thousand of that armie which fought against him at Preneste being promised life by P. Cethegus his Silla causeth the souldiers of Preneste to be slaine Lieutenant he put to a sudden and vnlooked for death and caused their ioynts to be plucked in peeces and commaunded that they should be dispersed and cast abrode in the wastes and mores After these great and extreme cruelties he put in practise the heauie penaltie of proscription which if it had died with Sylla would haue beene a great part of Proscription put in practise by Sylla the Romane happinesse by that meanes he brought to passe that whose names soeuer he writ in the table of proscription should be vpon their attachemēt presently put to death their goods also were subiect to sale euery one taking the benefit to whome Sylla would graunt it neither was he content to rage against them onely which had before opposed themselues to him but the most quiet and innocent citizens for the greatnesse of their wealth he depriued also of life and against silly women did he bend his wrath as not satisfied with the death of men and which was a signe of a Thracian crueltie as soone as the heads of the slaine citizens were parted from their trembling corses breathing as yet their faces being not wholly depriued of a vitall bloud he did gaze vpon them and tosse thē in his hands that he might feed on them with his eyes though he could not crush them with his teeth VVith what sauagenesse did he behaue himselfe in the killing of M. Marius M. Marius slain by Silla whose eyes were pluckt out before his death and euery part of his bodie was sundred and disioynted and at that instant he enforced his sword through the bowels of M. Pletorius because Sylla his rage against M. Pletorius he seemed to be grieued with the torture of M. Marius O extreme punisher of pittie and compassion to whome it seemed a crime not to consent to crueltie Neither did he spare the dead for the ashes of C. Marius The ashes of C. Marius thrown into a riuer by Sylla the elder he caused to be raked out of the graue and throwne into a riuer Sylla whilest he sought the victorie was to the Romanes a Scipio whilst he vsed it a very Mithridates Many other bloudsheds he did commit and more would he haue committed had not the terrour of a guiltie conscience followed him with the blazing brand of his vexed soule which torment some cal an ecstasie some melancholie some madnesse but I denying it to be any one of these allow it to be all these doubtlesse it is a thing sooner felt thē known not to be auoided by medicine but by true felicitie In this perplexitie he died and yet Sylla dyeth ceassed not the ciuill or rather vnciuil and vnbrotherly discord thus was Rome the famous citie of Europe the mother and nurce of worthie Senators the miracle of nations the epitomie of the world the kingdome of Mars and the seauenheaded soueraigne of many prouinces exceedingly shaken with these quarrels stained with these bloudsheds and grieuously discomforted with the death of her children her babes were brought foorth for the sword to glut vpon the bodies of her ancients were made as pauements to walk vpō her matrons became a pray and prize to euery rauisher her priests and deuoute sacrificers were slaine before the gates of the temples Syllaes bodie was conueied in sumptuous manner to Campus Martius in which place before the buriall the two Consuls namely M. Aemilius Lepidus and Q. Luctatius Catulus did earnestly debate about the repealing Debate betwixt Lepidus and Catulus Consuls touching the decrees of Sylla and cancelling of the acts and decrees of Sylla Lepidus vrged that they who were proscribed by Sylla ought incontinent to be reduced to the citie and thereto haue restitution of their goods Catulus together with the Senate defended the contrarie saying that though his motion were good and honest yet it might be the beginning of some tumult which would be most daungerous if it were suddenly done because the common-weale was but newly recomforted and had as yet enioyed but a short pause of tranquilitie By this dissention they fell to weapons Cn. Pōpeius and Q. Catulus hauing gathered an armie Cn. Pompeius Magnus and Q. Catulus fight with Lepidus and ouercame him did proffer battell to Lepidus and in a light skirmish ouercame him Not long before the death of Sylla Q. Sertorius rising in armes maintained warre in Spaine for when he saw that the faction of Marius which he specially fauoured was vtterly defeated and dissipated by L. Sylla he fled presently into Spaine where before he had bene Pretor there hauing gathered a great host and contriued an huge nauie fearing lest Sylla who Sertorius leuieth armies in Spaine had put Carbo to flight and slaine Marius should send an armie against him he caused Liuius Salinator his Lieutenant to encampe Liuius Salinator the Lieutenant of Sertorius slaine in the mountaines of Pyraeneum but he was afterward slaine by C. Anius the Romane Proconsul who was sent thither to abate the courage of Sertorius and after him Q. Metellus was also sent but their proceedings were not prosperous VVherefore Cn. Pompeius being as yet a priuate man had charge giuen him of the Senate to go into Spaine There came at that time for the aide and assistance of Sertorius M. Perperna with a great multitude of souldiers Cn. Pompeius made way for himselfe through the Alpes betwixt the famous springs of Padus and Rhodanus He immediatly after his coming into Spain did enter into conflict with two of Sertorius his captaines Herennius and Perperna and not farre from the citie of Talentia ouercame them Herennius was there slaine Perperna escaped by flight Pompey did passe the winter in the Pyrenaean mountaines Sertorius in Lusitania and at the beginning of the spring Metellus and Pompeius did encounter with seuerall armies Sertorius and Perperna in which battell Sertorius constrained Pompey to fly and Metellus draue Perperna to the like extremitie Pōpey was at that time wounded in the thigh afterward they met againe at Seguntia where Sertorius did the second time ouerthrow Pompey and Metellus Perperna the third time when Sertorius was coming against Metellus Pompey meeting him in the way caused him to retire Sertorius did againe oppose himselfe to Pompey Hauing taking Segida a noble citie of Celtiberia where Sertorius lost a thousand souldiers Pompey as many then they turned thēselues to the besieging of townes Pompey did besiege Palantia but Sertorius did raise the siege and of them which besieged Caliguriū he did slay three thousand Metellus and Pōpeius with great stoutnesse stomacke took many cities that were leagued with Sertorius and at Ilerda and Iliosca the townes of the Ilergitanes they put Sertorius to a desperate plunge but Caligurium the citie of the Vascons he did with much prowesse puissance defend Sertorius
the nobles In the middest of this delicate iolitie when the Romanes were now in the ruffe of their pride a grieuous and despitefull warre was raised in Spaine by Viriathus of Lusitania a notable Viriathus an enemy to the Romanes theefe ringleader to a multitude of rogues which hong a long time in suspence but in the end when Viriathus was slaine rather by the couine then courage of Seruilius Caepio a greater danger ensued namely the warre of the Numantines The citie of Numantia did The Numan tine warre neuer affoord armour to any more then ten thousand citizens at one battell but either through the fiercenesse of their nature or the default of the Romane captaines or the indulgence of fortune they brought Pompey Pompey enforced to strange leagues by the Numantines the first of the Pompeys that was Consull a mā of note fame to most shameful leagues Mancinus Hostilius to a detestable truce which vpon a remorce of minde and change of opinion against the law of Armes and to the great discredit of the Romanes he afterward broke but Pompey escaped vnpunished by fauour Mancinus was punished by shame The punishment of Mācinus for breaking truce For he was caried and transported by the Romane Heraulds vnto the Numantines his hands being manacled and so was deliuered vp into the enemies power whom they refused to receiue saying that a publique breach of promise was not to be punished by the bloud of one man This yeelding vp of Mancinus into the enemies hands did cause in the citie a perillous and pernitious dissension For Ti. Gracchus the sonne of the right noble The parents of Ti. Gracchus man Ti. Gracchus whose mother was the daughter of Scipio Affricanus by whose meanes and authority that reprochful league was made taking it gricuously that any thing which he did should be discountenanced and fearing himselfe the danger either of the like punishment or of the like iudgement being at that time Tribune of the people in life innocent The praise of Ti. Gracchus in wit pregnant and in purpose guiltlesse and furthermore adorned with so great vertues as either nature could affoord or industrie could perfect or mans frailtie could containe P. Mutius Scaeuola and L. Calphurnius being Consuls fell from vertue to vice Gracchus swarueth frō vertue and extreme villanie and hauing promised vpon a dissolute fancie that he would enfranchise and receiue into the Citie anie Italian whosoeuer turned all things into a contrarie state mingled vertues with vice lawes with lust and brought the common-weale into an headlong and hideous danger Octauius his fellow in office who stood against him for the cōmon good he put from his place created A Treuirate first made in Rome a new state in Rome entitled a Treuirate or Triarchie that is the rule of three men who were called Treuiri him self for one his father in law Appius who had bin Cōsul for another The familie of Scipio Nasica and C. Gracchus his brother for the third At that time flourished P. Scipio Nasica nephew to him who was iudged of the Senate in his life time to be the best of the Romanes sonne to that Scipio who purchased great praise for his good demeanor in the Censorship nephew two degrees remoued to Cn. Scipio a man highly commended vncle to Scipio Aemilianus whose commendation lieth in his name this Scipio Nasica thogh he were nearly linked in kindred to Tiberius Gracchus yet preferring his countrey before his kindred thinking nothing priuately cōmodious Scipio Nasica opposeth himselfe to Gracchus which was not publikly conuenient standing in the higher part of the Capitolle exhorted all the Romanes which desired the safetie of the common-weale to follow him vpō which words the Nobles the Senate and the greater and better part of the Romane knights did runne suddenly vpon Gracchus standing in the floore of the Capitolle with his adherēts and euen then conspiring with a frequent assemblie of new-come Italians he thereupon flying and running downe the hil whereupon the Capitolle was founded his head being crushed as he was running downe with a fragment of one of the boordes which was in the Senate house did sodainly end his life which Ti. Gracchus slaine he might haue enioyed with great honor and quietnesse This broile and haplesse dissention was the first conspiracy in which ciuil bloud was shed and the first dispensation of drawing swordes within the walles after that time right was oppressed by violence and the mightier man was accompted the better the quarels of citizens that were wont to be cured by compromise and agreement were now decided by sword and bloudshed and warres were not followed according to the goodnesse of the cause but according to the greatnesse of the pray But it was no maruell though this small beginning had so great effect and this odious faction so vnfortunate consequence for examples do not pawse there where they begin but being once receiued into a narrow strait they make way to themselues raunging and spreading themselues ouer the bodie of the world and when men go once astray they mind not how farre they go thinking that nothing can procure dishonestie to them which hath brought profite to others VVhilest these things were done in Italie Scipio Affricanus of the house of Aemilius who destroyed Carthage after many slaughters of his enemies in the Numantine warre being nowe againe made Consull was sent backe into Spaine where his courage and Scipio is sent into Spaine successe did match and aequall his valure and fortune in Affricke and within a yeare and three moneths after his comming thither he tooke Numantia and caused euerie stone to Scipiotaketh Numantia be throwne to the ground as a notable monument of a Romane victorie There was neuer anie man of anie name or nation that by the sacking of cities did more aeternise his house or enlarge his glorie for hauing rooted vp Carthage he deliuered the Romanes from feare and hauing razed Numantia he deliuered them from reproch Being returned into the Citie within a short time after two Consulships two victories and two notable triumphs he was found dead in his bed Scipio found dead in his bed his iaw bone being dissolued and dislocated There was no inquisition made afterward of the death of this inuincible Captaine the bodie of Scipio was brought out into the streete Scipios body is brought out into the streetes his head couered by whose great labours and warlike exploits Rome lifted vp her head ouer all the world to the terrour and dismay of other cities and countreys His death was as the most say fatall as some say conspired his life doubtlesse was of that singularitie that it was ouercome of no mans glorie but onely his grandfathers After the death of Ti. Gracchus the same fury and rage of mind that possest him entred C. Gracchus a rebell to the state as it were by a kind of
nor strongly hope for but they looked for a repulse and thought that would be a good occasion to ground their tumults vpon and as it were a vaile for their leud endeuours whereby it is euident that as the cause of this warre is ancient so the beginning there of is to be referred to the repulse of Drusus which The repulse of Drusus the beginning of the Italian warre happened sixe hundred sixtie and two yeares after the building of Rome These commotioners of Italie had this purpose and intent at their festiual meetings to ioyne their heads and hands together and so to proceed to the Citie there to worke the death of the two Consuls Sex Iulius Caesar and Martius Philippus but this matter being discouered they did presently put to death Seruilius Proconsull Seruilius Proconsull slaine by the cōmotioners of Italie who was sent vnto them at the first beginning of their stirres by peaceable reasonable meanes to appease and determine them and all the other Romanes which were at Asculum were slaine This bloudie deed being reported at Rome did greatly plunge the minds of the Romanes in doubt and sorrow For this slaughter was as it were an Adamant to draw the other Italians who did not conspire in this murther to their part and as a firy beacon to the Romanes to giue them warning not to prescribe too much in their prosperitie but to be circumspect by all warie preuention to anticipate these euils which if it should haue bene neglected of them would presently haue turned to such a cloud of inconueniences that the fire which did before serue to giue light would after haue bent his force to burne and consume for the next neighbour to admonition is correction and it is easier to auoide then to escape a danger But the Romanes with prouident care foreseeing that the defection and reuolt of them who were linked in societie with them might be a great maime to their Estate as it were a ladder for forreine and professed enemies to scale the walles of their Citie did therefore in this war make speciall choise both of Captaines and souldiers for meane men were not to be employed in a warre of so great importance and they that were vnskilfull were not in the midst of these eminent dangers to be trained and taught And because they saw that the commodious ending and composing of this war was the hinge whereupon the whole estate of the Common-weale did depende therefore it was decreed by Senate that both the Consuls a rare thing in that Common-weale and neuer done but when exceeding daunger was feared should go in person to the managing of this warre Neither were the Italiās vnprouided or vnaduised for they knew that if they were cōquered they should fall from the estate of fellowes to be slaues their league should neuer more be trusted which them selues had broken and if they should enioy the victorie that they should then haue all the wealth of the world at commaund This golden bootie being enameld with a sweete desire of reuenging old iniuries for they had written them in marble with a pen of yron did greatly incense their minds and rauish their spirits with a burning affectiō to fight The Marsians who brought the first stubble to kindle this flame were gouerned by Silo Popedius a man as it seemed by destiny Silo Popedius a naturall enemy to the Romans opposed against the Romanes to whose eares nothing was so delightfull as the report of a Romanes death hating that hower in which he did not impeach their good estate He in this respect was diuerse from manie of his countrimen in that he detested a Romane because he was a Romane VVherefore hauing singled out some of his factiō who were partly by the instinct of their nature partly by his instigation obdurate and eager in hatred against the Romanes hauing proposed and shewed vnto them the scope and drifte whereunto his purpose did aime and hauing disclosed the meanes whereby he hoped to compasse and effect his designements and lastly hauing declared vnto them the rewards which they might gaine by their valor he did labour by this speech to inflame their furie I am moued and enforced to this new enterprise Silo Popedius his oration to the Marsians not by anie ambitious desire of enhauncing my estate but because I see a poisonful baite of deceit hidden vnder the pretence of Societie because I see too great charges burdens to be imposed vpon vs because I see leud forreiners to be our commaunders and originarie Italians though men of good desert kept vnder the snaffle and placed in the sinke hole I see the credite of our nation defaced the libertie destroyed and the state ouerthrowne and for our great labours vndertaken and dangers sustained for the Romans we haue this reward that we are despised by them and they haue not thought it sufficient to be aided by vs vnlesse in the pride of their spirits they may insult vpon our neckes men of insolent mindes by nature iniurious to all other men and by fortune superiour If a man should examine from the beginning and as they say from the roote the degrees of their estate what iustice shall he find nay what iniustice shal he not find The two twinnes who were the founders of their city were bastards Romulus Remus bastards begotten by the rape of a holy virgin and by destinie were cast foorth as of no regard vntill a she-wolfe feeling perhaps some sauour of her owne nature in them did with her dugs Nourished by a wolfe nourish them After when from milke they were growne to meate they were fedde by a chough and when they had attained to mans estate nothing would please then but a kingdome a regall citie the foundation wherof was solemnized by an augurie deriued from the flight of Eagles Thus a most rauenous bird did ominate vnto them a monarchy thus a most greedie beast whose hungry teeth and vnsatiable appetite no pray could content did giue them milke thus a most the euish and busie brained birde was their foster-father These were the portents and signes of their Citie that it should be a daughter verie like to the parents these did prognosticate vnto vs the spoiles rapines inuasions and violent incrochments that should afterward be made by the Romanes And for that cause Romulus wold not make or appoint limits and bounds for his kingdome that he might by force enter into euery soile as his own But what wold not Romulus do which had the heart to shed Remus is slaine by Romulus the bloud of his owne and onely brother And thus was their citie cōsecrated by bloud but some of the Romanes do with impudencie denie this fact some with modestie do doubt of it some with griefe do conceale it and they which by cleare proofe are enforced to confesse it do with this imagination mollifie the fault that it was done by the consent
of prison and attiring him with conuenient apparell The Minturniās friends to Marius bestowing vpon him a pilgrims viande which might for a season relieue his hunger dismissed him out of their Citie He hauing ouertaken his sonne at Aemaria directed his voyage vnto Affricke where he led a poore and wretched life in the ruines and desolate rēnants of the Citie of Carthage Sylla leuied an armie renewed his iourney toward Asia the yeare wherein Sylla was Consull was the first yeare in which the Romane souldiers did slay their Consull for then Q. Pompeius being Q Pompeius slaine fellow Consull with Sylla was slaine by the seditious armie of Cn. Pompeius Proconsull After the broiles of Marius and Sulpitius the tumults of Cinna succeeded who was not one iote more temperate then those disorderly Cinna beginneth a new broyle and enormous quarellers or rather furious and traiterous conspirers He was Cōsull with Cn. Octauius who because one of them namely Cinna fauoured Marius and the other Sylla fell to a sodaine iarre maintaining seuerall armies in the Citie caused much terror and some bloudshed Cinna was Cinna is expulsed the City expulsed the Citie by the power of Octauius and the Senators his Consulship was abrogated and in his place L. Cornelius Merula Iupiters priest was elected Cinna hauing corrupted the Centurions Tribunes souldiers Cinna is made Captaine of a seditious army with hope of liberalitie was admitted of that armie which was as yet about Nola for their Captaine and hauing sworne all his souldiers to obeisance and loyaltie he marched in his Consul-robes toward Rome his armie consisting of three hūdred bands of good souldiers amounting in the view of spials to the number of thirtie legions but though he had manie souldiers and much courage he lacked notwithstanding factioners and fauourites to vphold him and was destitute of popular credit which might bolster and support his doings For supplying of which want he called from banishment C. Marius and his sonne with all Cinna calleth C. Marius and his sonne from banishment the other Romanes which were before by Syllaes horsemen chased out of the Citie VVhilest Cinna was thus preparing warre against his mother towne Cn. Pompeius father to that great state of whom we shall hereafter speake whose worthie actes in the Marsian warre together with his victorie at Asculum was verie beneficiall and commodious to the common-weale being frustrate of hope to continue the Proconsulship shewed him selfe Cn. Pompeius father to Pompey the great his dissembling and vnconstancy verie indifferent and equall to the factions doing all things for his proper and priuate good and lying in waite for oportunitie to serue his owne turne and aduancement enclining his armie this way and that way now as a fauourer to Cinna now as a friend to Sylla following fortune by coniectures and determining to ioyne with him who by all likelihood should be most puissant at length he A great fight betwixt Cinna and Cn. Pōpeius encountred with Cinna before the citie wals where after a maine sea of bloudshed the Romanes that were vpon the walles beholding the slaughter of their brethren friends and kinsfolke vnder the wals the battell was fully finished but the victorie was doubtfull Not long after Cn. Pōpeius died by whose death the souldiers of Cinna conceiued so great ioy and glad somnesse that they forgat the finall ouerthrow of their fellow souldiers and the Romans did bestow their reuenge vpō Pompey being dead which they did owe to him being aliue Cinna and Marius did not without great hauocke of men and matrons inuade the citie but Cinna entred first and published Cinna entreth the city a lawe touching the receiuing of Marius then C. Marius entred the wals with a C. Marius recalled frō banishment entreth the citie most fatall and daungerous returne to the citie of Rome Nothing had bene more bloudie then his entrance if his death had not shortly ensued for hauing possessed the citie he was more vnsatiate in his crueltie then any rauenous tiger and more mercilesse in his tragicall punishments then any furie breathing nothing but bloud and delighting in nothing but murder neither did the licentious rage of his wrath content it selfe with the bloud of meaner men but it seised vpon the states and starres of the citie Then did Octauius one of Octauius put to death by the crueltie of Marius the Consuls a man of a mild douelike humor render vp his life into the pawes of these wolues and Merula who a little before the returne of Cinna had through feare renounced the Consulship cut in peeces his owne Merula cutteth in peeces his owne veines veines and sprinkling his lukewarme bloud vpon the altar vpon which he had often sacrificed the bloud of beasts and intreating the gods for the execratiō of Cinna to whom he had often prayed for the preseruation of the M Antonius the Oratour put to death by Marius Cinna citie gaue vp his fainting ghost in a great agonie of mind M. Antonius the chiefe of the citie and the Phaenix of eloquence was slain at the commaundement of Marius and Cinna by the swords of their souldiers whome by the sweetnesse of his eloquence he did a long time restraine and delay from the killing of him Q. Catulus a man famous for his vertues Q. Catulus cause of his owne death and valour in the Cimbrian warre the glorie of which he did participate with Marius as we haue aboue reported when he was hunted to death by these greedie bloud-hounds shut himself into a narrow closet that was newly pargited with lime and hauing there a fire of burning coales which might raise vp a sudden dampe stopping his breath with a vaporous and dankish smoke departed this world rather according to his owne wish then his enemies will then were the streetes channels theaters market places and temples strewed and ouerspread with carcasses so that it could hardly be iudged whether these two tyrants did slay more that they might obtaine the victorie or more were put to the sword that they might safely enioy the victorie For euerie one to whome Marius would not reach out his hand by way of salutation was immediatly slaine The common weale was now in a tottering and ruinous estate couetousnesse was the cause of crueltie and the more wealthie a man was the more faultie he was iudged the accuser of a rich man had his pay and reward out of the coffers of him that was accused and then was profite and honestie confounded and made one Afterward Cinna and Marius were Consuls Cinna was now the second time Consul Marius the seuenth time who in that consulship died a Romane C. Marius dieth in war terrible to his enemies in peace to his friends and at all times impatient of quietnesse in his place was chosen Valerius Flaccus Cinna being now the sole regent of Italie the greatest part of the Nobilitie fled
to Sylla into Achaia who in the meane time did so fight with Mithridates his Lieutenants and Coronels about Athens Macedonia and Beotia that he tooke Athens and made great hauocke of his enemies But if any impute the rebellion of these times vnto the citie of Athens he is altogether ignorant of the truth The Athenians faithfull to the Romanes For the faith of the Athenians was alwaies so firme and inuiolate towards the Romanes that euery action which was performed without blemish or staine of promise was said to be done by an Athenian faith but they being heauily oppressed by the vnsufferable vsage of Mithridates his host were besieged of their friends when they were held captiue of their enemies and obaying necessitie stayed their bodies within the wals though their minds were without and entirely with the Romans Sylla did then conduct his armie into Asia where he found Mithridates very tractable Silla his hard conditions of peace cōcluded with Mithridates suppliant vnto him whome he punished with the paiment of a great summe of mony and with the losse of part of his nauie enioyning him to depart out of Asia and out of all the prouinces which he had vniustly inuaded and constraining him to content himselfe with the inheritance discended from his father which was the kingdome of Pontus he tooke from Mithridates the Romane prisoners without ransome and vsed great seueritie against the traiterous reuolts and runagates Sylla hauing thus appeased and qualified forraine affaires went by sea toward Rome and in the way met him certaine ambassadours from the The king of Parthia sendeth Ambassadours to Sylla Parthian king which were sent to gratulate his victorie he being the first of the Romanes to whome the king of Parthia sent ambassadours There was nothing more worthie among Syllaes labours then that whole three yeares space whilst the factioners of Cinna Marius did besiege the townes of Italie he neither pretended any fauour toward them neither did he omit that which he had in hād namely the subduing and vanquishing of forraine enemies for he knew when external tumults were ended he might with more ease extinguish domesticall enemies Before the comming of Sylla Cinna in a mutinie of his owne souldiers was slaine a captaine more Cinna is slaine worthie to be adiudged to death by the discretion of the conquerour then to loose his life through the furie of his souldiers of whom it may truly be said that he aduentured those things which no vertuous man wold attempt that he brought those things to passe which none but a valiant souldier could accomplish His fellow Cōsul Carbo hauing no colleague did now praedominate and beare sway Sylla hauing entred Italie it was thought he came Sylla passeth quietly thorough Italie not as a reuenger of warre but as an authour of peace with such quietnesse and mildnesse he lead his armie through Calabria and Apulia with a great speciall regard of the growing corne of meddowes of men of castles and cities and indeed he assayed by lawfull articles and equall conditions to appease the discord but peace could not please them which were immoderatly couetous Sillaes army did daily increase euery good and discrete Italian making recourse vnto him and he had a most happy victory about Capua against Scipio and Norbanus Consuls Norbanus being ouercome by fight Scipio being forsaken of his army yet Sylla gaue him leaue to depart without hurt or hinderance so vnlike was he to himselfe in his warres and after his victory for whilst the victorie was fresh he was more mild then equitie required but when peace had taken roote he was more cruell then any barbarous Scythian for Q. Sertorious the fury and firebrand of that rebellious warre which not long after Sylla dismisseth Sertorius without hurt ensued being disarmed by Sylla was sent away in safety and many others he did with the same clemency intreate of purpose as I thinke that he might giue an example of a double and diuerse mind in one man and by that meane shroud and couer the contents of his heart At that time to fill vp the measure of publike mishap in the city of Rome where before men did emulate one another in vertuous actions now they did combate and contend in malicious practises he thought himselfe the best man that was most wicked and iniurious Sylla had three mighty aduersaries Carbo and C. Marius the sonne of Marius that was the seauenth time Consull which both were Consuls whilst Sylla rong an allarme at the gates of Preneste and Pontius Telesinus who leuying an army of the Samnites did stoutly confront Sylla before the walles of Preneste he was an Italian borne but was not free of the city of Rome a valiant souldier and a great enemy to a Romane name who stood in defence of Preneste but not with the Consuls This Telesinus conducting Silla fighteth with Telesinus a Samnite forty thousand fighting men ioyned battell with Sylla at Collina and brought both him and the commō-weale to extreame danger for Rome was not in greater feare when the tents of Hanniball were but three miles distant from her walles Telesinus did greatly encourage his souldiers saying that the day of their battell was the last period of the Romane glorie and he cried that Rome Rome must be throwne downe and razed frō the foundations adding therewithall that there wold neuer be wanting inuadors of the Italian liberties as long as the wood stoode where such wolues were harboured At the first houre of the night the Romane armie reuiued their courage Telesinus the next day after was found halfe dead bearing the countenance rather of a conqueror then of a man subdued whose head being cut off Sylla cōmaunded to be caried along the streetes of Preneste C. Marius his life being in a desperate C. Marius the younger is slaine by Syllaes souldiers case was faine to creepe through certaine holes of the earth to escape his enemies but he was slaine of Syllaes souldiers that were appointed for that purpose of which towardly gentleman what opinion Sylla caried a man may easily coniecture for when he was slaine he intitled himselfe Sylla the fortunate which had indeed bene true if he had ended his life with his victories For hauing entred Sylla vsurpeth the Dictatorship the citie and vsurped the Dictatorship which had bene an hundred and twentie yeares intermitted for the last Dictator before Sylla was made the first yeare after Hannibals departure out of Italie so that it was apparant that the Romanes did not so much desire the vse of a Dictator as they did feare his tyrannie he began presently to broach the bloud of citizens hauing alreadie drawne to the bottome the bloud of straungers foure legions of souldiers who had bene of the contrarie faction and had now vpon couenant of life submitted themselues to his mercie calling in vaine vpon the faith of a Romaine soldier he caused to be slaine fiue
Caesar was now come to the heart and center of Pompeis armie but the night drew on which made both sides pause Caesar did thanke his souldiers and gliding through euery troope and band of them he did put nourishing oile into their burning wrath He tooke view of their swords curiously obseruing whose weapon was ouerflowed with bloud and whose was dipped at the point whose hadn did trēble and whose was stedfast who changed the countenance through feare who through furie and casting his eyes on the prostrate carcasses frowning vpon them with curled forehead as not yet satisfied he fed his irefull lookes with the desolate aspect of his slaine countriemen but if he perceiued a gaspe in the flesh of his owne souldiers he would endeuour to close it vp with his hand giuing them words of comfort and encouragement did sooner heale them then indeede they were healed At the dawning of the day next ensuing and at the first entrance of that mornings bloudie houres when the welkin had put aside the vizard of the night the starres being couered and the earth discouered by the Sunne Caesar giuing his souldiers new swords new darts speares and launces and awaking their courage giuing them also to vnderstand with the point of his launce in what part of the aduerse armie the sorreine kings the Consuls the Senators and the nobilitie were placed directed them as it were by aime to gage the bodies of many excellēt men who entangling their weapons in the intrals of these noble enemies did throw to the ground to extreme ruine many princely potentates many reuerent persons were buried in goare many of the Lepidi of the Metelli of the Coruini and Torquati but amongst the rest the fortune of Domitius was dolorous and despitefull he as before hath bene said was once pardoned and dismissed of Caesar but now was singled out by Caesar and grieuously wounded but yet so great was his mind that he would not stoope to begge a second pardon whome Caesar looking vpon like a tyrant and seeing him rowle his fainting members in the moistned dust did with this bitternesse insult giuing him the scornefull gaze L. Domitius now I hope at Caesar his speech to Domitius length you wil forsake your maister Pompey hereafter I trust you will practise no enmitie against Caesar But as good fortune would he had as yet breath enough to replie in these few words Caesar I dy a free man and I go to the region of Proserpina not seeing thee as a conquerour but as yet inferiour to Pompey and euen at my death am I refreshed with this hope that thou liuest to be subdued by the rigor of destinie which wil take reuenge both for vs and for thy sonne in law Hauing spoken these words his life fled from him and his sight was taken away with a dreadful darknesse by whose wounds so much bloud was not lost as there was glorie gained For he gaue a cleare token of an honorable mind accompting it a great deale better to haue dignitie without life then life without dignitie But Caesar thinking nothing to be done if any thing were vndone ragingly and earnestly did seeke for the person of Pompey rushing into the thicke of his souldiers neuer stretched out his arme without deaths warrant and neuer looked backe but when he saw none to fight withall Pompey standing a farre off on the top of an hill seeing the fields to swimme with bloud and the Romane Senate to be nothing now but an heape of carcasses and that his owne decay was sought for by the bloud of a multitude reseruing himselfe to some better fortune forsooke the field and fled to Larissa Caesar perceiuing it Pompey flieth to Larissa thought it better to giue some rest to his armie then with a sudden pursuite to make after him wherefore he retired his souldiers came to Pompeys tents VVhen the wandering night was chased frō the inferiour Islands by the recoursing day and the Sunne had imparted his brightnesse to our vnder-neighbors and the dreames were readie to possesse the Theater of the fancie the wearisome creatures of the world declining to their rest the Caesarians hauing ransacked Pompeis tents and refreshed their fainting bodies with the viand there left betooke themselues to their ease and reposed their wearied limmes in these plots which the Pompeians did before lodge in But how shall I describe the deformitie of that night in which hell did breath out the ghosts of them that were slaine the aire was infected with contagious vapours and the starres trembled at the beholding of the vncouth Stygians Sleepe did bring no quietnesse vnto them but flames murmurs horrors and the hideous sounds of the skriking The dreams and visions of the Caesarians Harpies The ghost of the slaughtered Romane did appeare vnto them and euery mans fancie was a fiend vnto him some did thinke that they beheld the image of a young man some of an old man others did dreame that their brethren were come to take reuēge on them but in Caesars mind were all these terrors the slaine Senate did seeme to encōpasse him on all sides brandishing their fierie swords sweating frying and dropping with rosen and sulpher and the greatest torment of all was a guiltie conscience He was now molested with the powers of hell when his enemies that suruiued slept quietly in Larissa Pompey after his mishap in Pharsalie made speedie voiage toward Egipt where Ptolome Pompey trauelleth to Egypt did raigne for Pompey hauing procured the restitutiō of his father to the throne of Egipt and with many other singuler benefites hauing deserued his fauour thought that the young Prince in a kind regard wold haue entertained him according to his honour and desert but who doth busie his memorie in recounting benefites and who will thinke himselfe beholden to one that is distressed and when doth not fortune chaunge friendship Ptolome vnthankfull Ptolome disleagued with the senslesse litargie of foule ingratitude when by certaine report he heard that Pompey had approched to the shore sent out his dire and dreadfull messengers to depriue the aged bodie of the vnuanquished mind And when Achilles that bold butcherer did with his glaiue portend the last end of his daies Pompey whose excellent qualities might encline a massagite to mercie craued with constant countenance but a word or two of them and as for life he was content to leaue it the sauage helhound would scarcely condescend to this request but at length his tygers heart yeelded and Pompey in few words wishing to the Romanes libertie to his wife comfort to his sonnes safetie was beheaded by these Pompey is beheaded by the Egyptiās mercilesse Egyptians and his head was born as a present to Ptolome which was farre too good a present for so lewde a prince But how false was this world to Pompey who had not now earth enough for his sepulture to whom before the earth was too little for his cōquest