignoble or that wanted Fame And cries My Fate shall be observ'd nor shall Fortune beneath these Waters hide my Fall I 'le try if Earth doth any living bear Which the Ausonian Sword and Tyrrhen Spear Cannot subdue and kill With that he prest His Lance into the right Eye of the Beast That with blind Rage the penetrating Blow Pursu'd and tossing up his mangled Brow Besmear'd with reeking Blood with horrid Cries Turns round and from his fallen Master flies Then with their Darts and frequent Arrows all Invade him and now dare to hope his Fall His immense Shoulders and his Sides appear One Wound entire his dusky Back doth bear Innumerable Shafts that like a Wood Still waving as he
in the Knee and Prostrate while Thou dost keep down and vainly seek to spoil With cruel Force an heavy Jav'lin broke Thy Ribs thy Body by the fatal Stroke With sudden Ruin on thy prostrate Fo Doth fall and Both in Death together go Nor were the Sidicinian Cohorts then Wanting in Valour these a thousand Men Stout Viridasius arm'd whose Skill did yield To none to guid a Ship or pitch a Field None sooner could with batt'ring Rams prevail 'Gainst Walls or sooner highest Tow'rs could scale Him when the Libyan General beheld With the Successes of his Valour swell'd For he Avaricus not trusting to His Arms and by him Hurt did then pursue His Anger rising higher at that Sight He thought him worthy with Himself to fight And from Avaricus as he withdrew His wounding Spear upon him fiercely flew And piercing deep into his Breast said He Prais'd be thy Valour whosoe're thou be 'T is pitty Thou by other Hands should'st fall The Honour thus to dy by Hannibal Bear to the Shades below and were not Thou Born of Italian Blood thy Life should now Be spar'd next him he Fabius slew and bold Labicus who in feats of Arms was old And long before in (m) Sicily from the River of that Name Arethusa's Land Had with Amilcar fought and Honour gain'd And now unmindfull of his broken years With Courage fresh again in Arms appears But that He now grew cold in War his Blows More vain betray the Fire so weakly glows In dying Embers that no Strength at all The Flame retains him when fierce Hannibal Shew'd by His Father's Armour-Bearer spy'd Thy former Fight 's due Punishment He cry'd Receive by this my Hand Amilcar now Revenging draggs thee to the Shades below This said from 's Ear with Aim a Dart he throws Which as upon the Wound he turned goes Quite through his Head the fatal Shaft again Pull'd out his hoary Locks a Crimson Stain Of Blood receive and his long Labours all In Death are ended Next to him doth fall Herminius a Youth who first there took Up Arms before accustom'd with his Hook Fam'd Thrasimenus in thy Lake to prey And to his aged Father oft convey Delicious Food and with his Angle from The Neighb'ring Waters drew the Fishes Home But now the Carthaginians sad convey Upon their Arms Sichaeus Corps away Unto the Camp whom with a mournfull Cry Pressing along as Hannibal doth spy With a Presaging Grief He strikes his Breast What is this Sadness that 's by you exprest My Friends said He of what hath us the Ire Of Heaven depriv'd Thee burning with Desire Of Praise Sichaeus and too great a Love Of thy first War doth this Black day remove From Life and Us by an untimely Fall With that he groan'd to which the Tears of all That bare him do Consent who likewise tell Weeping by whose revengefull Hand he fell I see it in his Breast said He see where The Wound was made by the Ilîack (n) Romane Spear Oh worthy our dear Carthage shalt thou go And worthy Hasdrubal to Ghosts below Nor shall thy Noble Mother thee lament Degenerate from thy so high Descent Nor as unlike thy Ancestours from Thee In Stygian Shades shall our Amilcar flee But these our Tears Flaminius this Day The Cause of all by 's Death shall wipe away This Pomp thy Funeral shall sure attend And impious Rome her self shall in the End That my Sichaeus Body with her Sword She ne're had wounded any Rate afford Thus he his Fury vents and as he speaks From 's foaming Mouth like Smoak a Vapour breaks His Rage in broken Murmurs from his Breast Extrudes that Breath that should have Words expres◠So from a boiling Pot in scalding Heaps Like Waves through too much Heat the Liquour leaps Then with blind Rage into the midst of all He Runs and Rends the Air as He doth call Upon Flaminius who no sooner hears His Voice but to the Combat he appears And Mars more near approach'd while Hand to Hand To fight within the Lists both Champions stand Then strait through all the Rocks a sudden Crack Doth run the Mountains all with Horrour shake Their Tops do tremble and the Grove of Pines That crown'd them from its pleasant Height declines And broken Quarries on the Armies fall Groaning as pull'd from her Foundations all The (o) The Poet in this agrees with Livy who affirms the Fury of the Souldiers to be such that neither Side were sensible of that Earthquake which subverted a great part of many Cities in Italy turned the Course of Torrents transported the Sea into Rivers and with a terrible Noise tore Mountains asunder lib. 22. Earth doth quake and breaking strangely wide Through the vast Gulfe where Stygian Shades discry'd And fear'd the Day again The troubled Lake Rais'd to the highest Hills forc'd to forsake Its ancient Seat and Channel with a Flood Before unknown now laves the Tyrrhen Wood This Storm the People and the Towns of Kings Like a dire Plague to sad Destruction brings Besides all this the Rivers backward run And fight with Mountains and the Sea begun To change its Tydes the Faunes now quit the Hill Of Apennine and fly to Floods yet still The Souldier O the Rage of War although The reeling Earth doth toss him too and fro Fights on and as he falls deceived by Th' unconstant Ground throws at his Enemy His trembling Darts till wandring here and there The Daunian Youth distracted through their Fear Fly to the Shore and leap into the Stream The Consul who by Chance was mix'd with them That by the Earthquake fell their Fight in vain Upbraids What then I pray you doth remain To such as fly To Hannibal thus you His Way unto the Walls of Rome doth show You put both Fire and Sword into His Hand 'Gainst Iove's Tarpeian Tow'r Oh Souldiers stand And Learn by me to fight If ye deny To fight at all then Learn of me to dy Flaminius to Posterity shall give No vile Example and while I do live No Libyan or Cantabrian shall see A Consul's Back although alone I be But if so great a Thirst and Rage of Flight Your Minds invades their Weapons all shall light Upon this Breast and after this my Fall My Ghost into the Fight shall you recall While thus he vents his Grief and doth advance To meet his num'rous Foes with Countenance And Mind as Cruel forth Ducarius came Who from his Ancestours deriv'd his Name And since the Boian Armie's Overthrow Those Wounds which he receiv'd so long ago As Marks of barb'rous Courage did retain And knowing the proud Conqu'rour's Face again Art Thou the Boians greatest Terrour I Said he by this my wounding Dart will try If th' Blood of such a Body may be shed Nor be You slack more vulgar Hands that Head To Sacrifice to valiant Ghosts 't was he Who in his Chariot proud of Victory Our captiv'd Fathers to the Capitol Drove and they now
on You for Vengeance call With that a Showr of Darts that ev'ry where Fly like a Tempest through the darkned Air O'rewhelm and hide his Body so that none Could after boast that by his Hand alone Flaminius dy'd Thus with the General The Fight soon ended for the Chief of all The Youth as angry with themselves and Heaven That to their Arms so ill Success had given And choosing rather once to dy then see The Affrican enjoy the Victory With Hands all bloody in the fatal Fight Seise on their Gen'ral's Body in their Sight So lately slain with all his Weapons and United in a Ring about him stand Till all in one great Heap of Slaughter dy'd And falling like an Hill his Body (p) It appears by this that Flaminius had lai'd aside all Ornaments of Consul or General for that his Body could not be distinguished from any of those that fell about him hid Now having spread Destruction through the Wood And Lake and left the Valleys deep in Blood To th' Heap of Bodies Hannibal withdrew And with him Mago and as them they view What Wounds What Deaths are here said he behold How ev'ry Hand still grasps a Sword though cold In Death The armed Souldiers as they ly Seem to maintain the Fight How these did dy Now let our Troops observe the Threats appear Yet in their Foreheads and their Faces bear Their living Anger and I fear that Land Which fruitfull is in Men so valiant and Of so great Courage Fates to her decree The Empire of the World and She shall be Victorious in Distress This said He yields To Night and Darkness over all the Fields Diffus'd while Sol into the Sea descends Restrains their Fury and the Slaughter ends The End of the Fifth Book Sâ—rranus clarum Nomen Tua Regule Proles Limina pulsabat â—ari Vetus isse Parentis Vileâ— et haud Surda tractarat proelia â—ama Serpens centum porrectus in Vlnâ—s Extendit â—olem atque Assultans Sydera â—ambit Hoâ—oratiss o. Domino Dâ— Edoardo Baroni de Hyndon SumaÌ„ Totius Cancellario et ê Sanctioribê° Regis Comiti Clarendon Vicâ—â—om Cornbury Anglioe nec non Accademiae Oxon Consilijs Tabula SumÌ„a aâ— observantia D.D.D. SILIUS ITALICUS OF The Second Punick VVar. The Sixth Book THE ARGUMENT Brutius great Valour who before he dy'd His Eagle from his Foes i' th Earth doth hide Sorranus wounded to Perusa's Plains By Night retires him Marus entertains And having dress'd his Wounds to him declares Great Regulus his Father's Death and Wars His Noble Courage in his Punishment Fabius elected General his Descent The Romanes Sadness and the People's Cries Affrighted at the Libyans Victories The Conqu'rours to Linternum go and there The Monuments that did at large declare The Victories by Sea and Land which Rome From Carthage once had gain'd with Fire consume BUT when his Steeds in the Tartessiack Main Loos'd to give way to Night Sol joyn'd again On the Eoan Shores and Serians who The first of all the World his Beams review For silken Fleeces to their Groves repair The Place of sad Destruction ev'ry where Appears and Monuments of furious War Here Men and Arms and Horses mingled are There Hands lop'd off still to their Lances stick In Wounds of Bodies slain there Targets thick Trumpets and headless Trunks ly scatter'd round Through all the Plain with Swords that as they wounâ— 'Gainst Bones were broke Some with be-nighted Eys Half dead in vain there sought th' enlightned Skies The Lake all foams of Gore and on the Waves Float Bodies that for ever want their Graves Yet midst these Miseries and loss of Blood Firm as her Fate the Romane Valour stood Brutius whose many Wounds declar'd that He Against his Foes had fought unequally Scarce from the Heaps of th' miserable Dead 'Mong whom he lay had rais'd his wounded Head Striving with mangled Limbs to creep away His Nerves now shrinking when the fatal Day Was done Him Fortune had not plac'd among The Rich nor was he honour'd for his Tongue Or his Descent but Valiant with his Sword Nor did the Volscian Nation afford Any that had of Time recover'd more Nor sought he when but yet a Boy before The Down had cloath'd his Cheeks himself to hide For Safety in the Camp Flaminius try'd His Courage when in Fight he overthrew With better Gods the Celtick Arms hence grew His present Honour in all Wars that he The Keeper of the Sacred Bird should be Hence Glory made him to preserve with Care The Cause of 's Death For when he did dispair Of Life perceiving nothing could withstand (a) This Honour which Brutius enjoyed as the Reward of his Valour was alwaies conferred on the first Centurion of the Triarii who were the Reserve of the Army he was obliged to loose his Life with this Ensign of his Charge which was honour'd by the whole Army and therefore stiled Sacred by the Poet. The Romanes adoring their Eagles which were sometimes of Silver seldome of Wood but often woven or painted on the Banner as if they were Divine Herodian lib. 4. To keep his Eagle from the Libyans Hand Since Fate gave Way and that the Romane Side Was ruin'd in the Fight he sought to hide And bury't in the Earth but overthrown With sudden Darts again and falling down Extends himself upon it and beneath His Body hides it choosing such a Death But when from Stygian Night and Sleep the Light Return'd he from the Neighb'ring Heaps upright Arose upon his Spear and Strong alone In his Attempt the Earth now overflown With Blood and softned by the standing Gore With 's Sword he digs and as he doth adore Th' unhappy Eagle's Image with his Hand Now fainting smooths again th' unequal Sand Then into thinner Air his Breath doth go And his great Soul unto the Shades below Near him was to be seen the Sacred Rage Of Valour whose Deservings do engage Our Muse to sing its Fame Levinus born On high Privernum that rich Vines adorn Dead on dead Nasamonian Tyres lay And when unequal Fortune had that Day Depriv'd him of his Arms his Spear and Sword Then naked in the Fight his Griefs afford New Weapons With his bloody Mouth he flies Upon his Fo and with his Teeth supplies His want of other Arms and thus he tears His Nostrills off bites out his Eyes his Ears Pulls from his mangled Head his Forehead too Strangely disfigures while the Blood doth flow About his Jaws yet this not satisfies Till with his Mouth all full he feeding dyes While Valour sadly to the Victour's Eye These Wonders shews the wounded Troops that fly To various Chances are expos'd Some through By-wayes of desert Woods some wandring go By Night through unfrequented Fields and there Each little Noise or Motion of the Air Or flying Birds affright them and they finde No Sleep or quiet Thoughts but still inclin'd To fear beleeve that Mago with his Spear Or Hannibal pursues them in the Rear
the Eagles in the Air Comets the Fall of Kings with flaming Hair Shine fatally and salvage Beasts by Night Break through the Camp and Works and in the sight O' th' frighted Souldiers through the Neighb'ring field Scatter the Limbs o' th' Centinel they kill'd Deluded by the Image of their Fear From their dark Graves the Ghosts of Gauls appear To break and then the high Tarpeian Rock As torn from its Foundation often shook The Temples of the Gods with Streams of Blood Were wet Quirinus Statue as it stood Wept largely Allia greater then before Swells higher then the Banks the Alps no more Stand still nor Apennine which Night and Day Shook with vast Ruptures and where Libya Extended lyes ev'n from the very Pole 'Gainst Italy the flaming Meteors roll Such horrid Thunder-Claps the Heav'ns above Divide that they detect the Face of Iove The Lemnian God his Lightning likewise threw From Aetna and as broken Quarries flew Up to the Clouds as in the Giant 's Wars Knock'd his Phlaegraean Head against the Stars But ' midst them all as conscious of the Fight He looks and Sense-distracted with the Fright With horrid Cries the Camp a Souldier fills And panting thus express'd the future Ills. Spare us ye cruel Gods the Fields I see Too little for the Heaps of Slaughter be Through thickest Ranks the Libyan Captain flies And His swift Chariot over Companies Of Men and Arms drives on and drags along Their Limbs and Ensigns while the wind with strong Impetuous Blasts a furious War doth make Against our Eys and Faces From thy Lake Sad Thrasimen unmindfull of his Years In vain Servilius now reserv'd appears Whither Oh whither is' t that Varro flies Oh Iove among the Stones see Paulus lies The last great Hope of Rome's declining State These Ruins Trebia now exceed thy Fate Behold a Bridg is made of Bodies flain And silent Aufidus into the Main Rolls mangled Corps o're all the Plains I see The Elephants insult with Victory Our Consul's Axes and our Fasces stain'd With Blood a Tyrian Lictor in his Hand After our Custom bears To Libya The Pomp of Romane Triumph's born away Oh Grief Yet this ye Gods that we behold Is your Command while by congested Gold Torn from left Hands victorious Carthage sees (s) Mago sent to Carthage with the Tidings of this Victory carryed with him a Bushel saith Livy others more of Gold Rings then worn onely by Romane Gentlemen The Measure of the Romane Miseries The End of the Eighth Book In Vacuas vitam senior disperserat auras At Solimus simul ense fodit praecordia et atrum Sustentans vulnus mananti sanguine signat In clâ—peo mandata Patris fuge praelia Varro Ac summi tegmen suspendit Cuspide teh Defletumque super prostemit membra Paâ—enteÌ„ Honoratissimo Domino Dn o. Thomae Comiti Southampton Baroni Wriothesley de Tichfeild SumÌ„o totius Angliae Thesaurario c Sanctioribus Regis Caroli 2 â—i Consilijs atque Inclyti Ordinis Periscelidis Equiti c. Tabula sumÌ„a cum observantia DDD SILIUS ITALICUS OF The Second Punick VVar. The Ninth Book THE ARGUMENT The Consul Paulus as advis'd declines The Fight forbidden by unhappy Signs Rash Varro urgeth for a Day A Son In that sad Night before the Day begun His Father flying from the Libyan Side Vnhappy kills who bids him as he dy'd Forewarn the Romanes to avoid the Fight His Son this Warning on his Shield doth write And kills himself for Grief The fatal Field Is fought the Romans miserably kill'dâ— The Libyans have the Day While 'fore his Eys His Men are slain the Coward Varro flies WHILE Italy thus vext with Prodigies The Signs in vain of future Ruin sees Discover'd by the Gods as if they might Prove happy Omens of the following Fight The Consul waking spends the Night and now Throws in the Dark his Jav'lins then as slow Upbraids his Colleague and while yet 't was Night Would have the Trumpets sound a Charge and fight The Libyans no less eager to engage Urg'd by the adverse Fates with sudden Rage Out from the Camp they sally and begin To Skirmish For the Macae that had bin Disperst for Forage through the Neighb'ring Plain A winged Showr of Shafts like sudden Rain Pour on the Romanes and before the rest Mancînus who to be the first had prest To dip in Hostile Blood his Weapon dy'd And with him many gallant Youth beside Nor yet though Paulus sadly did declare How cross the Auspicies and Entrails were Would Varro from the Battel have abstain'd (a) It had antiently been a Custom amoâ—g the Romanes where both the Consuls were together to command alternately by Moneths but Varro and Paulus had otherwise agreed to command the Army by Alternate Daies Paulus on his Day kept the Army from engaging but soon as Varro took his turn he without consulting his Colleague immediately gave Battel to the Libyans Unless the Lot by which they did command The Camp by Turns had thwarted his Desire And forc'd the hasty Fates a while retire But yet no longer then a Day could be Between a thousand Deaths and their Decree Allow'd Into the Camp the Troops return Again while Paulus ceaseth not to mourn Seeing the Reins of the next Day 's Command Were to be trusted in a frantick Hand And that those Souls were then preserv'd in Vain From Slaughter For enrag'd and mad again For that he had the Battel then delai'd Dost Thou thus now Aemilius Varro said Thy Gratitude and the Reward repay Of that thy guilty Head Or else have they From Thee deserved such a base Return Who snatch'd Thee from the Laws and threatning Urn Command them to surrender to the Fo Their Arms and Swords or when to fight they go Cut all their Right-Hands off But you whom I Have often Weeping seen commanded by The Consul to retire or shun the Fo No more expect the Signal when you go To fight or slow Commands let ev'ry Man Be his own Leader and go boldly on In his own Ways When first the Sun shall shed His Morning Rays upon Garganus Head These Hands the Ports shall open for you all Then charge them quickly and this Day recall Which you have lost Thus he with mad Desires To Fight the discontented Camp inspires When Paulus not the same in Mind or Face But as if after Fight he 'd seen the Place Strew'd with his slaughter'd Friends and as if there In View the Miseries ensuing were As when all Hope of her Son's Life is past In Vain his yet-warm Body in her last Embrace a Mother huggs and seems to be Sensless with Grief By Rome's dear Walls said He So often shaken by those Souls which now Night with a Stygian Shade surrounds and know No Guilt forbear I pray to run upon Your Ruin till the Wrath of Heav'n be gone And Fortune's Fury be consum'd 'T will be Enough if our New Men shall dare to see The Fo without a
the Plains appear He should Advance and Fight Both Armies now Drew near and by the Running to and fro The confus'd Neighing of the fiery Steeds And clashing Arms a sudden Murmur spreads It self through all the troubled Troops as when Loud Conflicts 'twixt the Winds and Seas begin Their inward Rage and Storms that lave the Skies The Billows strait let loose and as they rise Their threatning Noise through all the trembling Rocks From their Foundations shaken by the Shocks Expire and Surges from the Bottom thrown With angry Foam the lab'ring Ocean Crown Nor was this cruel Storm of Fate alone The Labour of the Earth Dissension Crept into Heav'n and Gods to War incites Here Father Mars and here Apollo fights And Neptune there vext Cytherea here And Vesta and Alcides angry there For lost Sagunthus Old Cybele too And Gods of Mortals made Quirinus who First rais'd the Romane State with Faunus then Pollux that lately with his Brother-Twin Had shifted his Alternate Life but there ' Girt with a Sword Saturnia doth appear And Pallas 'mong the Libyan Waters born And Hammon too whose Temples with an Horn Are Circumflex'd and many lesser Gods Beside who coming from their bless'd Abodes To see this Fight with their Approaches shook The Earth and all their sev'ral Stations took Some on the Neighb'ring Hills while others shrow'd Themselves from Mortal Eys within a Cloud The Heav'ns were empty left while all to Wars Descend and strait to the forsaken Stars As great a Clamour rose as when within Phlegraean Plains the Giants did begin The Fight with Hercules or Iove for all His Thunder-bolts did on the Cyclops call When the bold Earth-born Army did invade His Throne and Mountains upon Mountains lai'd The Charge so fierce no Dart or Spear before The rest was thrown but an impetuous Showr Of Shafts together fell with equal Rage And as they thirsting after Blood engage The Storm a Multitude of both destroy'd But where the Sword more closely was imploy'd The greater Number dy'd on whom the rest Stood to maintain the Fight and as they prest To strike a Fo would spurn them as they groan The Sea as soon with raging Billows thrown 'Gainst Calpe might remove it from its Seat As all the Libyan Rage to a Retreat Could force the Romanes or the Romanes make The Libyan Bands their Station to forsake So close they fight no Space was left at all For Blows to miss or when they dy'd to fall Helmets 'gainst Helmets clash and ev'ry Stroke Excuss'd the hidden Flames Targets are broke 'Gainst Targets Swords by Swords are hack'd and Feet On Feet do tread so furiously they meet Breasts against Breasts are bruis'd and where they stood Earth could not be discern'd o'reflown with Blood And the thick Clouds of Arrows as they fly Take from their Eys the Day and hide the Sky Those of the second Rank as if they fought I' th' Front with their long Pikes and Lances sought To wound the Fo and those that farthest stood With missile Weapons labour'd to make good The Fight with those were foremost all the rest With Clamour their Desire to Fight exprest And with their horrid Shouts the Enemy Provoke And now all sorts of Weapons fly Some hard'ned Stakes Pines burning others fling And weighty Piles These Fatal Pellets sling Those Darts and which would shake the strongest Wall Huge Stones from the Phalarick Engines fall And through the Clouds the singing Arrows fly How can I hope ye Goddesses whom I Religiously adore this Day to show To future Times Can you such Pow'r allow Ye Learned Virgins to my Mortal Song And trust the Cannae to a single Tongue If you affect our Fame nor shall decline To give Assistance to our high Design Hither from your Parnassus hither all Your Sacred Lays and Father Phoebus call But maist thou Noble Romane still appear As Constant and thy future Triumphs bear With as great Courage as Adversity Thou then didst meet Such maist Thou ever be Nor tempt the Gods to try if those that are Deriv'd from Troy can bear so great a War And thou O Rome no more with Tears deplore Thy dubious Fate but rather now adore Those Wounds that shall Eternal Praise to Thee Produce for â—hou shalt never Greater be But sink in thy Success and by the Name Of former Miseries defend Thy Fame Now Fortune shifting Sides between them went Deluding with sad Doubts of the Event The Rage of Both and furious Mars so long As Hope between in equal Ballance hung Rag'd in their Arms alike So have I seen The standing Corn while yeâ— the Stems were green Mov'd by a gentle Wind wave to and fro The Weighty Ears which as they Nodding go To this Side then to that alternately The sev'ral Motions of the Wind obey At length Nealces with confused Shouts Brings on his Barb'rous Troops and Charging routs The adverse Wing the Ranks disorder'd through The Intervals the fierce victorious Fo Breaks on the trembling Files and strait a Flood That like a Torrent rush'd of reeking Blood Runs on the Plain None falling are by Spears Thrust on their Faces for the Romane fears (f) This hath been frequently observed of the Romanes when they have seen their Case desperate particularly in Cataline's Army where every man that dyed fell with his Face towards his Enemy See Salust Wounds on the Back and on his Breast receives His cruel Death and Life with Honour leavs Among the first affecting still to be I' th' hottest of the Fight and equally To meet all Dangers stood brave Scaevola Who scorning to survive so sad a Day Sought worthy his great Ancestour to fall And dy beneath that Name perceiving all Was lost Our Life how short soe're it be Now in despight of Fate let Us said he Extend For Valour is an empty Name Unless in Death's Approach a lasting Fame By suff'ring bravely or by Wounds we gain Surviving Honour Speaking thus amain Into the Midst where the fierce Libyan's Hand Cut out his Way through those that did withstand He like a Tempest falls and there he slew Tall Calathis and with his Sword quite through His Body pierc'd as boasting he put on The Arms of one there slain strait down upon The Ground he tumbles biting with his Teeth The Hostile Arms the Tortures of his Death By that suppressing as he groveling lay Neither could Gabar or stout Sicha stay With their joint Valour his Impetuous Rage For valiant Gabar as he did engage Lost his Right-Hand but Sicha mad with Grief And coming rashly on to his Relief Stumbling by Chance upon his Sword doth wound His Naked Foot by which upon the Ground He falls and by the Hand of 's dying Friend Lies prostrate This his Fury in the end Nealces fatal Rage upon him brought Who by so great a Name incited sought The Honour of his Fall and strait a Stone Torn from the Neighb'ring Rock and tumbled down By the swift Torrent from the Mountain
the Backs of them that fly Ev'n in their Gen'ral's View all Shafts provokes The Consul's Helmet by their furious Stroaks Bruis'd and his Arms all shatter'd Paulus throws Himself more fierce at this among his Foes But Varro having lost his Courage quite While Paulus to another Place the Fight Pursu'd strait wheels about and with his Hand Turning his Horse said Thou dost justly stand Corrected Rome that did'st to Varro give Command in War while Fabius is alive But now what civil Discord in my Minde What sad Dissension of my Fate I finde What secret Fraud of Destinies I all These Torments will determine in my Fall But Oh! some God my Sword withholds and Me Reserves Alass for greater Misery Shall I live then and to the Tribes agen The Fasces stain'd with Blood of Countrey-Men And broken thus return And as I go My Face to other angry Cities show Or then which Nought more Cruel could for Me By Hannibal be wish'd fly hence and Thee Oh Rome behold More his distracted Fear Had utter'd but the Enemy drew Near And Charging him more Close with Darts his Steed Snatch'd the loose Reins and fled the Field with Speed The End of the Ninth Book Hinc citus ad Tumulum donataâ—e Funera Paulo â—bat et Hostilis Lethi Iactabat Honorem Omnibus Exequijs Nudo jamque Annibal Unus Sat Decoris Laudator Erat. c Honoratiss o Domino Dn o. Iacobo Compton Baroni de Compton Comiti NorthamptoÌ„ Tabula sumÌ„a cum observantia D.D.D. SILIUS ITALICUS OF The Second Punick VVar. The Tenth Book THE ARGUMENT Paulus great Valour and what Slaughters he At Cannae made He is advis'd to flee But Thoughts of Flight rejects By Hannibal Christa with his six Sons together fall Servilius by Viriathus slain By Paulus Hand is soon reveng'd again And fighting ' midst his Foes at length he dies The Libyan Celebrates his Obsequies Commends his Valour and his Noble End Their Counsels who their Countrey did intend To quit by Scipio are suppress'd To Rome Without all Pomp doth Consul Varro come The Multitude incens'd against him are By Fabius appeas'd The Slaves for War Are Arm'd the Senate passeth a Decree That none that Captiv'd are shall ransom'd be WHEN Paulus saw the Adverse Fight encreas't As when with Spears encompass'd a wilde Beast Leaps on their Points and by his Wounds doth know Where to direct his Rage and choose a Fo Into the thickest of the Globes he goes And to all Dangers doth himself expose And seeks a Death from ev'ry valiant Hand Upbraiding thus his flying Men Oh! stand Stand stoutly to 't and in your Breasts receive The Sword nor wounded in your Backs thus leave The World there nothing now remains at all For Us but the sole Glory of our Fall Me to the Shades below you all shall finde Your Leader Then swift as the Northern Winde Or winged Shafts which in dissembled Flight The Parthian backward shoots into the Fight And where unmindfull of his tender Age Paetus like Mars in Courage did engage He rush'd into the mid'st of all his Foes And the Youth whom light Vascons did enclose And fierce Cantabrians did with Darts surround Freed from their cruel Arms while they gave Ground And Trembling fled As when a Goat in View Through a large Plain the Huntsmen close pursue And in the Chase the weary Beast so nigh Approach they think to catch't if suddenly Gnashing his Teeth a Lyon from his Den Before their Eys appears their Colour then And Blood flies from their Cheeks their Weapons all Inferiour to their Danger they let fall And flying think no more upon their Prey Now with his Sword on such as in his Way Oppose he press'd and such whom baser Fear Made fly with Darts he follows in the Rear Fury and Rage delight him and to Crown His Deeds with Honour by his Hand alone A multitude of Nameless People fall And if another Paulus there 'mong all The Dardan Troâ—pâ— had been Cannae its Name Had surely lost and Haâ—nibal his Fame At length his Wing declin'd and suddenly The Front gives Way and all together fly There Labiâ—nus fellâ— whom Cingulum Sent from her lofty Walls there Ocris whom With Opiter Vine-bearing Setia sent From fertile Hills Their Deaths were different Though the Sidonian join'd the Time for there Shot through the Hip fell Labienâ—â— here One through the Shoulder t' other through the Knee The Brothers wounded him accompany And there Macaenas who of antient Fame Through the Maeonian Land his Noble Name From Tyrrhen Kings deriv'd wounded quite through The Groin a Tyrian Jav'lin likewise Slew But through the thickest Paulus â—corning all Desires of Life and â—eeking Hannibal Charg'd furiously and thought his Destiny Could onely cruel be if he should dy And Hannibal survive Fearing this Rage For that if once in Fight they did engage So great a Storm and Tempest could not be Without great Mischief Iuno instantly (a) Vid. infra pag. 12. Frighted Metellus Shape assuming Why Consul said She sole Hope of Italy Dost thou Renew thy Rage in Vain while Fate Resists if Paulus live the Romane State May stand if otherwise thou draw'st with Thee All Italy Oh Paulus Can it be That thou wilt while the State thus totters go To hazard 'gainst so insolent a Fo Thy Sacred Head For now so flush'd in War Is Hannibal that with the Thunderer He dares contend and Varro I beheld When first He wheel'd about hath left the Field Himself reserving for a better Day Allow the Fates their Time and while you may From Death redeem your Soul that 's greater far Then Ours You soon may have another War To this with Sighs the General reply'd And is' t not Cause enough if Nought beside Did move Me that I now should wish to dy In Arms when to an Act so Monstrous I Metellus urging hear Thou Fool away Fly Oh! fly hence with Speed nor Heav'n I pray Thee in the Back may Hostile Weapons wound But with thy Varro mayst thou safe and sound Enter the Walls of Rome Dost Thou think Me Worthy so base a Life and not to be As worthy Coward of a Nobler End Because the Libyan who dares contend Forsooth with Iove permits it Oh thou base Degen'rate Issue of a Valiant Race When should I choose to fight With whom should I Desire to Cope but such an One that by My Hand subdu'd or I by his might give To Me a Name that after Death shall live Thus chiding 'mong his Foes himself he threw And as Acherras covertly withdrew From the throng'd Maniples and sought Retreat To the Main Body with more nimble Feet Him through the thickest Ranks with Targets fill'd And constipated Arms pursu'd and kill'd So Belgick Hounds an hidden Boar pursue And with Sagacious Noses drown'd in Dew Through devious Ways the doublings of the Beast Detect and all his Footsteps closely prest Through thickest Groves where Hunts-men cannot come To beat still follow nor desist
enflam'd With the last Rites of Funeral by Me And Decent Sepulture shall Honour'd be How Great here Paulus dost Thou ly Whose Fall Alone is greater Joy to Me then all The Thousands We have slain and so when Fate Me with the Safety Carthage of thy State Shall call do I desire to dy This said T' Interr his Friends when the next Morn displai'd Her Blushes from her Bed and to prepare A Pyle of Arms that to the God of War Were to be burnt He gives Command then all Though weary to the Work commanded fall And strait in sev'ral Heaps the Groves are lai'd And on the shady Hills tall Woods are made To Eccho with their Axes here to Ground They fell the Ash and shady Pop'lar crown'd With hoary Leaves and there the Holm that took Root in their Grand-sire's Age and firmest Oak With Pines that flourish by a River and Sad Cypress that near Sepulchres do stand A mournfull Ornament These to the Field They bear and there with Emulation build The Fun'ral Pyles an Office to the Slain Fruitless and sad till in the Eastern Main Sol drench'd his panting Steeds and by his Flight From Heav'n with Stygian Darkness rais'd the Night But when again the Phaëthontian Reins Shed their first Beams on the EoÌ„an Plains And did to Earth its Colours all restore They Flames apply and Corps distilling Gore Burn in an Hostile Land an horrid Dread Of various Chance seising their Thoughts is spread With Silence through their Hearts lest Fortune by An adverse Fight might cause them there to dy But Sacred Mars to Thee up to the Skies Like a vast Hill a Pyle of Arms doth rise The General himself lifts up a tall And flaming Pine and thus on Thee doth call Great Father Mars who now hast heard my Pray'r These Sacrifices of a Prosp'rous War And First-fruits of the Fight within this Flame I Hannibal or'e the Ausonian Name Victorious burn to Thee and living Bands Offer these chosen Arms with gratefull Hands Then throwing in the Torch the greedy Fire Devours the Pyle and strait a flaming Spire Breaks through the Smoak and to the Stars ascends And a clear Light through all the Field extends Thence hasting to the Tomb and Funeral To Paulus giv'n the Honour of his Fall Insulting boasts A lofty Pyle there They Had rais'd and softer Beds compos'd of Hay Gifts likewise added are to th' Valiant held A Fun'ral Honour His dire Sword and Shield Of late a Terrour and a stately Sight Then Fasces torn and Axes ta'ne in Fight No Wife no Sons no Troops of Kindred near Ally'd were there nor on the lofty Bier As Custom was old Images precede And grace the Exequies But now instead Of other Pomp was Hannibal alone Sufficient to Eternize His Renown Shining with richest Purple to the rest Upon the Pyle He sighing threw his Vest And after that His Gold-embroider'd Cloak Then to His Shade with this last Honour spoke Ausonia's Glory go Thou thither where Souls great in Deeds and Virtue seated are Thou by Thy Noble Death hast Honour gain'd Fortune as yet with her unconstant Hand Our Labours guids and doth command that We Of future Chances ignorant should be Thus He and strait from crackling Flames into Aetherial Air the joyfull Soul doth go Now Fame her Voice encreasing to the Skies The Sea and Earth and chiefest City fliesâ— (m) So great saith Livy lib. 22. was the Lamentation Confusion through the City that Fabius whose present Courage gave Counsel to the rest was constrained to confine the Women to their Houses and in that great Consternation to omit the Anniversary Sacrifice to Ceres They now distrust their Walls and trembling all Hope Safety onely in the Capitol For now for their Defence no Youthfull Bands Survive an empty Name Ausonia stands Without a Body that the Enemy Not yet broke through the Gates they think to be Delay through Scorn their Houses now appear To burn the Temples spoil'd and ev'ry where Their Sons in cruel Slaughter to expire Before their Eys and the sev'n Tow'rs on Fire One Day lamented the approaching Falls Of twice an hundred (n) Senatours Chairs and sinking Walls Of now-exhausted Rome depriv'd of twice Three hundred thousand Youth besides and this After sad Trebia and the Tuscan (o) Thrasimene Flood And of Allies as great a Loss of Blood Amidst these Griefs the Pious Senate all By Lot to their appointed Charges fall Old Fabius super-vising what was done With Diligence th' Affrighted calls upon Believ 't there 's now no Reason to delay We must be speedy that the Libyan may T' approach our armed Walls attempt in vain By Sitting-still cross Fortune Strength doth gain Among the Fearfull and Adversity Through Fear grows greater Go go speedily (p) Such Arms as were taken from their Enemies had long been preserved as Trophies in their Temples but in this Exigency they were constrained to make use of them to Arm their Slaves Snatch from the Temple Arms Brave Youths go make The Courts and Porches naked quickly take The Targets from the Walls were gain'd in War Enough our Numbers for our Countrey are If we loose nothing through our Fear to fight In open Fields that horrid Plague may fright Perchance but the light-naked Moor shall ne're Break through these Walls or boast his Triumphs here While Fabius thus excites their Minds with Dread Dejected 'Bout the Walls a Rumour 's spread That Varro was at Hand and ev'ry Breast With secret Trouble and with Doubt 's possest As when a Vessel wrack'd safe from the Sea Alone the Pilot swimming makes his Way To th' open Shore the People trembling stand Uncertain whether they should lend an Hand To help Him or refuse Him and the rest So lost his sole Survival all detest How great his Infamy who durst come near The Ports so sad an Omen to their Fear These Discontents and Troubles to aâ—swage And turn the wav'ring People from their Rage Fabius declares How Base it was to be Vex'd at Mis-fortunes in Adversity It did un-manly seem in those to bend Who their Original from Mars pretend Who could not hide their Griefs but were intent To remedy their Woes by Punishment But if they would permit him to upbraid To Him that Day more Dismal shin'd he said When He saw Varro marching to the Field Then that wherein Dis-arm'd he Him beheld This Language all their Threats allay'd and strait Their Hearts were turn'd Now they condole his Fate Now summ up all the Comforts from them ta'ne By the Sidonian in two Consuls slain (q) At Varro's Return lest the People should grow insolently-cruel at the Mis-fortunes of their Generals the Senate gave him Thanks that he had not despaired of the future good Fortune of the Common-Wealth Then to congratulate Him out they run In Troops protesting that whate're was done They did believe proceeded from a great And valiant Minde That trusting to the Fate Of their
My Bowels pierce My tardy Age Contemn not Thou My Body I 'le engage Against Thee and that Sword which cannot be Extorted now I by My Death from Thee Will force With that He wept and Hannibal By Heav'ns great Care reserved was to fall By Scipio's Arms. Nor then did Conscious Fate Allow a forein Hand should perpetrate An Act so Great But of what Praise was He Depriv'd whose Glorious Magnanimity Worthy to Act in Deeds most famous won So much Renown for what He would have done Then both together to the Feast they went Again and clear'd their Brows from Discontent Till Sleep dissolv'd their Banquet and their Mirth But as the next bright Morning to the Earth The fiery Steeds of Phaëthon did raise His Chariot on the Surface of the Seas Reflecting fam'd Amilcar's Active (*) Hannibal Son Already on His great Affairs begun To think Fierce Mago's Order'd to repair To Carthage to the Senate to Declare What Hannibal had done With Him the Prey And Captivated Men are sent away And Spoils that to the Gods Devoted are As Sacrifices of a prosp'rous War The next Part of His Care was to convey Brave Decius Alass to Libya Reserv'd at his Return a Sacrifice To his slow Rage had not the Deities Pittying his undeserved Punishment The Youth by Storms to (*) Cyrene Battus City sent Here (k) The Ship driven by Tempest into the Port of Cyrene then under Ptolomy King of Aegypt Decius fled to the King's Statue for Sanctuary which obliged his Keepers to carry him to Alexandria to Ptolomy who understanding the Injustice of his Captivity released him Liv. lib. 23. Ptolemy's Pelléan Pow'r the Man Rescu'd from their dire Menaces that than His Keepers were and freed his Neck from Chains But the same Land that sav'd his short Remains Of Life from Slavery soon after gave His Bones inviolate a quiet Grave In the mean Time the Paphian Goddess findes The wish'd-for Hour t' involve the Libyans Mindes In secret Ruin through Prosperity And their insulting Hearts by Luxury To tame and therefore She her Sons commands Enticing Darts to scatter from their Hands Abroad and silent Flames to send into Their Breasts Then smiling on the wanton Crew Now let proud Iuno Us despise said She And 't is no Wonder for now What are We Let Her go on driv'n with propitious Gales She with her Hands She with her Arms prevails We small Shafts onely from a Childish Bow Expell and from Our Wounds no Blood doth flow But now be doing now 's your Time take Aim My Sons and with your silent Darts enflame The Tyrian Youths that Army which nor Fire Nor Sword nor Mars with slackest Reins can tire With store of Wine Embraces and by Sleep Must be subdu'd Into His Bowels deep Let Hannibal imbibed Pleasures drink To ly on painted Beds let Him not think It Shame and with Assyrian Sweets his Hair Perfume let Him that in Hybernal Air Boasted to lengthen out His Sleeps delight In Houses rather to consume the Night And let Him Learn to give the Idle Day To Bacchus and when cloy'd with Feasts He may Be charm'd with Musick and Luxurious Nights Or sleeping spend or waking in Our Rites This Venus which the wanton Troops commend And strait from Heav'n with Snowy Wings descend The Libyan Youths soon feel their fiery Darts And the discharged Shafts inflame their Hearts Now Bacchus Gifts and Banquets they desire And warbling Songs to the Piërian Lyre Now through the Plains no sweating Courser flies No Lance thrown through the Air doth exercise Their naked Arms in gentle Baths to rest Their lazy Limbs they cherish and opprest With miserable Wealth rough Valour 's gone The General Himself but breath'd upon By flattering Desire begins to Feast Anew and oft invited 's made a Guest And by Degrees degenerate His Minde Corrupted by those secret Shafts declin'd His Countrie 's Arts. With equal Honour all Now Capua another Countrey call Another Carthage Their Affections free Before to greedy Vice through Victory Now yield Nor do the Capuans Measure keep In Luxury but drown'd in Riot heap Lust upon Lust and in their Feasts between Each Course add Sports and often change the Scene So 'bout the Lotos on Laegaean Banks The Phrygian Minstrels with lascivious Pranks Spartan Canopus fill And first their Ears With his sweet Eyrs while Hannibal appears Extremely pleas'd fam'd Teuthras for his Skill Most eminent Delights with Voice and Quill And when he saw the Libyan Prince admire The warbling Nerves then the Aönian Lyre With Praise he celebrates and as he sung His well-tun'd-Harp conspiring with his Tongue The Musick that of dying Swans exceeds And those sweet Lays 'mong many for the Deeds Of antient Heroes best the Ear affect Most pleasant for the Banquet doth select Once by the Argive People strange to tell A Lute was heard that did the Rocks compell To follow and the flying Stones to stand Fix'd into Walls Touch'd by Amphion's Hand This rais'd the Theban Walls while to the Skies Flints of themselves in Heaps congested rise T' enchanted Tow'rs Another by his Lays The Phocae tam'd becalm'd the raging Seas And Protheus drew through all his Shapes and bore Arion on a Dolphin's Back to Shore But that whose Sound in the Pelîack Cave A Bridle to the Minds of Heroes gave And great Achilles Thoughts the (l) The Centaure Chiron Tutour to Achilles Centaure lov'd And when upon the Strings his Finger mov'd Hell's or the Ocean's Fury 't would allay He Chaos and the World once wanting Day Or Light a starless Lump and then how God Diffus'd the Waters of the Deep abroad And bound the Globe of Earth amidst the Frame How high Olympus to the Gods became By his appointment a Secure Abode And chaster Age of Father Saturne shew'd But those sweet Nerves by Orpheus touch'd to whom The Gods and Shades below did listning come Their Quill emerited now shine among The brightest Stars His Mother his sweet Song Admir'd and her Aönian Sisters too His Musick the Pangaean Hills pursue Hemus and farthest Thrace Beasts with their Woods Him follow and the Mountains with their Floods Unmindefull of their Nests Flight lai'd aside Birds Captiv'd in th' unshaken Air abide And when the Pegasaean Ship before The Sons of Earth were skill'd beyond the Shore Refus'd the Sea to enter by His Song Entic'd up to the Poop the Waters throng He those pale Kingdoms whither Ghosts retire And Acheron that with Eternal Fire And Flames still Ecchoes by His Lays alone Subdu'd and fix'd the ever-rolling (m) The Stone which Sisyphus rolls in Hell Stone Thus Teuthras with His Thespian Lays their Hearts Hard'ned in War to softer Ease diverts But in the mean time with propitious Gales Mago unto the Coast of Libya sails And the desired Port with Lawrel bound The Vessel enters as in Triumph Crown'd With captive Arms the lofty Prow displaies A Lustre over all the Neighb'ring Seas The Seamen in
let Them see A single Combate between Thee and Me. Marcellus this demands This said the Fame And Value of the Danger did enflame Him with the Libyan to begin the Fight But this to Iuno was no pleasing Sight Who Him diverted hasting to His Fall From what He then design'd while Hannibal Strives all He can to Rally and to Stay His frighted Troops Such then from Capua And from those fatal Mansions do We come Said He Oh stand ye Wretches You whose Summ Of Glory is Dishonour Credit Me No Place will Faithfull prove to You that flee You have deserv'd that all Ausonia now Should rise against You and it is from You You that with so great Terrour routed are That all may both of Peace and Life despair His Voice suppress'd the Trumpet 's Sound and though Obstructed through their Ears his Clamours go In Graecian Arms young Pedianus stood Most fierce in Fight and from that Trojan Blood Himself derived that from Antenor came Nor less then His Original in Fame Was He (k) A River that descends from the Alps and running more then forty Miles under Ground breaks out again near Venice and emptieth it self into the Adriatick Sea the Euganean Lake not far from it Sacred Timavus Glory and A Name belov'd in the Euganëan Land To Him nor Father Po nor those that boast Their Aponus nor the Venetian Coast Could any Equal finde Whether he fought Or in a studious Life the Muses sought Or turn'd Aönian Ditties with his Quill Not any was more famous for His Skill As He in full Career did close pursue The Libyans at their Backs and near them knew The Cask and Noble Spoils of Paulus slain Worn by young Cinyps who rejoyc'd in vain In that great Favour of his General This Cinyps was belov'd by Hannibal None was then He more Beautifull in Face None in the Fore-Head had a greater Grace So shines that Ivory that in the Air Of Tibur bred Time never can impair Or Gems of the Red-Sea which in the Ear For Whiteness of admired Price We wear Him Glorious in His Helmet and His Crest Well known in the last Rank among the Lest When Pedianus spy'd and to His Eys Paulus from Shades below appear'd to rise Gnashing his Teeth he charg'd him Must said He The Trophies of that Sacred Head by Thee Be worn which not without the Crime of all The Gods and Envy ev'n your General Could wear See Paulus and with that upon The Ghost of Paulus calls to see it done And as he fled his Lance with all his Force Thrusts in his Side then lighting from his Horse Tears off the Cask and Trophies of the Great Consul with his Right-Hand and while he yet Could see despoils him of his Honour all His Beauty is dissolved in his Fall And strait a Stygian Colour over-casts His Snow white Limbs and all the Glory blasts Of His admired Form His Amber Hair Disorder'd falls His limber Neck can bear No more its former Weight but as opprest Sinks with His Head into His Milky Breast So when then (l) Lucifer Cythereian Star again Rising refresh'd from the Eöan Main Himself to Venus boasts if Clouds invade His Face the Lustre of his Beams will fade And soon decreasing in that Mask of Night Retires his languishing and fainting Light Ev'n Pedianus as he takes in Hand His Helmet at his naked Face doth stand Amaz'd and checks his Rage and then away Bearing with Shouts unto his Friends his Prey He Spurs his furious Steed which Stains with Gore From his fierce Mouth the frothy Rems he wore But then Marcellus fierce in Arms came on And meeting Him the Honour He had won Thus gratulates Go Antenorides Go on and by such valiant Acts as these Surpass thy Ancestours it now said He Remains the Spoils of Hannibal should be Our Prize Then fir'd with Rage his fatal Lance With dreadfull Noise he threw nor had perchance His Wish been vain had not the Obvious Force Of Gestar with his Body stop'd the Course O' th' flying Shaft for while He fighting near At Hand defends his General the Spear Not aim'd at Him past through Him ending all His mighty Threatnings in His changed Fall With that the General with Speed withdrew Struck with the Danger of his Death and to The Camp retir'd Then with a Headlong Rout The Libyan Army turn'd their Arms about And all contend who shall most Speedy fly Their Enemies Pursue and satisfie The long-contracted Anger of their Woes While ev'ry Man with Emulation shows To the Revenging Gods and Heav'n His Sword All stain'd with Blood (m) The Reputation of this Victory was of greater Consequence then the Victory it self though some say the Carthaginians lost two thousand three hundred and the Romanes but one man for from thence the Romanâ—s took Courage scarce believing before that Hannibal could be vanquished in open Fight That Day did first afford That which ev'n from the Gods none durst believe Before that it was possible to give A Stand to Hannibal in Fight but then They took His Chariots Elephâ—nts and Men And strip'd the Living and thus joy'd to see That Hannibal did from the Slaughter flee Return Marcellus to the God of War In Honour is compar'd and Greater far In Triumph march'd then when He once did bring (n) His Victory over Viridomarius King of the Gauls See above in the first Book Opimous Spoils to the Tarpeian King But when the Libyan Prince with much ado Had from His Trenches forc'd the Conqu'ring Fo When and with how much Hostile Blood shall I Wipe off this Stain Ausonia saw Me fly Oh Iove said He dost thou conclude that I Am worthy after Trebia thus to dy And You My long-unconquer'd Troops who are Alass now Vanquished without a War By Capua's Wealth I not degenerate From former Acts have seen You turn of late Your Conqu'ring Ensigns from the Latines and Shew'd them Your Backs and when I call'd to stand And fight from Me You fled Affrighted all As if from the Italian General What then o' th' antient War remains said He In You who can when I recall You flee Thus Hannibal while with loud Shouts their Prey The Romane Troops to Nola bear away But Rome which had been long inur'd to hear The sad Disasters of their Friends and ne're Enjoy'd Success the joyfull Tidings brought At Length how Happily they then had fought With that great Favour of the Gods erects Her drooping Head and Courage recollects But first those Coward Youths that slowly to The War were drawn and while it rag'd withdrew And hid themselves from Danger punish'd be For their Concealment Then with Infamy They Mark all those that through a fond Desire Of Life had Arts invented to retire Or in a League with Hannibal had bin Involv'd and purge the Nation from that Sin That fatal Counsel's punish'd and Thy Crime Metellus who consulted in a Time Of Danger to desert Thy Native Land Such then
Or Oath Ye Mortals with the cruel Sword But keep Your Faith Inviolate for This Then Thrones that shine with Purple better is For who with Fallacies delights to break A League or shall the slender Hopes forsake Of his afflicted Friend his House his Wife Perpetual Trouble shall attend his Life Shall ne're want Tears but both by Night and Day Despis'd and violated Faith by Sea And Land pursuing shall him still torment Then in a Cloud disguis'd Erinnys went To all Assemblies touch'd their Tables and Sits down and feeds and then with her own Hand Bowls froathing up with Stygian Gore prefers And largely Plagues and Death administers But Virius while yet Ruin She pretends Diving into his Soul the Pyle ascends And sticks in her Embrace commanding strait To Kindle it and so to joyn their Fate The Night her Limits touch'd and now amain The furious Conquerour came on again When the Campanian Youth upon the Walls Milo who thither his Companions calls Beheld Affrighted strait they open threw The Gates and such as wanted Courage to Avoid their Punishment by Death with low And trembling Knees now entertain the Fo. The Town her Houses by the Tyrian Guest Polluted op'ning her blinde Rage confest Women and Children in Confusion run With the sad Senate that their Woes begun And vulgar Crew by none lamented whiles The Army all stood leaning on their Piles To view those Men who nor Prosperity Nor Misery could bear sometimes to see Them sweep the Ground with Beards which Trimm'd they wear Down to their Breasts with Dust their Whiter Hair To stain and poorly Weeping to entreat Most shamefully and yielding Air to beat With their affeminate Howlings But while these Unmanly Acts the wondring Souldier sees And still Incens'd expects the Signal to O'rethrow the Walls behold Religion through Each Breast with silent Sense of Pity goes And their fierce Mindes doth by her Pow'r compose A gentler God doth sensibly inspire Their Hearts to lay aside all Thoughts of Fire And their destructive Torches not to burn And into Dust at once the Temples turn He likewise then suggests to all unseen That that proud Town 's Foundation had been By Capys lai'd of old He tells them there Fair Houses fit for Habitation were Extended far into delicious Fields Thus by Degrees their former Fury yields To milder Thoughts and quickly mollifi'd In ev'ry furious Breast all Anger dy'd The Trojan Houses willing safe to keep Iove likewise thither sent the God of Sheep Pan who still seems as he were Hanging and Scarce on the Earth imprints wheree're he stand One horned Foot his Right-Hand wanton plays (l) In the Festivals of Pan which were called Lupercalia the Priests cut the hide of the Goat that was sacrificed into thongs wherewith running naked about the Streets they struck such Women whom they met and desired to be with Childe upon the Bellieâ— out of opinion that this caused them to be fruitâ—ull Rosin Antiq. Rom. lib. 3. With a Tegaean Hide and in cross Ways Wagging his Tail desired Stroaks bestows A Pine surrounds his Hair and Shady Brows On his red Front arise two little Horns His Ears upright a squallid Beard adorns His Chin a Past'ral Staff he alwaies bears And a slick Do-Skin on his Left Side wears No ragged Rock so Steep and High doth rise On which his Body poiz'd like one that flies He will not dare through pathless Waies to tread Sometimes he laughing backward turns his Head To see the Sportings of his bushy Tail Upon his Back then lifts his Hand to vail His Forehead from the Sun 's too fervent Rays And Pastures with his shadow'd Sight survaies He when he had the God's Commands fulfill'd Their raging Hearts appeas'd and Fury still'd To the Arcadian Groves away He speeds And his lov'd Maenalus where on shrill Reeds He sweetly plays and with his Rural Song Leads from the Sacred Hill his Flocks along But Fulvius commanding that the Fire Should from the Gates be kept and leave entire The Walls th' Ausonian Legions to shew The noble Temper of their Minds withdrew Their Flames and Swords but from the Temples and The Houses that enrich'd with Gold did stand A wealthy Prey they took with that which fed Their Riot and by which they perished Effeminate Garments that their Men array'd And Tables rich from forein Lands convey'd With Goblets that provok'd to Luxury Set with Eöan Gems nor could they see An end of Silver and the carved Weight Expressly made for Feasts of golden Plate Then came the Captives in a num'rous Train With all their Coin sufficient to maintain A long-protracted War with Servants that In Multitudes did at their Banquets Wait. But when from Plunder of the Town agen The Gen'ral by the Trumpet 's sound His Men Had call'd a Noble Cherisher of Great Attempts to Milo from his lofty Seat He thus began (m) Dausqueius hath in this Judiâ—iously corrected the corrupt Copy of our Authour wherein Lavimum is put for Lanuvium where Iuno Sospita so called from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifiying to Preserve had her Temple for which the Lanuvini were received into the Protection of the Romans and the City freed on agreement that the Grove and Temple might be equally free to the Romans who often sacrificed there as may be observed in Livy Lanuvian Youth whom We From Iuno Sospita receive from Me This Martial Honour for thy Victory Accept and 'bout thy Tower'd Temples try This (n) This Crown or Wreath was of Gold though not so honourable as some of other Inferiour matter saith Pliny and given by the General to him who first made his way over the Walls into any Town taken by assault Aulus Gellius lib. 5. Mural Crown This done he streightway sent For all the Nobles that first Punishment Had merited and for their treach'rous Deeds Beneath his juster Ax each Guilty bleeds But that fierce Valour Taurea for to hide Ev'n in a Fo that Honour had been try'd Were base with a loud Voice exclaims Shalt Thou Thus Unreveng'd by Me deprive Me now A Soul more Great then Thine of this My Sword Or by the Lictour when thou giv'st the Word Shall this most Valiant Head dissever'd fall At such base Feet On Us this never shall Be by the Gods allow'd Then with a Look Threatning and full of Rage he sudden strook His Warlike Sword quite through his Breast and dy'd To whom the Romane General reply'd Go and the Ruin of thy Countrey thus Accompany in Death What Minds in Us Remain what is Our Valour what We are Each Man of Us shall be discern'd in War If thou dost think it Shamefull to abide Just Punishment thou mightst have fighting dy'd Thy Countrey suff'ring at the very time With Streams of Blood for her unhappy Crime But mixing Joys with Sorrows the dire Hand Of Fortune then in the Iberian Land Two Noble Scipioes had destroy'd that there Great Griefs and Honours to their Countrey were By Chance
Garamantians up in Sand Or of the Nasamonians that command Their Dead to bury in the cruel Seas Upon the Libyan Coast The Celtae please Their empty Skuls with Gold about to ring And such for Cups unto their Tables bring But the Cecropians did by chance Ordain That such as in their Country's Wars were Slain Should be together Burn'd Oppos'd to these Time onely doth interr the Carcases Of Scythian People who on Stakes of Wood Impal'd hang melting with corrupted Blood As thus he talk'd Autonöe the Shade O' th' Sibyl rising Set a Period said To your Discourse Behold that Priestess who So much of Future things when living knew That ev'n the Gods that they knew more deny'd And now 't is time your Men should go aside That You and I the Beasts may burn This said With Myst'ries fill'd the old (s) Sibyl Cymaean Maid After the Sacrificed Blood her Mouth Had touch'd and tasted viewing well the Youth Whose Face was Beautiful began When I Etherial Light not idly did enjoy My voice was heard in the Cymaean Den To answer People and Thee Scipio then In future Ages and in Rome's Affairs Concern'd I sung But yet thy Father's Cares Scarce merited my Words for they nor made A due Enquiry after what I said Nor yet observ'd it But now mark since Thou Desir'st to know the Fates of Rome which now On Thine depend for I thy Diligence To take the Oracles of Life from hence Perceive and here thy Father's Manes see On th' arm'd Iberian Thou with Victory Thy Father shalt Revenge to Mars before Due years entrusted and thy Sword the Moor Shall of his Joys deprive Thou shalt rejoyce When Thee as Omen to the War the Voice Of Rome shall choose when in th' Iberian Land Carthage Thou shalt subdue Then to command More eminent Thou shalt be rais'd nor Iove From Thee his Care and Kindness shall remove Till the whole War He into Libya drive And there to Thee ev'n Hannibal shall give To be Subdu'd But oh Ingrateful Rome Which after all these Honours Thee of Home And (t) After Scipio had subdued Hannibal and broken the whole Force of Carthage and with his Brother overthrown Antiochus he was afterward accused by a Faction of defrauding the People of the wealthy Spoils of Antiochus whereupon He in a voluntary Exile retired to Linternum where he dyed commanding this Inscription to be set on his Tombe Ingrateful Country thou hast not so much as Bones Country shall deprive As this She spake She turn'd her Steps towards the Stygian Lake Whate're ill Chance of Life attends Me I The Youth replies will my Endeavours try Yet may my Breast be free from Guilt but now I pray thee since the onely Cause that Thou Didst live was Humane Labours here to Aid A while thy Steps restrain renowned Maid And unto Me the silent Shades report With all the Terrours of the Stygian Court She soon assents to that which he requir'd But Thou a Kingdom not to be desir'd Said She dost open (u) Hell described for the Darkness there People that once Innumerable were Inhabite and through endless Shadows fly And yet make up but One great Family I' th' midst a dark and airy Space of large Extent there is which common Death doth charge With all that from the Teeming World 's first Birth The fiery Air produc'd the Seas or Earth Thither all things descend what hath or shall Perish that gloomy Field devoureth all Ten Gates this Kingdom compass whereof One Receives the Warlike Sons of Mars alone Another those that Famous Laws have made And the Foundations first of Cities lay'd The Third 's for Ceres harmless Tribe that go By Fraud unpoison'd to the Shades below Next Those that pleasant Arts did first invent And Way of Living full of all Content And which not Father Phoebus would Disdain Verses compos'd their proper Gate maintain The next the Shipwrack Port for so that Gate Is Nam'd is kept for such as meet their Fate In Winds and cruel Storms Another wide And near this stands for such as Guilty dy'd And there confess their Sins Their sev'ral Pains Ev'n at the Entrance Rhadamanth Ordains And empty Death inflicts The Sâ—venth to Bands Of Women that flock thither open stands Where her pale Groves the Chast Proserpina Maintains And near to this another Way And Gate there is well-known by Infants Cries To them assign'd and all those Companies That in the Port of Life extinguish'd are And Virgin Troops whose Nuptial Tapers were Turn'd into Fun'ral Flames But then remote From this there is another Gate of Note Which Night dissolving shines like rising Day And through the Shadow of a secret Way Leads to th' Elysian Fields Here nor to Hell Subjected nor in Heav'n the Pious dwell But quite beyond all Seas upon the Brink O' th' Sacred Fountain thither throng to Drink Forgetfulness of Minde in Lethe's Streams The Last with Gold refulgent feels the Beams Of Light and Shines as if the Moon were there This way the Blessed Souls to Heav'n repair And when a thousand Lustra Time hath past Forgetting Dis into their Bodies haste Death his black Jaws wide op'ning to and fro Through all these Ways and Ports doth wandring go Then a slow Gulph without a Body far Extended and dark muddy Lakes there are Where (x) The Rivers of Hell Phlegethon with swelling Waters burns The Banks on ev'ry side and Roaring turns The flaming Quarries up with Storms of Fire Then in another Quarter with as Dire A Rage (x) The Rivers of Hell Cocytus rolls black Waves of Blood And runs a Torrent with a foaming Flood But Styx which Iove himself and all the rest Of the Immortal Gods do still Attest Dreadful with Pitch and Sulphur smoaking Mud Drives through his Chanel But then These a Flood More dismal froathing with Corruption and Thick Poison Belching up the gelid Sand With horrid Murmurs Acheron through all The Pools with a black Stream doth slowly fall This Venom'd Three-mouth Cerberus desires This for her Drink Tisiphone requires This dire Megaera craves nor yet can they With all their Drink their raging Thirst allay But the last River breaketh out before The Entrance and inexorable Door Of Pluto's Palace from a Fount of Tears There a fourth Tribe in sev'ral Paths appears Of Monsters still to Watch and Terrifie The trembling Ghosts with their confused Cry Devouring Grief and Leanness that on ill Diseases waits with Sadness feeding still On Tears and Paleness without Blood with Cares Base Treachery old Age that nothing bares Without Complaint Envy with both her Hands Crushing her Throat and Poverty that stands Deform'd and Prone to any thing that 's Bad With wandring Errour and Dissension glad To mingle Seas with Heav'n Then Briareus That with his hundred Hands the Gates doth use Of Hell to open Cruel Sphynx with Blood Her Virgin-mouth Besmear'd the furious Brood Of two-formed Centaurs with fierce Scylla there And the Rebellious Giants
Flags The Lemnian God Soon enters and their Hatches all abroad Diffus'd strait fills the Rowers full of Fear Forsake their Benches yet although they were So hard Beset the Noise of that so great And fatal Mischief did not Penetrate To those below till running fiercely down By unctuous Lamps and Torches thither thrown Victorious Flames whizz through the Hold. Yet where From Dardan Fire and Smoak as yet they were Untouch'd and Free the dire Himilco held His Gallie's Fate and them with Stones repell'd And here poor Cidnus while a flaming Brand I' th' Air He brandish'd from Lichaeus Hand Into the Ocean by a Mural Stone From the Decks slippery with Blood was thrown Then with a filthy Stink a Lamp the Air Pollutes and Hisseth on the Waves and there A missile Weapon Sabrata le ts fly From the adored Poop the Deity O' th' Libyan Ship was Hammon who survay'd With his Horn'd Brow the Sea Now Father Aid And graunt Thou Garamantick God that We May 'gainst the Romanes fling sure Darts said He. Then from the trembling Throng as this he spoke A Cornel came that through the Visage broke Of Neptune's Neighbour Telon nev'rtheless He in the Gate of Death doth forward press On those who Flying in a Crowd retir'd Into a part o' th' Ship as yet not fir'd But when th' inevitable Fire had past Like Lightning through whate're was next at last The whole Ship to victorious Flames was made A Prey but first Himilco by the Aid Of a Sea-Rope where Vulcan had not yet Rais'd to extreamest height his Stygian Heat A little scorch'd slips down into the Sea And by the Oars of Friends is born away Next wretched Batho did thy Fate deprive A Ship of a good Pilot who couldst strive With roughest Seas and Weather by thy skill The highest Storms He could prevent what chill Boreas next day or Auster did intend Nor Cynosura couldst thou though thou bend Thy Course obscurely his still-watchful Eye Deceive When he perceiv'd their Misery No Measure had Thou Hammon who dost see This our unequal Fate receive said He My Blood With that into his Breast he drives His Sword and in 's Right-Hand the Blood receives Which largely 'twixt his Sacred Horns he pours Daphnis 'mong these unhappy Fate devours An antient Name who chose to leave the Woods And chang'd his Farms for the perfidious Floods But how much more under a Shepheard's Name Did the first of that Race excel in Fame To Daphnis the (m) The Muses of Sicily Sicelides inclin'd And a Castalian Pipe to him the kind Apollo gave commanding when he lay'd Himself along upon the Grass and play'd To Daphnis the joy'd Flocks through Medows and Through Fields should haste and Rivers Silent stand When on his seven-fold Reeds he play'd the Woods He charm'd the Syrens in their briny Floods Forgot to Sing and Scylla's Dogs no more Would bark a quiet Face Charybdis bore And 'mong the Rocks the Cyclops overjoy'd Would hear his Lays But here by War destroy'd Fell the whole Progeny and that great Name So Amiable for his sacred Flame On smoaking Planks fierce Ornytos away Then swum and lingred out a Death by Sea So Ajax when her Thunder Pallas threw Did rising Waves with burning Arms subdue Marmarick Scyron wounded by a Stem's Sharp Point quite through the Belly part of 's Lâ—mbs Swim under Water part above and so Through all the Ocean on the Fatal Prow Is born away The Ships the Fight pursue Close on both sides and with a bloody Dew From lab'ring Oars the Faces dash of those That fought With such fierce strokes Marcellus goes That his stout Gally overcame the Wind Which as Libaeus seizing fast behinde With eager Hands endeavovur'd to have stop'd With a sharp Ax his Members off were lop'd And sticking to their Hold were born away By the swift Vessel In this bloody Fray Aeölides Podetus did engage In a Sicanian Ship although his Age Not yet arriv'd to Man He whether by Sinister Gods drawn thither or his high Hot spirit and desire of War not yet Full ripe for Honour painted Arms did fit To his white Shoulders proud so with his tall Chimaera to disturbe the Sea Now all Rutulian Ships now all the Libyan He Better in Oars and Darts Triumphantly Outstrip'd and Nessus had already drown'd In cruel Waves Nessus with Turrets crown'd Alass vain Glory that did then so ill Perswade a Boy to Fight which wanted skill While for Marcellus Crest which then he wore On 's dreadful Caske and Spoils he doth implore The Gods as he too rashly did advance A deadly Wound by a returned Lance He took Oh how much prais'd whither he threw The (n) Discus was a round Quoit os Lead Stone or the like which was used for Exercise much like the Sledg among our Country People Discus shining near the Stars or drew His Bow and to the Clouds his Arrows sent Or run with winged Feet and as he went Scarce touch'd the Ground or o're the measur'd Plains By leaping past taught by continual pains Enough of praise fond Youth didst thou acquire In such safe Conflicts why didst thou aspire To greater Deeds When he was beaten down And sunk through num'rous Darts against him thrown Under the Waves his shipwrack'd Corps the while Deprived of his Syracosian Pile Cyclopean Rocks bemoan with Cyane Anapus Arethusa and the Sea But Tiberinus in another place Where then the Libyan Admiral did pass Drives on his Ship and streight they Iö cry'd And cast their Grapples in on either side The Ships stand bound unto the Combat nor With Shafts and Darts at distance thrown the War Do they pursue but Fight it near at hand And with the Sword as in a Fight at Land Where the first slaughter open'd and did shew A passage the Italian Ships broke through While the vast Chains and Iron Bands his Friends Maela advis'd to break and so intends Such as had Boarded him to bear away Farther from their then equal Arms to Sea Yong Polypheme in an Aetnéan Cave Was bred and thence affected still to have The Name of antient Fierceness nurtur'd by A She-Wolf when a Childe his Stature high And terrible of Bulk a cruel Minde Rage ever in his Face his Heart inclin'd To Blood as all the Cyclops He at length The Chains got loose with all his Bodie 's Strength Had driven on the Ship and in the Sea Drowning his Oars had born her quite away Had not Laronius with a sudden Blow Of 's Lance as he his Body rais'd to row Nail'd him to 's Seat Scarce he in Death forsook What he begun for as its wonted Stroke His Hand then languishing did still pursue Upon the surface of the Sea he drew The lazy Oar struck with the adverse Prow On one side to the other from the Fo The Libyans throng'd when with their sudden Weight Oppress'd Waves leaping in on that side strait The Vessel under Water sinks and there Targets and
how will you Hannibal Subdue With that as Mad amidst them all He rush'd and when he Hasdrubal beheld Among the foremost Troops with Fury swell'd Like a Sea-Monster that hath long been tost In the vast Deep quite void of all repast When 'mong the Waves a Fish far off She spies She boils within and then with eager Eys Pursuing in the Flood her swimming Prey Swallows with Fishes mix'd the Briny Sea Now no delay of Darts or Words Thou Me No more shalt 'scape Pyrene's Woods said He (o) Haesdrubal was formerly so shut up in his Camp by Nero between Illiturgiâ— and Mâ—ntissa in Spain that he could no way be relieved and therefore Treated with him for many Days on Conditions to draw all the Carthaginians out of Spain and protracted that Treaty till he had by Degrees in the Night given his whole Army means to escape over the Hills into places of Security See Livy lib. 16. Shall not deceive Me here nor yet with vain And faithless Promises shalt thou again Delude as captiv'd in th' Iberian Land With a false League thou once didst fly my Hand Thus Nero and withall he threw a Dart And not in Vain For in the lower Part Of 's Side it stuck With that on him he leaps With 's Sword and as with 's Target-Point he keeps His trembling Body down If now said He At the last Gasp Thou dost desire it We Unto thy Brother thy Commands will bear To whom the Libyan replies I fear Not Death make use of this thy Victory Till to my Shade a swift Revenger He Arrive But if unto my Brother Thou Wilt bear my last Desires then say that now I bid him burn the Capitol and there Mix with the Ashes of the Thunderer My Bones and Dust. As more he did desire To add his Heart still boiling-up with Ire The Conqu'rour pierc'd him with his Sword and then Cut off his Faithless Head With that his Men Their Gen'ral slain are routed and the Fight No more pursue and now at length the Night The Sun and Day obscures when they repair With mod'rate Food and Sleep their Strength and bare The Way they came their Conqu'ring Ensigns er'e The Day return'd back to the Camp for Fear Shut up Then Nero as He did advance The Libyan's Head aloft upon his Lance Said Cannae Trebia Thrasimenus We With this thy Brother's Head have now to Thee Repay'd O Hannibal Thy Treach'rous War Ingeminate and hither call from far Thy doubled Troops Such their Reward shall be Who the Alps cross'd desire to joyn with Theâ—e But Hannibal who did his Tears suppress By Constant bearing made his Sorrows less And vows in time fit Sacrifice to pay Unto his Brother's Shade Then far away His Camp removes and so dissembling right His Griefs by Quiet shuns a Dubious Fight The End of the Fifteenth Book Si tibi non segnes contra tua fulmina saâ—â—e Visi stare sumus dignam te nate Tonantis Affeâ—imus dextram tum dextra Scipio dextram Amplexus fatur magna sunc te praemia clarae Virtutis Masanissa manent â—itiusque vel armis Quam stratae studio vincetur Scipio Mentis Honoratissimo viro Edoardo Stanley Armigero Illustrissimo Domini DnÌ„i Iacobi Comitis Derbia qui Sub Rebellibus Martijrium passus est Filio natu Secundo Tabula Observantissime D.D.D. SILIUS ITALICUS OF The Second Punick VVar. The Sixteenth Book THE ARGUMENT The Libyan Army to the Brutian Land Retires What full Obedience the Command Of Hannibal obtain'd Two Generals In Spain or'ethrown a Third a Captive falls Into brave Scipio's Hands Prodigious Flames Crown Massanissa's Head who strait disclaims The Libyan Side and with the Romane joyns Both Hasdrubal and Scipio their Designs In Syphax Court pursue The League again Confirm'd with Syphax Scipio goes for Spain Where all subdu'd with great Solemnities His Father's and his Uncle's Obsequies He celebrates Contending for Command Two Brothers give a Combat Hand to Hand And both are slain To Rome the Consul goes Where his Designs old Fabius doth oppose But by the Senate his Desire approvâ—d The War is into Libya remov'd BUT Hannibal who for his Country grieves And 's own Mishaps the (a) The Brutians first revolted to Hannibal See before in the eleventh Book page 296. Brutian Land receives Where he entrench'd the Time considers when The War suspended he might raise agen As when a Bull the Stalls forsakes and quits His Empire of the Heard and Straying gets Into some Wood enclos'd on wandring Fights He ruminates and fiercely Bellowing frights The Groves then or'e the lofty Rocks he goes Tears them up with his Horns and Trees or'ethrows While Trembling Shepheards on high Hills from far ' Behold him thus preparing a new War But now that Vigour which had quite destroy'd Ausonia had He other Helps employ'd Through a base Envy lab'ring to retract Their Mindes at Carthage was constrain'd to Act Without their Aid and through the length of Time In his Affairs to wax more Dull Yet him The Fear and Terrour by his valiant Hand And by so many former Slaughters gain'd As an Inviolable Sacred Head In Battel still preserv'd So that instead Of all their Arms their Aids of Camps and all Their fresh Recruits the (b) Hannibal had nothing now left him but the Reputation of his former Deeds to keep his Army together which though very much straitned and Hopeless of all Reliefe from Carthage and all Italy the Brutians excepted their Enemies continued Faithful through a Veneration of his Worth and Valour till he was recalled to relieve his Country Name of Hannibal Alone suffic'd So many Troops that there Differ'd in Speech So many Hearts that were Divided in their Barb'rous Customs all Stood firm a Reverence of their General Kept their Mindes Faithful when Affairs declin'd But the Dardanian Arms not onely finde Success in Italy but (c) Phoenix was one of the four Generals who after Hasdrubal the Brother of Hannibal quitted Spain maintained the War there but was soon after forced to retire likewise into Africa Phoenix yields Iberia beaten from those Golden Fields And (d) This Mago was Brother to Hannibal who as the former Generals beaten out of Spain retired to Gades and thence went with some few Forces by Sea into Italy to joyn with Hannibal Mago having lost his Camp in haste Urg'd by his Fears by Sea to Libya past But Fortune not Content with what before For Scipio She had done reserv'd in Store Another Honour (e) This Hanno not that great Enemy to the Barcean Family after Mago left Spain was sent thither by the Carthaginians but soon after his Camp was invaded by Syllanus one of Scipio's Lieutenants his whole Army destroyed and himself taken Prisoner Hanno then amain Advanc'd and leading on a Barb'rous Train With rattling Shields the Native Spaniards brought Too late Yet had he not with Scipio fought Nor Valour Art nor Policy in War Was wanting in Him
their Grand-sires Fate But why Should this Afflict me Who forbids that I Should now invade them with my Sword and go Directly to their Walls It shall be so And through those very Lines returning where I once encamped lay I will repair To Anyo's Waters by a Way to Me Well-known Then turn your Prows for Italy And tack-about the Fleet I 'le make that Rome Besieg'd shall call again her Scipio Home But when the God of Seas perceiv'd he burn'd With so great Rage and that they now had turn'd Towards the Shore again their shining Prows â—â—rait shaking his Coerulean Head he throws â—â—ves from the Bottom and the swelling Main â—â—â—rudes beyond its Bounds Then Windes and Rain With black Aeolian Storms from Rocks arise And cover from their Sight with Clouds the Skies Then with his Trident moving all the Sea Blew Tethys from the Rising of the Day And Fall he drives and the whole Ocean's Face Distracts The foaming Billows rise apace And make the Rocks to snake on which they beat First Auster from his Nasamonian Seat Leaps forâ—h from the loose Sands the Water flings And leaves them bare Him on his gloomy Wings Fierce Boreas bearing high a broken Sea Pursues Then thund'ring in another Way With adverse Blasts Cloud-raising Eurus rowls Part of the Ocean on the cracking Poles Bellow aloud while frequent Lightning flies As if upon the Fleet the angry Skies Would fall The rage of Windes and Lightning Rain And Waves consent and Darkness on the Main Imposeth Night Now coming from a Rock A furious Whirl-winde rais'd by Notus struck The Yards and whistling Dreadfully among The Shrouds a Billow like a Mountain flung Against the General 's pale-Face His Eyes He turning to the Sea and to the Skies Exclaims O Happy Brother Hasdrubal And to the Gods made equal in thy Fall Thy valiant Hand in Fight did thee afford A noble Death Fate did to thee accord That with thy Teeth at least on Italy Thou dying might'st lay-hold But unto Me In Cannae's Field where noble Paulus dy'd And those renowned Souls Death was deny'd Nor when I would have fir'd the Capitol Could I by Iove's Tarpeian Thunder Fall While thus he moans with sev'ral Blasts impell'd The Waves on either Side rush'd on and held With their dark Heaps the Vessel down as drown'd By that rude Shock Strait Whirling swiftly round The Sands rais'd high into the Air it flung Again where pois'd by th' Windes on Waves it hung But 'gainst rough Stones and Rocks sad to behold Notus two Gallies with hard Fortune roll'd The Prows crack'd with the Fall and with a Sound Of Dread the broken Barks aloft rebound From the Sharp Stones Strait over all the Sea A various Face of things Here Helmets they Arms Crimson Crests and Capua's Treasure see And a rich Prize with Care reserv'd to be A Trophy for the Gen'rals Triumph There Tripods and Tables of the Gods appear And Sacred Statues that in vain before The Miserable Latines did adore When Venus frighted that the Ocean So high was mov'd to Neptune thus began This Fury and these Threat'nings Father may Suffice for greater things now spare I pray Thy Seas lest envious Carthage boast that She A Man hath generated not to be Subdu'd in War and that to work the Fall Of Hannibal the Romanes needed all Thy Rage and Seas Thus Venus spoke and strait Their Fury all the swelling Waves abate And tow'rds the adverse Camp the Navy drive Their Gen'ral old in Arms and skill'd to give Encouragement with Praise their Mindes inspir'd With Anger by these furious Words and fir'd Their Brests with Flames of Honour Thou to Me Flaminius bleeding Head when slain said He Didst bring I know thy Hand Thou first of all Cam'st in to strike at mighty Paulus Fall And in his Bones didst fix thy fatal Spear Th' Opimous Spoils of stout Marcellus were Thy glorious Prize and falling Gracchus stain'd Thy Sword But there behold that Valiant Hand Which with a Jav'lin Warlike Appius who Then storm'd the Walls of wealthy Capua threw Dead from the lofty Ramparts and here see Another Thunder-bolt of Valour He It was who Fulvius a Name renown'd Pierc'd through the Breast not with a single Wound Stand thou here in the Van who didst in Arms Consul Crispinus kill Me through the Storms Of Fight do thou attend who I the thing Remember well pleas'd in thy Rage didst bring At Cannae's Field the (m) Paulus Gen'ral's Head to Mee Fix'd on a servile Lance. Brave Youth I see Thy burning Eys and Aspect that hath more Of Terrour then thy Sword such as before Thee when a Tribune that in vain withstood Crush'd by thy strong Embrace i' th' cruel Flood Of famous Trebia drown'd I did behold But Thou who first didst at the Banks of cold Ticînus in old Scipio's Blood imbrue Thy Sword thy former Enterprize pursue And the Son's Blood present me now Shall I Fear ev'n the Gods themselves when Thou art by Should they come to the Battel I beheld When thou didst trample on the Hills that swell'd To Heav'n and o're the highest Alps didst go With Speed Since by whose Sword and Hands I know (n) The Field of Cannae See above Book the Ninth and Tenth Argyripa's capacious Fields were fir'd Wilt thou more slowly now by Me desir'd Go on who first of all didst lance a Dart Against the Dardan Walls nor willing art To joyn unto our Praise must I again Thee now excite Thee who 'gainst Storms of Rain Thunder and Lightning and when I did stand Iove's Fury didst as fierce as He command T' endure those vainer Storms and wentst before Thy Gen'ral to the Capitol No more Need I exhort you now who by a War So fam'd Sagunthus overthrew and are Renown'd for those Beginnings now again As it becomes your selves and Me maintain The former Praises of your Valour I I' th' favour of the Gods and Victory Grown old now after Fifteen Years on You Relying to my falling Country to Those House-hold Gods that in so long a space Of Time I have not seen to the Embrace Of my Chast Wife and Son return again This the last Battel is that doth remain To Libya and to Rome This Day our Sword Shall give to the disputed World its Lord. Thus Hannibal But as their General Began to speak the Romane Soldiers call For Battel and the Signal nor abide Delays of Words All this when Iove espy'd His Wife at distance in a Cloud of Air Behold and that her eager Looks did wear Something of Sadness to her with this kinde Address He goes What Torments of the Minde Afflict Thee now I pri'thee let me know Is it the Libyan Captain's overthrow Or Care of Carthage grieves Theeâ— do but weigh Within thy Thoughts the Rage of Libya 'Gainst th' Trojans fatal Pow'r and Progeny In violating Leagues Say what will be The End of this Rebellious People None Not Carthage more of Ills hath undergone Or Labour
goes on Fearless as if his Valour could alone With all their Force contend When a Disdain To see him dare so much a Rage more vain Creates in a brave Rhodian who forsakes His Station and the Combate undertakes Both ply their Oars both seek to gain the Wind. While Fortune that in this alone inclin'd To favour Hannibal extends his Sails With following Gusts so that his speed prevails And bears his Gally on against his Fo With so great Violence the barbed Proe Strikes through his Side and with the furious Shock Shakes his whole Bulk as bruis'd against a Rock As from some Engine shot the Splinters fly Through all the Ship and One the Captain 's Eye So deeply wounds it sinks into his Brain And leaves upon the Deck his Body slain With him the Courage of the rest doth dy And a base Fear perswades them streight to fly While Hannibal pursues with Storms of Fire From Pitchy Lamps and Darts as they retire Black waves of Smoak the flying Vessel hide And her sad Fate invites from either side Fresh Squadrons to the Fight These to maintain Their Conquest those to take Revenge The Main Foams with their active Oars and the Sea-Gods Affrighted seek their most remote Abodes Fearing the future Horrour of the Day And bloody Seas their safety might betray Both Navies now are met Proes against Proes Sides against Sides they strike and grapling close So firmly that as Foot to Foot they stand And with their Swords deal Wounds as if on Land But where the swelling Surges interpose Or Winds so that the Gallies cannot close Darts Arrows Jav'lins flaming Lamps they throw And Death and Wounds in sev'ral Shapes bestow The Romanes now the Syrians now give Way Yet neither fly but equally the Day Are confident to gain and their Retreat Like Rams doth greater Force and Rage beget Till Scipio to whose Fortune Syria's Fate Must yield and thence her future Ruin date A Squadron of Italian Gallies brought 'Gainst Apollonius who too rashly sought So brave a Fo. Like Thunder tearing Clouds Their meeting Vessels crack th entangled Shrouds Some that would sink above the Waves retain While others to the Bottom of the Main Descend and in their Arms the Souldiers drown'd Finde a sad Fate without Revenge or Wound But some whose present Courage stood above Surprize of Danger 'gainst such Fortune strove To dy among their Foes and leaping on Their Decks there fighting fall Some backward thrown Are lost in the Assault others whose Skill In Swimming and their Rage kept floating still Attempt to Board again Eumenes late A Captain who his Tyrian Gallie's Fate A while surviv'd first seiz'd a Romane's Oar By which he nimbly climbing up before Perceiv'd the Deck had gain'd when strait one Hand Lop'd off the other still his Hold maintain'd Untill a second Wound took that away Yet this sad Loss could not his Minde betray To want of Courage but his Teeth supply'd Their Room until a Fauchion did divide His Body from his Head which still did keep Its Hold the Trunck fell back into the Deep Th' Example of his Death made some to burn With Rage some I hill with Fear their Proes to turn And fly While Hannibal their Flight in vain Upbraids and hales them to the Fight again But when they saw Pamphilius possest With so great Terrour that he first the rest Forsook no Sense of Honour could restrain Their Flight But scatter'd over all the Main The base Cilicians spread their Sails to Fear Scarce knowing to what Land or Coast they steer Hannibal's Valour But the brave Libyan who as much to fly Abhorr'd as those base Cowards fear'd to dy With three stout Tyrian Gallies makes through all The Latian Ships t'attaque their Admiral Thinking that Act alone would best become His Valour when he seem'd t' assault ev'n Rome Her Self and from his Conquest or his Fall The World might say 'T was done like Hannibal But Fortune the Success deny'd and brought A furious War upon him where he fought Where e're he turns their Numbers him surround So as besieg'd he stands No place is found Where a brave Deed a single Arm may boast All Valour in their Multitudes is lost This Face of Danger his last Fury wakes As when too close pursu'd a Tiger takes His Stand resolv'd to dy reveng'd he views His Foes all Wounds receives at length doth chose Against that Hand to spend his Stock of Rage That 'gainst his Life most forward doth engage Hannibal's Stratagem So a Pretorian Ship that 'bove the rest With Show'rs of Piles and Darts did him infest With a Prodigious Storm he laies aboard And all the Plagues that Libya could afford To which her thirsty Sands do give a Birth Upon it throws enclos'd in Pots of Earth From which when fall'n and broken on the Decks Myriads of Serpents rais'd their marble Necks The Souldiers in the Fight with Wonder are Surpriz'd as if Medusa made the War Their dreadful Hiss suppress'd all warlike Sounds And when their Stings or Teeth inflict their Wounds Strange kinds of sudden Death ensue while some Whose Nerves the deadly Poison doth benum Like Statues fixed stand Others beheld Their well-shap'd Limbs above Proportion swell'd Till their encreasing Bow'ls their Bellies burst Some seem t' have swallow'd Flames and a dire Thrist Firing their bloodless Entrails to allay Its Rage they headlong leap into the Sea This through one Wound sees all his blood to flow His Veins soon empty made That doth not know Hee 's hurt nor feels a Wound when Death strait creeps Into his Heart and he for ever sleeps But though each Serpent thus a sev'ral kinde Of Death inflicts yet to one Ship confin'd Free from their Venemous Assault the rest The Libyan with all sorts of Arms opprest Till Iuno strugling still with Fate resolv'd No Romane Hand should boast his Fall involv'd The Day in Horrour chas'd the Light away Before its Time and over all the Sea The Wings of Night extends the Pregnant Clouds Discharge their Cataracts and from the Shrouds The roaring Winds the swelling Canvase tare The Romane Ships as if in Civil War 'Gainst one another strike and now contend How from themselves they may themselves defend At length dispers'd o're all the Main they flee And by this Danger from a greater free Safe to the Lycian Shore the Libyan came Reserv'd by Fate to be Bithynia's Shame Antiochus overthrown at Land But Fortune had not thus her Aid deny'd By Sea alone unto the Syrian Side But where by Land the King his Armies led His Ensigns from the Romane Eagles fled His Thracian Kingdoms now no more his Law Obey'd but the Ausonian Fasces saw In Triumph through their Conquer'd Cities go And Him of late their Lord esteem'd their Fo. His Grecian Friends the Leagues that they had sworn Reject and now his weaker Friendship scorn Scarce would the Syrian Cities entertain Their flying King at his return So vain The
People's Favour and their Faith when crost By Fortune and his Pow'r a King hath lost (t) Hannibal fearing to trust himself among the Syrians in this Decline of his Fortune retired to Prusias King of Bithynia and served him with great Success against the Etolians This Levity the Libyan Prince revolv'd Much in his troubled Thoughts at length resolv'd No more the Dang'rous Envy of that Court To try but to Bithynia's King resort A King who wanted then so brave a Hand Against Etolians to defend his Land Prompted to this by his unhappy Fate Thither he speeds and findes alass too late The Malice of his Foes could not extend To reach his Death but by a Treach'rous Friend A Friend who to his Valour ow'd his Crown And by that Fatal Victorie's Renown Made Jealous Rome to hasten on his Fall By such an Act as all the World may call Her Infamy For he that conquer'd Foes Destroys when he may spare doth Honour lose But to the Romane Arms all Asia now Submits and all their Laws impos'd allow No King but basely yields to their Demands No City where they March their Pow'r withstandsâ— And whaâ— did most with Hannibal's sad Fate Conspire his Ruin to accelerate Was that (u) Flaminius the Son of that Flaminius whom Hannibal vanquished and slue near the Lake Thrasimenus sent Embassadour to Prusias exceeded saith Appian his Commission demanding Hannibal to be delivered to Him to which the Perfidious King fearing the Power of the Romanes assented Flaminius whose rash Sire before The Libyan Arms on Thrasimenus Shore Renown'd a Legate to Bithynia came And to his base Revenge the Senate's Name Usurp'd Their Peace and Amity to all Deny'd that should protect brave Hannibal The King consulting with his Fears forgets All Ties of Honour on his Safety sets A greater Value Those late Trophies gain'd By which the Libyan Prince his Throne sustain'd Seem to upbraid him with a Debt which He Cannot discharge buâ— by this Treachery Those Glories that too near his Crown dilate Their Lustre into Crimes degenerate They Guilty are whose Merits stand above Reward in lower Sphears Men safest move These Thoughts drew on the Noble Libyan's Fate Whose strong Suspicious made him but too late T' attempt Escape The dubious Faith of Kings Which varies with the Face of Humane Things Gave him to fear a Change and to prepare (x) Hannibal at length suspecting the Faith of Prusias had made several Passages under Ground to escape if possible the Guards appointed to beset his House but seeing no means to avoid them he took Poison which he alwaies wore about him some say in the Pommel of his Sword and died in the seventieth Year of his Age. His Body was buried near Libyssa which he from the Oracle mistook for Libya onely with this Inscription HERE LIES HANNIBAL Strange Lab'rinths under Ground to shun the Snare But all in Vain declining Fortune made Traitours of nearest Friends and he 's betrai'd In all that he designs Arm'd Troops enclose His House and stop his Way wheree're he goes But his Resolved Minde 'bove Fortune stands And still reserves his Fate in his Own Hands Though now betrai'd He is and left by all He 's still so great that none can Hannibal But Hannibal destroy And to prevent Surprize into a secret place he went Where first the Gods accus'd and Hanno's Pride That to his growing Conquests Aid deni'd The Syrians Folly and base Prusias last Perfidious Act which all the rest surpast In Infamy with Execrations blam'd The Aid of his Great Father's Spirit he claim'd And a dire Poison without farther Pause More Fierce then that which from the raging Jaws Of Cerberus upon Earth's Bosom fell When Great Alcides drag'd him chain'd from Hell He swallows down This baneful Drug before Prepar'd by a Massylian Witch he wore Lock'd on his Sword which if that chanc'd to fail Might as his surer Destiny prevail Against all Humane Force and as he found It seiz'd his Vitals by an Inward Wound He these last Words expir'd Now lay aside Thy Fears O Rome no more will I thy Pride Oppose but with this Satisfaction Dy That thus Degenerate Thy self wilt my Revenge effect Not Arms but Virtue made Thy Fathers Great which since in Thee decai'd Thy Ruin must ensue They Nobly scorn'd By Treason to destroy a Fo and warn'd (y) Fabricius advertized Pyrrhus after he had given a signal Overthrow to the Romanes of the Treachery of his Physician who for a sum of Money offered to Poison Him Plutarch in the Life of Pyrrhus The Epirote of Poison when he stood Arm'd at their Gates and Triumph'd in their Blood But Me opprest with Fortune and my Years Betrai'd a feeble Victim to thy Fears A Cons'lar Legate forceth thus to fly From Life 'gainst Laws of Hospitality And a King's Faith But this vile Stain O Rome More lasting then thy Trophies shall become And when thy Deeds in War in future Time The World shall read thy Glories this one Crime Shall blast and all account Thee from my Fall Unworthy such a Fo as Hannibal More He 'd have said but through his swelling Veins Death creeps and binds in Adamantine Chains The Spirits of Life which with this Language ends His Soul to other Heroes Ghosts descends FINIS Errata in Silius Italicus Pag. 2. In the Margent c for there sharp Wars read three sharp c. ibid. v. 19. for with a Buls-hide r. which c. p. 13. v. 1â— r. Phocaan ib. Margent p r. Phocâ—is p. 24. Margent a r. would have it on c. ib. Marg. c r. Pyrrhus King of Epire. ib. v. 15. r. begins p. 42 v. 9. r. Quit p. 44. v. 27. r. Offering with the Infernal Priestess there p. 45. v. 11 r. then in for through c. p. 85. v. 10. r. Lap. lib. 7. Argument r. Romanes p. 1â—6 v. 1â— r. He p. 191. v. 15. r. Our buisiness p. 194 v. 9 r. run p. 201. v. 19. r. with Lies ib. v. 26 r. then p. 210. v. 4 r. who ib. v. 1â— r. Him p. 238 v. 12. r. his Looks p. 280. v. 2â— r. wild p. 302 Marg. f r. sent two Armies p. 306 Marg. g r. which was the Judgment given against Horaâ—â—uâ— for killing his Sister by K. Tullus p. 323 v. 3 r. sprung p. 324 v. 29 r. who I. c. p. 330. v. 30 r. Rest p. 336. v. 1. r. thou p. 348 v. 3. r. r. the Valourâ— p. 372 Marg. r. Siedge p. 373 Marg. r. as my Bones p. 385 Marg. q r. New games p. 387. v. 30 r. Is Cesar p. 416. v. 1. r. then so by Maladies p. 419 v. 5. r. thy Idèas p. 426 v. 20 r. winding Creeks p. 445 v. 22 r. the fierce Cantab. p. 437 v. 21 r. He Gala p. 446. v. 20. r. whose lofty folds ib. v. 28 r. Fold p. 490 v. 33 r. my Flames I p. 496 v. 23 r. thy Entreaty Errata for tâ— Continuation Pag. 2. The English Verses are immediately to follow the Latin â—iz Hinc albi Clitumne greges then follows But this virtue vanishing c. p. 6. v. 14. r. Resentment p. 10. Marg. Kâ— r. â—0 and 200. p. 33. v. 3. r. Whosoe're p. 36. v. 16. â—r Flight p. 39. v. 24. r. Thenâ— p. 40. v. 19. r. Mighty p. 41. v. 9. â—r That p. 44. v. 24. r. a loss p â— v. 9. r. Gods p. 72. v. 3. r. Pamphilicaâ—