wars Long vse their houshold gods their minds gan mooue And piety but straight the swords dire loue And feare of Caesar turnde them backe againe Lalius the first Files leading did obtaine For saving of a Roman Soldier Oake-crownd and freed from duties of the war If I may speake Romes greatest Generall Thy Soldiers thoughts quoth he It grieues vs all That such long patience kept thee from so just A war or didst thou not thine army trust While life-bloud keepes this breathing body warme While brandisht Darts fly from this agile arme Wilt thou weake gownes and Senates raigne endure In civill war is Conquest so impure Lead vs through Libyas gulfes cold Seythian land Lead vs ore thirsty Affrickes scorched sand This arme the conquerde world behind to leaue Has plowde the Brittish Oceans curled waue And broke the Rhines swift current thy command To doe my will 's as ready as my hand Hee s not my friend gainst whom thy trumpets sound By these thy colours which ten Camps haue found Ever victorious Caesar here I sweare And by thy triumphs ore what foe so ere If thou command me spill my brothers life Kill my old Father or my pregnant wife I le doo 't though with a most vnwilling hand Fire Temples rob the godds at thy command Great Iunoes Temple in our flames shall sinke If to encampe on Tuscan Tybers brinke I le boldly pitch in Italy thy tent If to dismantle townes be thy entent These armes of mine the battering Ram shall place Although the city thou wouldst quite deface Were Rome it selfe The Souldiers all agree And promise â—im their lifted hands on high To any war Their shout not that can passe Which the loud blast of Thracian Boreas On piny Ossa makes and bowes amaine The ratling wood or lets it rise againe Caesar perceiving that the Fates gaue way To war and his Men prone fearing delay His troopes through France dispers'd straight calling home With flying colours marches on to Rome They leaue their tents pitcht by Lemanus v Lake And those on Vogesus high Rockes forsake Which aw'de the painted Lingones so strong Isara's Fords they leaue that runne so long Alone but in a River of more fame Falling to ' the Ocean beares an other name The yellow Ruthens eas'de of their long feare Milde A tax ioyes no Roman shipps to beare And Varus Italyes encreased bound That haven Alcides consecrated ground With Cliffes orelookes the Sea no Northwest winde Nor West blow there Cirtius their proper winde Reignes there where safe Alcides fort dooes stand And that still doubtfull-coast that Sea and Land Callenge by turnes firme land it is when low The Ocean ebbes but sea at every flow VVhither the winde strong blowing from the Pole And then retiring to and fro doe rowle The Sea or that the Moone his course doe guide Or burning Titan moist foode to provide Attracting lift the Ocean to the sky Seeke you that labour for such skill for me VVhat ere thou be that cause this ebbe and flow Be still conceal'd since heauen will haue it so They march away that Nemasus did hold And Adors bankes where Tarbe does enfold In her crookt shore the sea that gently flowes The Santoni reioyce now free'd from foes Th'Leuci and Rhemi Archers good with these Bituriges and Speare-arm'd Suessones The dwellers neere Sequana skilfull riders The Belgae hooke-arm'd Chariots expert guiders Sprung from the Troian blood the Hedui That durst claime bâ—otherhood of Italy Rebellious Neâ—uiars x stain'd with Cotta's fate And they that in loose Mantles imitate Sarmatia fierce Batauians whom to warre Crookt Trumpets call those that neere Cinga are VVhere Araris with Rhodanus now met Runnes ioyn'd into the Sea the men whose seate Is on Gebenna mount couer'd with snow The Pictones now free their fields can plow The fickle Turones are not restrain'd By garrison the Andian now disdain'd To pine in Medna's thick fogges but goes For pleasure where delightfull Liger flowes Faire Genabos is freed from garrison Treuer is glad the warre from thence is gon The Ligures now shorne once like the rest Long haird of all the vnshorne Gaules the best And where with offerings stayn'd of humane blood Hermes and Mars their cruell Altars stood And Ioue that vilâ— as Scythian Dian's are Then you that valiant soules and slaine in warre Doe celebrate wâ—th praise that neuer dyes You Bards securely sung your Elegyes You Drâ—ides now free'd from warre maintaine Yâ—ur Barbarous rites and Sacrâ—fice againe You what heauen is and gods alone can tell Or else alone are ignorant you dwell In vast and desert woods you teach no spirit Plutoes pale kingdome can by death inherit They in another world informe againe The middst twixt long liues if you truth maintaine Is death But those wilde people happy are In this their errour whom feare greatest farre Of all feares iniures not the feare of death Thence are they prone to warre nor losse of breath Esteeme nor spare a life that comes againe They that the hair'd Cayes did conteine In their obedience marching now to Rome From Rhines rude bankes and new found countrey come VVhen Caesar's novv collected strength had bred More lofty hopes through Italy he spred His troopes and all the neighbouring Cities seiz'd Then idle rumours their true feares encreas'd And peirc'd the peoples hearts swift fame gan show The warres approach and their ensuing woe Then euery tongue a false alarum yeilds Some dare report that on the pasture fields Of faire Meuania is the warre begunne And bloody Caesar's barbarous Cohorts runne VVhere Vmbrian Nar does into Tyber flow That all his Eagles and ioyn'd Standards now With a vast strength make furious approach Nor doe they now suppose him to be such As once they saw him fiercer far then so They thinke and savadge as his conquer'd foe That all th' inhabitants twixt th'Alpes and Rhine Drawne from their countries and cold Northerne clime Follow and Rome a Roman looking on By barbarous hands shall fall thus every one By feare giues strength to Fame no author knowne They feare what they suppose but not alone The People dooes this vaine surmise deceiue The Senate shakes th' affrighted Fathers leaue Their seates and flying to the Consuls giue Directions for the war VVhere safe to liue VVhat place t' avoide they know not whither ere Their suddaine wits directs their steps they beâ—re Th' amazed people forth in troopes whom nought So long had stirr'de a man would then haue thought The city fir'd orth'houses sudaine fall By earthquake threatned the madd people all VVith hasty steppes so vnadvised runne As if no way at all were left to shunne Their imminent and feard destruction But to forsake their habitation As when rough Seaes by stormy Auster blowne From Libia's Sands haue broke the maire mast down Master and Marriners their Ship forsake Not torne as yet leape into th' Sea and make Themselues a Shipwracke so from th' City they Fly into warre no Sire
their oares did wound A miracle of silent slight it show'd She boâ—e no sailes or sea discover'd row'd Now they obserue the tides till th' ebbing seas Leaue the sands bare and make the shore encrease Then from aboue into the Ocean prone The ship falls by two galleyes waited on Ore which a lofty threatning tower was rear'd Where spires and trembling pinnacles appear'd Octavius keeper of th'Illyrian sea Would not assault this ship too suddainly But his swift vessells thought it good to stay Till th' easy passage might encrease his prey And farther on to sea by peace invites His rashly enter'd foes such are the slights Of huntsmen when their toiles they haue dispos'd And fearefull deere in plumed nets enclos'd Their dogs of Crete and Sparta they containe And their wide mouth'd Molossians restraine No dog is trusted in the wood but he That can vpon a full sent silent be And never open when he findes the game Content alone to signifie the same By wagging of the string then presently The Souldiers leaue the I le and eagerly They come a boord the ship when day 's last light Gaue place to the approach of dusky night But the Cilicians of great Pompey's side According to their old sea-craft had ty'd Chaines through the midst o'th'sea of which no show Appear'd aboue but loosely let them flow The chaine was fasten'd to th' Illyrian shore The first and second ships not staid got ore The third was caught of burden much more vast And to the rocke by a drawne rope was cast The rocke hangs ore the sea a wonder tis Hollow and still though falling stands with trees Making a shade hither the sea by tides Oft driues and in those darkesome cavernes hides Ships broke by Aquilon and drowned men Which hidden store the rocke restores againe And when the cavernes belch it vp in heate Sicilian Charybdis cannot get Preheminence Heere did the great ship stand That was with valiant Opitergians mann'd Her from all havens did all ships enclose Some from the rocke some from the shore oppose Vulteius found this vnder-water traine The Captaine of the ship who all in vaine Striving to cut the chaines did then desire Without all hope to fight where to retire Or how to conquer is not seene but here As much as snared valour could appeare It did against so many thousand wights That did enclose scarse one full cohort fights Not long endeed for night in her blacke shade Shut vp the day and peace the darkenesse made Then stouâ— Vulteius thus gan animate The cohort fearing sad ensuing fate Yong men that but for one short night are free Provide in time for sates extremity There 's no man's life is short that does allow Him time to seeke his death nor thinke it now Lesse glorious that we meete a fate at hand The times of future life none vnderstand T is aequall praise of minde to giue away Our liues last moment and the hoped stay Of many yeres so we the actors be No man can be compell'd to wish to dye No way for flight is left at every hand Bent ' gainst our throates the sterne Cilicians stand Let feare be banisht then resolue to dye And let your wishes meete necessity Nor shall we fall in a blinde cloud of war As when two battels joyn'd in darkenesse are VVhen heapes of carcasses bestrow the field Valour lies buried all are aequall held But in a ship the gods haue placed vs Both to our friends and foes conspicuous The I le the continent the seas allow VVitnesses to vs and two parties now From divers shores behold vs in our ends VVhat great and rare example Fate entends I know not VVhat ere Chronicles afford Of trust of Souldiers faith maintain'd by sword VVe shall excell t is a small thing to die Vpon our swords Caesar we know for thee But greater pledges in this sad distresse VVe want our great affections to expresse And envious Fates vs of much praises barre That not our parents nor our children are Heere with vs. Let our foes our valour finde And feare our force and death contemning minde Let them be glad that no more ships were caught Perchance they 'll try by leagues what can be wrought Proffering base life would they would promise vs Pardon to make our deaths more glorious Lest when we fall our killing swords vpon Our foes should call it desperation Much valour must deserue that Caesar may Account the lesse of vs a fatall day Among so many thousand Should fate giue Egresse from hence I would not wish to liue I haue already cast away my breath Drawen by the sweetnesse of approaching death A fury t is which none but they can know To whom nere Fates such knowledge doe allow The Gods deaths sweetnesse doe conceale to make Men liue A noble courage straight did take The young mens minds though all with weeping eyes Before the Captaines speech had view'd the skies And fear'd to see the turne of Charles his waine But now their valiant minds wish day againe After this speech nor was day slowt ' appeare Sol leaving Gemini and drawing neare His height in Cancer when the shortest night Vrg'd the Thessalian Archer Day growne light Discover'd warrelike Istrians on the land The fierce Liburnians and Greeke fleete that stand Covering the seas They first suspending fight Striue to orecome by covenants and invite The ship to yeild by granting life but they Devoted scorning life stand in array Secure in sight resolv'd what end to take No stormes their strong resolved mindes could shake And though but few by land and sea they fought Such confidence deaths resolution brought Against innumerable hands but when VVarre had drawne blood enough their fury then Turn'd from their foes The Captaine first of all Vulteius offring his bare throte gan call Seeking for death is there no Souldier here VVorthy to shed my blood let him appeare And killing me shew that himselfe dares bleed VVith that of life his wounded breast was free'd By many swords Vulteius thankes bestow'd On all but dying him to whom he ow'd His first kind wound he thankefully againe Requites with death Thus meeting all were slaine And on one side the warres whole mischiefe hung So the serpentine brood by Cadmus Sprung Fell by each others hand a dire presage Of the ensuing Theban brothers rage So those of th'waking Dragons teeth once fram'd In Colchos fields by Magicke spells enflam'd VVith kindred blood the fields plow'd furrowes dy'd VVhich mischiefe wrought by hearbs before vntry'd Medea fear'd her selfe So fell these men By baâ—gain'd fate and in the death of them To dye was the least valour they both fall And kill at once no right hand mist at all Though at the point of death nor to their blades Ow'd they their wounds a breast the sword invades Their throates invade their hands and if blinde chance A brothers sword ' gainst brother did advance Or sonnes ' gainst father with vndanted hand And all
dead Hortensius Tombe Againe is married in a funerall dresse Pompey to Capua flyes What Fortrâ—sses By Caesar are surprisde who without fight Puts Sylla Scipio Lentulus to flight And takes Domitius at Corfinium Pompey's Oration From Brundusium He sends his eldest Sonne to bring from farre The Easterne Monarchs to this civill Warre But there besiedg'd by Caesar scarse can he Scape safe away by nights obscurity NOw the gods wrath was seene playne signes of warre The world had given forespeaking nature farre From her true course tumultuous monsters made Proclaiming woe Oh Ioue why dost thou adde This care to wretched men to let them see By direpoâ—tents their following misery Whether the worlds Creator when he did From the darke formlesse Chaos light divide Stablisht eternall Lawes to which he ty'de The creatures and himselfe and did divide The worlds set ages by vnchanged fate Or whither nothing preordain'd the state Of mortall things chance rules yet let that be Secret that thou entendst let no eye see His future Fate but hope as well as feare VVhen the sad City had conceiu'd how deare Heavens truth would cost the world her generall woe Proclaim'de a Fast the mourning Senate goe Like the Plâ—beians clad the Consuls ware No purple Roabes no words their griefe declare Mute is their sorrow such a silent woe A dying man's amazed houshold show Before his funerall conclamation Before the mothers lamentation Call on the seâ—vants weeping but when she Feeles his stiffe limmes dead lookes and standing eye Then t is no feare but griefe downe she doth fall Howling vpon him So Romes Matrons all Leaue off their habits and attires of grace And in sad troopes the Altars doe embrace One weepes before the gods one heâ— torne lockes Throwes in the sacred porch another knocks Her breast against the ground the god whose eares VVere vide to pâ—ayers now onely howling heares Nor to Ioues temple did they all repaire They part the gods no altar wants his share Of envy-making mothers but one there Her plâ—int-brusde armes moystned cheekes did teare Now now quoth she oh mothers teare your haire Now beat your breasts doe not this griefe deferre Till the last ills while the Cheifes doubtfull are We may lament when one is conquerer We must reioyce thus griefe it selfe did mooue Such just complaints against the powers aboue The Souldiers make that to each army turne Oh miserable men that were not borne When Carthage warr'de at Trebia's overthrow Or Cannae's mortall field nor beg we now For peace oh gods stirre each fierce Nation Raise mighty Cities let the world in one Conspire let Median powers from Susae come Nor let cold Ister hold his Scythians from This war the Suevians from the Northren clime Let Albis send and the rude head of Rhine Make vs all peoples foes so not our owne Here let the Daci there the Getes come on Let one his forces against Spaine employ Gainst th'Easterne bowes let tothers Egles fly Let Rome haue war with all or if our names You gods would ruine let the sky to flames Dissolv'd fall downe and quite consume our coasts Or thunder strike both Captaines with their hosts While they be guiltlesse Ioue seeke they to try With so much mischeife who Romes Lord shall be 'T were scarse worth civill war that none should reigne Thus then did bootlesse piety complaine But the old men mov'd with particular griefe Curse their old age and ill prolonged life Their yeares reserv'd againe to civill war a One seeking presidents for their great feare Such woes quoth he the gods intended vs When after b both his triumphs Marius His flying head among the reedes and sedge Once hid the Fennes then cover'd Fortunes pledgeâ— But taken he endur'd a prison's stinch And his old limmes did iron shackles pinch To dye a Consull happy and in Rome Before c hand suffered be for guilt to come Death fled him oft and power to shed his blood In vaine a Cimbrian d had who trembling stood Offring a stroke his faultring hand the sword Let fall his dungeon did strange light afford Th' affrighted Cimbrian furyes seem'd to see And heard what Marius afterward should be Thou canst not touch this life to fate he owes Thousands of liues ere he his owne can loose Cease thy vaine fury if you Cimbrians wou'd Revenge on Rome your slâ—ughtred Nations blood Saue this old man whom their sterne will to serue Not the gods loue but anger did preserue A cruell and fit man when Fate contriu'de Romes ruine he on Libyan coasts arriu'de Wandred through empty cottages vpon Triumphed Iugurth's spoil'd dominion And Punicke ashes troad each others state Carthage e and Marius there commiserate And both cast downe both now the gods excus'd But into Marius minde that ayre infusde A Libian rage when Fortune turn'de againe Slaues from f their Lords prisoners froÌ„ the chaine He free'de and arm'de no man his Ensignes bore But who the badge of some knowne miâ—chiefâ— wore And brought guilt to the campe oh Fates how sad A day was that when conquering Marius had Surpris'de the walls how swift flew cruell death Senators with Plebeians lost their breath The sword rag'd vncontrol'de no breast was free The temples stainde with blood and slippery Were the red stones with slaughter no age then Was free the neere spent time of aged men They hasten'de on nor sham'de with bloody knife To cut the Infants new span thread of life What crime had lnfants done to merit death But 't was enough that they could loose their breath Fury directs them guilty liues to take A lone seem'd too remisse for number sake Some fall one cutt ' off heads he does not know Whilst empty-handed hee 's a sham'd to goe No hope to scape but kisse the bloud-staind g hand Of Marius though a thousand swords did stand Ready base People did you not disdaine At such a price a life though long to gaine Much lesse a time so short so troublesome And breath but respited till Sylla come Who now has time to waile Plebejan fates Scarce can we thine braue Babim h whom the hates Of the fierce multitude in pieces tore Nor thine Antonius i that thy death before Couldst prophesie whose gray-head bleeding yet On Marius table the rude Souldier sett Torne are the headlesse Crassi k impious wood Is stain'd with sacred Tribunitiall l blood Thou Scavola m that didst a kisse disdaine Of Marius hand at Vestaes Altar slaine And never quenched fires but ages drought Left thee not so much blood as would put cut The flame His seventh n Consulship now come Old Marius dies a man that had orecome Fortunes worst hate and her best loue enjoy'de And tasted all that Fates for man provide How many neere the Colline port were kill'd How many Carcasses on heapes were pil'de At Sacriportum o where almost her seate Had the worlds Eâ—pire chang'd and Sâ—mnis yet Hop'd deeper farre to wound the Roman name Then at the Caudine p Forkes then
first crime but when Petreius spy'd That Caesars fortâ—ne did all actions guide Ilerda he forsakes trusting no more The strength of that knowne world but seeking for Vntamed nations fierce with wars dire loue e To that worlds end the battell to remoâ—ue When Caesar saw the hills and campe forsooke He bids his men take armes and never looke For bridge or ford but with their hardy armes Swim ore the streame the souldiers his alarmes Obey with speed and rushing on to fight Venture those wayes that they would feare in flight Then taking armes cherish their bodies wet And their beâ—ummed joynts with running heat Till noone made shadowes short the horsemen then O retake the hindniost of Petreius men Who doubtfull are whether to fight or flye Two rockâ— hills lift their proud tops on high Making a vale beneath aboue the ground Is ioyn'd below safe passages are found Through windings darke which straights if once the foe Had in possession Caesar well did know He might from thence carry the war as far As Spaines remote and barbarous nations are Runne without ranke quoth he pursue your foes Turne backe the war that by their flight you loose Make them turne face to face though they would fly Giue not the cowards leaue basely to dy But on their breasts let them receiue our blowes This said with swiftnesse they prevent their foes Flight to the hills encamping close beside A narrow trench did both the campes divide And of so little distance was the place They might distinctly know each others face There finding fathers brothers sonnes they see The wickednesse of civill enmity And first for feare standing a little mute With nods and swords lift vp frends frends salute But when deare loue conquer'd the law of warres Over the trenches leape the souldiers T' embrace each other some their old hosts meete Some their schoolefellowes some their kinsemen greete He was no Roman that no enemy knew Sighs breake their kisses teares their armes bedew And though no act of blood were yet begun They feare the mischiefe that they might haue done VVhy mourn'st thou foole why doe it thou beat thy breast And weepe in vaine why hast thou now confest Thou ' gainst thy will to wicked war doest goe Stand'st thou in such great feare of him whom thou Thy selfe mak'st dreadfull let this trumpets sound Neglect the cruell noise let none be found To beare his Eagles and the war there ends Caesar and Pompey private men are frends Now concord come that all things doest enfold In thy white armes and the worlds safety hold The earths blest loue future impietyes Our age may feare the ignorance heere dyes Of their misdeeds and from excuse does bar Their guilt they know their foes their kinsemen are Sinister fates that will by this short peace Their future woes and wickednesse encrease T' was peace and in both campes mixt souldiers stray'd And on the grasse their friendly banquets made By the same fire together Bacchus rites They celebrate and spend the watchfull nights In storyes of the war as lovingly Together they in ioyning lodginges lye Where first they did encampe from what hand fled Each Pile and boast of every valiant deede Denying much they graunt the wish of Fate And loue the wretched Souldiers renovate This loue their future wickednesse encreast For when Petreius saw their friendly feast Thinking himselfe and campe to sale betray'd He armes his houshold servants to invade Dire war and guarded with a troope of those Out of his campe th'vnâ—rm'd Caesarians throwes The sword as in embraces joyn'd they stood Divides them and disturbes the peace with blood Then wrath these war provoking speeches gaue Souldiers vnmindefull of the cause you haue Though Caesars conquest you cannot bestow Vpon the Senates cause this you can do Fight till you are orecome whilest you haue hands And blood and whilest the war yet doubtfull stands Will you go serue and traitrous Eagles take And beg of Caesar he no odds would make Betweene his slaues and at his hands dâ—sire Your Captaines liues our safetyes treasons hire Shall never be nor make we civill war To liue by name of peace betray'd we are People for veines of brasse which deepe-hid lye Would never seeke nor townes would fortify No stately horses to the war should pace No tower-like shipps ore spread the Oceans face If liberty for peace were ere well sold Shall Caesar's Souldiers damn'd obedience hold Bound by a wicked oath and you make light Your faith because in a good cause you fight But pardon 's hop'd oh shames dire funerall Not knowing this great Pompey thou ore all The world art mustring and each farthest King Bringing to fight whilest we are articling Basely about thy safety This feirce speech Turn'd backe their mindes stirr'd warrs wicked itch As when wild beasts wean'd from the woods and shutt Vp close to â—ame haue off their wildenesse put And learn'd t' endure a man if blood once staine Their iawes their wildenesse straight returnes againe Their iawes grow hot and their new boyling rage The trembling keeper hardly can aswage They run on wickednesse and what might seeme In a blinde war the gods or fortunes crime Deceived trust makes ours at bord and bed The late embraced breasts are murthered And though vnwillingly at first they draw Yet when their wicked swords drawne out they saw And striking were their friends they truely hate And with the stroke themselues they animate Petreius campe is with strange tumult fill'd And horrid murther sonnes their fathers kill'd And as if hidden mischiefe lost should be They boast their guilt and let their Captaines see Caesar though robbed of thy men yet see The gods high favour not so much for thee On Aegypt or Massilias seas is done Nor so much honour in Pharsalia won f For this sole crime of civill war does make That thou at length the better cause shalt take The Generalls now their blood-stain'd Souldier No more dare trust within the campe so neere But by swift flight toward Ilerda make From whom all passage Caesars horsmen take And there in those dry hills shut vp their foes Whom Caesar striues with a deepe trench t' enclose Cutting all water off he lets them take No springes nor tents neere to the river make They seeing the way of death convert their feare To rage their horses that vnusefull were To men beseidg'd they kill and since in flight T were vaine to hope addresse themselues to fight Caesar perceiues them comming and well knowes That death is sought by his devoted foes Containe your Piles and swords Souldiers quoth he I le loose no blood to get this victory That foe that meetes the sword nere gratis dyes Hating their liues and cheape in their owne eyes They come to mixe our losses with their death They 'll feele no wounds but ioy in losse of breath But let this heate forsake vm this mad fit They 'll loose their wish of death Caesar the fight Forbids
Aegaean joyn'd With the Tyrrhene so with th' Ieâ—â—an The Adriatike met How oft in vaine That day the sea seem'd mountaines topps to ' ore flow And yeilding earth that deluge t' vndergoe But such high waues on no shore raised be But from the worlds far part and the maine sea They rowle the earth embracing waters bring Their monstrous waues so whâ—n the heavens high king Help'd his tir'd thunder with his â—rotheis mace To mankinds â—uine earth then added was To Neptunes kingdome when the sea confounded All lands and Tethys by no shore was bounded Contented with no limit but the skyes Then also would those â—welling seas arise Vpto the starres had not great Ioue kept downe Their waues with cloudes nor sprung that night alone From naturall causes the thiâ—ke aire was growne Infected with the dampes of Acheron And clogg'd with foggy stormes waues froÌ„ the maine Fly to the cloudes and fall like showres againe The lightnings light is lost it shines not cleare But shootes obscurely through nights stormy aire The heavens then trembled the high pole for feare Resounded when his hindges mooved were Nature then fear'd the old confusion The elementall concord seem'd vndone And night that mixt th' aetheriall deityes With the infernall â—eem'd againe to rise Their hope of safety was that in this great Wraâ—ke of the world they were not perisht yet As farre as you from Leucas top may see The quiet sea so farre could they desery From waues high tops the troubled Ocean But when the swelling billowes fall againe The maine-mast top scarce aboue water stands The topsailes touch the cloudes the keele the sands For ground is seene from whence the sâ—as arise In hills in waues the seas whole water is Feare conquers art the master does not know Which waue to breake which waue to yeeld vnto But the seas discord only aides them now The barke one billow cannot overflow Let by anothers force which still susteines The yeilding side the barke vpright mainteines Her course supported by all windes no more Low Sasons gulfes Thessalia's crooked shore Or the Ambracian dangerous ports they fear'd But ore the high Ceraunia to be rear'd â—y billowes Caesar thinkes it now to be A danger worthy of his destiny Are the gods troubled so to ruine me Whom sitting heere in a small barke quoth he They haue assaulted with a storme so lowd If on the seas not warres they haue bestow'd The glory of my death fearelesse I come Ye gods to any death that ye can doome Though this too hasty fate great actes breake off I haue already done things great enough The Northren nations I haue tam'd and quell'd My foes at home by armes Rome has beheld Great Pompey my inferiour honours stay'd From me in war the people forc'd haue pay'd All Roman honours in my titles be Let it be knowne fortune to none but thee Though full of honour to the shades below I both Romes Consull and Dictator goe I dye a private death ô gods I craue No funerall let the seas inmost waue Keepe my torne carkasse let me want a tombe And funerall pyle whilest lookt for still to come Into all lands I am and ever fear'd Thus having spoke most strange the tenth waue rear'd His barke aloft nor from the billowes top Did she fall downe kept by the water vp Till on the rocky shore she stood at last His fortune and so many kingdomes cast On shore and townes againe he did receiue Caesar's returne next morne could not deceiue His souldiers so as his stolne flight had done About their generall flock they every one Assaulting him with lamentations And not ingratefull accusations VVhither did thy rash valour carry thee Too cruell Caesar to what destiny Didst thou leaue vs poore soules venturing vpon Th' vnwilling seas and stormes thy selfe alone In thee to seeke for death was cruelty VVhen all the world esteemes thy head so high And on thy life so many liues of ours Depend did none of vs deserue t' haue power Not to surviue thee sleepe did vs detaine While thou wert tost vpon the watry maine Was this the cause thou went'st to Italy Alas it shames vs it was cruelty To venture any man on such a sea For the last act of things such hazards be VVhy doest thou tire the gods so much to goe And venture the worlds greatest Captaine so From fortune's worke and favour thus t' haue sent Thee safe a shore to vs be confident Of the warres issue This vse doest thou make Of the gods favour to escape a wracke Rather then gaine the worlds sole soveraignety Thus while they talke night past the Sunne they see And a cleare day his waues the tired maine By the windes leaue compos'd and smooth'd againe The Captaines also on th' Italian side VVhen the tâ—r'd Ocean free from waues they spy'd By the pure Northwinds rising thence convay'd Their ships which their skill'd Marriners had stay'd So long for feare while winds auspicious fail'd Like a land army their joyn'd navy sail'd On the broad Sea but the chang'd windes by night Fill'd not their sailes but broke the order quite So Cranes in VVinter Strymon's cold forsake To drâ—nke warmâ— Nile and in their first flight make As chance directs of letters various formes VVhen their spread wings are by the violent stormes Of strong South-windes assailed by and by â—n a confused globe all mingled fly The letter 's lost in their disranked wings But the next morne when rising Titan brings A stronger winde to driue the navie ore They passe the vaine attempted Lissus shore And to Nymphaeum come Southwinds that blow The haven on them the Northwindes fled bestow VVhen Caesars legions all collected were And Pompey saw the war was drawne so neere To his owne campe he thinkes best to provide For his wiuâ—â— safety and in Lesbos hide Thee faire Cornelia from the noise of warre Alas in just and noble mindes how farre Prevailes true loue true loue alone had power To make great Pompey feare wars doubâ—full houre His wife alone he wisht free from that stroke That all the world and Romes whole fortune shooke But now a ready mâ—nd wants words in him He yeilds to sweete delayes from fare steales time But when th'approching morne had banisht rest And faire Cornelia his care-wounded breast Clasping from her averted husband seekes A loving kisse wondring to feele his cheekes Moistened with teares tâ— hidâ—en cause she feares And daâ—es not finâ— great Pompey shedding teares He then thus mourning spake oh dâ—arest wife Dearer to me then life not now when life I loath but in our best prosperity That sad day's come which too too muâ—h haue we Yet not enough dâ—fferr'd Caesar's addrest For fight thou must not stay Lesbos the best And safest place will be for thee to hide Doe not enâ—treat me sweete I haue deny'd It to my selfe nor absent long shall we Remaine for swift will this wars tryall be Great things fall speedily To heare not see Thy
Pompey's dâ—nger is enough so thee Thy loue deceiues me if thou couldst eâ—dure To see this fight for me to sleepe secure VVith thee this war begun â—nd from thine armes To rise were shame when the wars loud alarmes Shake all the world and that thy Pompey came Sad with no losse to such a war were shame Nor shall thy husbands fortune all together Oppresse thee farre remoov'd safer then either People or king And should the gods contriue My death let Pompeys better part surviue And a place be whither I may desire If fate and Caesar vanquish to retire Her weakenesse could of such great griefe containe Her sences fled she did amaz'd remaine At length when sad complaints these words could frame My Lord quoth she I haue no cause to blame Our wedlockes fortune or the gods aboue No death no funerall divides our loue We part the common and plebeian way For feare of war Cornelia must not stay Let 's be divorc'd to gratifye the foe Since he 's at hand Pompey esteem'st thou so My faith or think'st thou any thing can be Safer to me then thee Depend not we Vpon one chance canst cruell thou command Thy absent wife this ruines shocke to stand Or think'st thou it a happy state for me While thy chance yet does doubtfull stand to dye For feare of future ill I will attend Thy death but till sad fame the newes can send So farre shall be forced to surviue Bâ—sides thou wilt accustome me to grieue And beare so great a sorrow as I feare Pardon that I confesse I cannot beare And if the good gods heare my prayers now I last of all the happy newes shall know I on the rockes when thou art conquerer Shall carefull sit and even that ship shall feare That brings the happy newes nor will my feare Haue end so soone as I thy conquest heare So farre remoov'd from thee that Caesar may Though flying seize Cornelia as a pray My banishment will Lesbos shore renowne And make the towne of Mitylene knowne Where Pompey's wife abides My last request Is this if thou be conquer'd and nought rest To sâ—uâ— thy life but flight to any bay Rather then that turne thy vnhappy way Vpon my shore thou wilt be surely sought This said from bed she leapt with griefe distraught Her woes with no delayes to enterlace Nor could she then her Lord 's sad breast embrace Nor hang about his necke the last fruite's gone Of so long loue their griefes they hasten on And at the parting neither had the power To say farewell Never so sad an hower In all their life had they Suâ—ceeding woes Their mindes by custome hardened could compose She fainting falls and in her servaâ—ts hands Lifted is borne to sea but on the sands She falls as if that shore she faine would keepe At last perforce she 's carry'd to the ship From her deare countrey's shore not so distrest Fled she when Caesar Italy possest With Pompey then she went now all alone Wanting that guide she from her Lord is gone Sleepelesse she spent in her now widow'd bed Cold and alone the night that followed That side that naked vs'd not to be left Is of a husbands company bereft Oft would she when her sleepy armes she spread With hands deceiv'd embraâ—e the empty bed Seeking her Lord her flight she would forget For though lâ—ues flame-fed on her marrow yet Ore all the bed she would not tumblâ—ng spread Fearing to misse her Lord that part of bed She kept but fate did not so well ordaine The howr's at hand that brings her Lord againe FINIS Libri quints Annotations on the fift Booke a Pompey's losses as we saw before in the 2.3 and 4. Bookes were these all his garrisons beaten cut of Italy and himselfe driven from thence Massilia sackt all Spaine lost together with his army vnder the conduct of Afrarius and Petrejus Caesars losses a cohort of Opitergians whâ—ch kill'd themselues on the Illyrian sea with their captaine Vulteius and Curio kill'd by king Iuba b Phocis was then made free as well as Massilia her colony which Caesar besiedg'd c Dejotarus king of Galatia brought to the army of Pompey sixe hundred horsemen d Cotys king of Thracia sent to the Army fiue hundred horsemen vnder the conduct of his sâ—â—ne Sadalis e Râ—asipolis brought from Macedonia two hundred horsemen f Ptolemey defraâ—ded his sister Cleopatra of her share in the kingdome and in killing Pompey saved Caesar the doing of that impious act g Appius the Governour of Aâ—haia desirous to know the event of the civill war compelled the chiefe Priest of Delphos to descend to the Oracle which had not of a long time beene vsed h In the midst of the hill there was a deepe hole into the earth out of which came a cold spirit as it were a winde and filled the Prophetesses with a fury so that they instanâ—ly prophesied of things to come i Appius thinking this oracle had warned him onely to abstaine from this war retired himselfe into that countrey which lyeth betweene Râ—amâ—uâ— and Carystâ—s called Cala Eubâ—a where before the battle of Phâ—rsalia he dyed of a disease and was there buryed and so â—ossest quietly the place which the Oracle had promised him k Caesar was now returned to Placentia from Spaine Where hee had conquered Afranius and Petrejus two of Pompey's Lieutenants and was going from thence into Epire and Macedonia against Pompey in the meane time this mutiny happened l Caesar cashiered with ignominy all the ninth legion at Placentia and with much adoe after many prayers received them againe but not without taking punishment of the chiefe mutenâ—ers m Caesar made himselfe Dictator at Rome without any lawfull election that is neither named by the Senate nor Consul but eleven dayes after he left his Dictatorshippe having made himselfe and Publius Servilius Consuls n Then beganne all those names of flattery which they afterward vsed to their Emperours as Diuus Ever Augustus Father of his countrey Founder of peace Lord and the like o After all governement was in the hands of Caesar alone all the ancient rites in creating of Magistrates were quite taken â—way an imaginary face of election was in the field of Mars the tribes were cited but were not admitted distinctly and in the true forme to giue their suffrages the other orders were but vaine for the Emperour commended him to the Centuries whom he would haue Consul or else designed him and chose him himselfe their Augury also was abused and the Augurs interpreted every thing as they were compelled p Vnder the Emperours Consuls were oft chosen for halfe an yeare for 1.2 or 3 moneths q Pompey was then is Candavia but when he heard that Caesar was come and was possest of Oricum and Apollonia hee hasted to Dyrrachium Caesar pitched his tents at one side of the river Apsus and Pompey at the other r Caesar having landed his men the same night sent backe the ships to Brundusium for
Antonius to transport the rest of his legions and his horsemen whose slow comming made Caesar defer the fight s This Marcus Antonius after the death of Iulius Caesar had warre with Augustus by whom he was vanquished in a sea fight neere Leucas t When part of the army for want of Ships stay'd at Brundusium vnder Antonius Gabinius and Calenus Caesar impatient of delay resolved to goe himselfe as a messenger to call them in a stormy night and a little vessell some say a boate that would beare twelue oares but vnknowne to all his army he past in a disguised habite through all the courts of guard and went to Sea LVCANS Pharsalia The Sixt Booke The Argument Caesar enclosing Pompey with a fence And trenches of a vast circumference Endures a famine Pompey pestilence Who breaking through escapes a conquerer thence Braue Scaeva's valour and admired fight Into Thessalia Caesar takes his flight Great Pompey followes the description And Poets tales That Thessaly renâ—wne To the dire witch Ericttho Sextus goes This fatall warres sad issue to disclose She quickens a dead carcasse which relates To Sixtus eare his and his fathers fates And craving then deaths freedome to obtaine â—s by a magicke spell dissolv'd againe WHen on neere a hils both Generalls fierce b of fight Had pitch'd their tents and drawne their troâ—pes in sight And the gods saw their match Caesar in Greece â—cornes to take towes or owne the destinyes For any conquest but his sonne in law's The worlds sad howre that to a tryall drawes This wars maine-chance he wishes for alone That cast of fortune that must ruine one Thrice on the hills his battell he array'd And all his threatning Eagles thrice display'd Shewing that he would neuer wanting be T'oreâ—hrow the Roman state But when he see No provocations could his sonne in law Who close entrenched lay to battell draw From thence c he march'd by woody passages And close to take Dyrrachiums fortâ—esses Thither a neerer way great Pompey takes Along the shore and on high Petra makes His campe to guard from thence Dyrrachium towne Safe without men by her owne strength alone No human labour no old structure made Her fence which would though nere so lofty fade By force â—f war or eating time oretaken A strength that by no engine can be shaken Her scite and nature giue the sea profound And steepe waue-breaking rockes enclose it round But for on little hill an Iland 't were Ship-threatning rockes susteine the walls and there Th' Ionian sea rais'd by the Southwindes blasts Her temples shakes and frothy foamings casts Ore houses topps War-thirsty Caesar then Conceiv'd d a cruell hope spreading his men Round on the hills from every side t' enclose With joyned trenches his vnwarâ— foes And all the ground surveying with his eye Is not content alone to fortefie His workes with brittle earth but weighty-stone From quarryes digs vast rockes houses torne downe And Greekish walls brought thither make a fence Able the rams assaulting violence And all wars furious engines to withstand Hills levell'd valleyes rais'd make even lâ—nd In Caesars woâ—kes with trenches wide enclos'd And towâ—â—d castels on the hills dispos'd With a vast circuite he takes in the ground About the pastures woods and shelters round As 't were for deere spreading a wide-stretch'd toile Pompey no roome nor pasture wants for while He thus enclos'd by Caesars trenches is He remooues campes so many rivers rise And their whole course within this circuite run And Caesar tir'd going to looke vpon His workes makes often stayes Let ancient tales To the gods worke adscribe the Trojan wall Let flying Parthians still admire alone The brittle earth-built walls of Babylon As far as Tigris and Orontes run As the Assyrian Kings dominion Stretch'd in the East a suddaine worke of war Encloses heere Lost those great labours are So many hâ—nds would to Abydos put Sestos fill vp the Hellespont and cut Corinth from Pelops land and from the seas Take long Malea for the saâ—lers ease Or mende some part though nature should deny Of the worlds structure Here wars quarters lye Here feedes that blood that in all lands must flow The Libyan and Thessalian overthrow Wars civill fury boiles kept straitly in The woâ—kes first structure Pompey had not seene As who in middest of Sâ—â—ily safe dwell When rough Pelorous barkes can never â—ell As Northren Britâ—ainâ—s câ—nnâ—t heare the rore Of flowing seas agaiâ—st the Kâ—ntâ—sh shore But when himselfe beâ—uâ—t to faâ— he â—new By a vast trench he from safe Petra drew His troopes and ore the hills dispos'd them so To keepe the rankes of his beseidging foe More thin and tooke of the enclosed ground As much in length as in true distance fouâ—d Twixt lofty Rome and th' Aâ—icinian wood VVhere Scythian Dian's ador'd image stood As far as Tyber's streame from Romes walls ends By straight account not as the river bends No trumpets sound piles vncommanded flye Mischeifes oft done as they their javelinstry Both cheifes are kept from fight bâ— greater care Pompey because his pasture feilds are bare The ground he had by hoâ—se orâ—tramâ—led was VVhose horny hoofes trode downe the springing grasse The war-like steed weary'd in those bar'd feilds VVhen the full racke proviâ—der far brought yeilâ—s Tasting his new-brought food falls downe and dyes Treading the ring fail'd by his trembling thighs Their bodyes wast by dire consumption The vnstirr'd aire drâ—wes moist contagion Into a pestilentiall â—loud such breath Nasis exhales from her darke caues beneath Such poison'd aire where bury'd Typhon lyes The ground sends forth apace the army dyes The water from the aire infection taking VVith costiuenesse toâ—ments the bowells aking Dry's their discolour'd skin their blood-swolne eyes Doe breake the fiery plague with botâ—â—es flyes All ore the face their heavy heads fall downe Now more and more suddaine their death was growne Twixt life and death the siâ—kenesse has no roome But death does with the first faint symptomes come By carcasses which all vnburyed lye Among the living growes mortality T was all the souâ—dâ—ers buriall to be cast Out of the tents This plague was staid at last By blasts of strong aire-stirring Northern winde Ships fraught with Corne the shore and sea behinde But Caesar free vpon the spacious hills No pâ—stilence from aire or water feâ—les But as if straight beseig'd a famine strong Is forc'd to suffer corne as yet not sprong To the full height his wretched men he sees Fall to beasts food eate grasse and rob the trees Of leaues and tender twigs and venturing more Death-thrâ—atning herbes from rootes vnknowne they tore What ever they could bite soften with heat Or through their wounded palats downe could get And things that human tables nere did know Content to eate besidg'd c their full fed foe When through the trenches Pompey pleas'd to make His way and freedome of all lands to take He seekes not th' obscure time of duskâ— night Scorning to steale a
should yon feare cowards whilest I am by To see those fiends that shake at sight of me Then with warme blood opening fresh wounds she fills His breast and gore to th' inward parts distills Of the Moones poisonous gelly store she takes And all the hurtfull broodes that nature makes Foame of mad dogs which sight of water dread The pyth of staggs with serpents nourished Was mixed there the dire Hyaena's knot The spotted Lynx his bowells wanted not Nor that small fish whose strength though Eurus rise Can stay the course of ships the Dragons eyes The sounding stone that brooding Eagles make Warme in their nests th' Arabian nimble snake The red sea-viper pretious gemms that kept Skins from th' aliue Libyan Cerastes stript The Phoenix ashes lay'd in Araby With these when vile and namelesse poisons she Had mixt and leaues fill'd with enchantments strong And herbes which her dire mouth had spit on young What poyson she did on the world bestow Then adds a voyce to charme the gods below More powerfull then all herbes confounding noises Much dissonant and far from humane voices There was the barke of dogs the wolues sad howle The scriches waâ—ling hollowing of the Owle All voices of wilde beasts hissing of snakes The sound that beat from rockes the water makeâ— The murmur of stirr'd woods the thunders noise Broke from a cloud all â—â—is was in her voice The rest Aemonian incantations tell And thus her voice peirces the lowest hell Furyes and Stygian fiends whose scourges wound All guilty soules Chaos that wouldst confound Vn-number'd worlds king of the earth beneath That griev'st to see the gods exempt from death Thou Styx and faire Elysium which no spirit To a Thessalian witch deserues t'enherit Thou that thy mother hat'st Persephone And heaven thou lowest part of Hecate By whom the silent tongues of fienes with vs Haue entercourse hells porter Cerberus That currishnesse into our breasts doest put You destinyes that twice this thread must cut And thou the burning streames old ferriman Tired with ghosts brought backe to me againe If I invoke you with a mouth prophane And foule enough to heare these prayers daine If with a breath fasting from humane flesh These incantations I did nere expresse If womens wombes whole burdens vpon you And luke-warme braines I often did bestow If one your altâ—rs heads of infants slaine I set and bowells that must liue againe Obey my voice no ghost that long has felt The Stygian shades nor long in darkenesse dwelt But one that lately from the living went And is but yet at pale hells first descent And one which though obedient to this spell Could be but once transported ore to hell I aske let some knowne souldiers ghost relate Before great Pompey's sonne his fathers fate If civill war of you haue merited Then lifting vp her foaming mouth and head She saw hard by the ghost of that dead man Trembling to enter his old goale againe Fearing those cold pale members and into Thâ—â—â—ounded breast and entrailes torne to go Ah wretch from whom deaths gift is tane away To dye no more that fates durst thus delay Ericttho wonder'd wrath with death and fate The liueles coarse with living snakes she beateâ— And through earths craneys which her charmes had broke Bark'd to the fiends and thus hells silence shooke Maegera and Tisiphone that slight My voice through hell with your dire whips affright Hither that wretched spirit or from below By your true names of Stygian bitches you I will call vp and to the Sunnes light leaue No dead mens graues shall harbour or receiue Your heads I le follow you observing well And from all tombes and quiet vrnes expell False Hecate thee to the gods I le show To whom thou vsest with bright lookes to goe In thy pale rotten forme and so provide Thou shalt not thy Tartarian visage hide Vnder the earths vast weight I will relate VVhat food destaines thee in what wedlockes state Thou lou'st the nights sad king with such a staine That Ceres shall not wish thee backe againe ' Gainst thee the worlds worst judge I will set free The giants or let to the day to thee VVill you obey or shall I him invoke VVhose name the earths foundations ever shooke VVho without hurt th'vnvailed Gorgon sees Of whose strong stripes Erinnys fearefull is VVho keepes an hell vnknowne to you and where You are aboue that dare by Styx forsweare Then straight the clotted blood grows warme againe Feedes the blacke wounds and runnes through every veine And th' outward parts the vitall pulses beate In his cold breast and life 's restored heate Mixt with cold death through parts disused runns And to each joynt giues trembling motions The sinnews stretch the carkasse from the ground Rises not by degrees but at one bound Stands bolt vpright the eyes with twincking hard Are op'd not dead nor yet aliue appear'd The face his palenesse still and stiffenesse stayes He stands at this revivall in amaze But his dumbe seal'd-vp lips no murmur made Only an answering tongue and voice he had Speake quoth Ericttho what I aske and well Shalt thou rewarded be if truth thou tell By our Haemonian art I le set thee free Throughout all ages and bestow on thee Such funeralls with charmes so burne thy bones Thy ghost shall heare no incantations Let this the fruit of thy revivall be No spells no herbs shall dare to take from thee Thy long safe rest when I haue made thee dy The gods and Prophets answere doubtfully But he that dares enquire of ghosts beneath And boldly goe to th' oracles of death Is plainly told the truth spare not but name Plainely the things and places all and frame A speech wherein I may conferre with fate Adding a charme to make him know the state Of whatsoere she askt thus presently The weeping carcasse spake I did not see The sisters fatall threds so soone alas Backe from those silent bankes enforc'd to passe But what by speech from all the spirits I gain'd Among the Roman ghosts fell discord reign'd Romes wicked war disturb'd hells quiet rest Some Captaines from sad hell some from the blest Elysian fields come forth and there what fate Entends to doe they openly relate The happy ghosts look'd sad the Decii then Father and sonne wars-expiating men I saw the Curii and Camillus wailing Sylla himselfe against thee fortune railing His issues Libyan fate braue Scipio Bewail'd and Cato Carthages great foe His nephew's bondage-scaping death did monc â—mong the blessed spirits Brutus alone Reioyc'd first Consul that Romes king exil'd Fierce Catiline sterne Marius and the wilde Câ—thegs breaking chaines orejoyed were The popular law promulging Drusi there And daring Gracchi shouting clapt their hands Fetter'd for euer with strong iron bands In Plutoes dungeons impious ghosts had hopes Of blessed seates Pluto pale dungeons opes Prepares hard stones and adamantine chaines To punish the proud Conquerour ordaines Take you this comfort in a blessed roome The
to Styx were sent Waâ— like Domitius e death was eminent Whom â—ates had carry'd through all overthrowes Nere without him did Pompey's fortune loose Vanquisht so oft by Caesar yet dyes now With liberty and gladly falls into A thousand wounds proud that he shall no more Be pardon'd now Him weltering in his gore Caesar espy'd with taunts vpbraiding thus Now my successor proud Domitius At length thou shalt forsake thy Pompey's side And war is made without thee He râ—ply'd VVith that last breath which in his dying breast Struggled thou Caesar hast not yet possest The dire reward of all thy wickednesse But yet art doubtfull of thy fate and lesse Then Pompey vnder whom seâ—ure I goe And a free ghost downe to the shades below And dying hope that thou subdu'd to day To â—s and him for thy misdeedes shalt pay VVith this last speech away his spirit flyes And night eternall closes vp his eyes VVe cannot in the worlds sad funerall Particular teares pay to the death of all Nor search each private fate whose breast a wound Receiv'd who spurn'd mens hearts vpon the ground VVho through the mouth receiv'd his mortall wound And thence breath'd out his soule who fell to ground At the first stroke who stood vpright the while His lopt-off limbes fell downe who with a pile VVas fast nail'd to the earth whose blood spun out And sprinkled all his foes arm'd breast about VVho kills his brother and that then he may VVithout shame rifle throwes his head away VVho teares his fathers face that standers by Conjecture by his too much cruelty T was not his father whom he robb'd of life No death is worthy of particular greife Nor haue we time to weepe for every wight No other losse was like Pharsalia's fight Rome there by souldiers heere by kingdomes dyes There private mens heere nations tragoedyes Heere flow'd Assyrian Graecian Ponticke blood But all these bloods the powerfull Roman flood Droue through the field away All people there Are deeplyer wounded then one age can beaâ—e Farre more then life then safety heere is gone For all succeeding times we are orethrowne These swords subdue all ages that shall serue Alas what could posterity deserue To be in thraldome bone fought we with feare Spar'd we our throates the punishment we beare Of others flight To vs that since doe liue Fates should giue war if they a tyrant giue Pompey perceiv'd Romes fate and gods were gone In all this losse not mooved for his owne Ill hap Ascending a small hill to see The slaughters all that cover'd Thessaly Which while the war endur'd could not be spy'd He thence discern'd how many people dy'd How many swords reach at his destiny In how much blood he falls nor wishes he As wretches vse all with himselfe to drowne And mixe the nations ruine with his owne But for survivall of most part of men He deignes to thinke the gods even worthy then Of prayers from him and makes this to be His sorrowes comfort spare ye gods quoth he To sinke all nations Pompey if you lift Although the world remaine and Rome subsist May be made wretched if moe wounds on me You would inflict a wife and sonnes haue I So many pledges haue we given to fate Ist nought for civill war to ruinate Me and my house are we a losse so small VVithout the world why wouldst thou ruine all Fortune now nought is mine With that he rides Through his distressed troopes and on all sides Sounds a retreat from death calling them backe Thinking himseâ—fe not worth so great a wracke Nor lack'd he spirit their weapons to defy VVith throat or breast but fear'd if he should dy No souldier then would fly but there would fall And all the world â—y with their generall Or out of Caesars sight a death he sought In vaine thy head to Caesar must be brought Where ere he please to see 't His wiues deare sight Another reason was that caus'd his flight For in her sight the fates his death decree'd Then Pompey mounted on a gallant steede Fled from the field fearing no swords behind But bearing still a fate-vnconquer'd minde No sighes nor teares he spent with majesty His griefe was mixt such as befitted thee Pompey in Romes calamity to shew With lookes vnchang'd didst thou Aemathia view That minde which wars successe could neere erect To pride wars losses cannot now deject Fortun 's as far below thy wretched fate As she was false to thy triumphant state Securely now from Empires burden free Thou goest and on thy past prosperity Hast time to looke all boundlesse hopes are gone And what thou wert may now be truely knowne Fly this dire battell and to witâ—esse call The gods that none for thy sake Pompey fall That stay behind thee in Thessalia No more then Aegypt Munda Affrica The battels greatest part fought not for thee Nor shall the honour'd name of Pompey be VVars quarrell now the foes that still will be ' Mongst vs are Caesar and Româ—s liberty And t will appeare more plaine after thy flight Thy dying Senate for themselues did fight Let thy flight comfort thee thou shalt not see Those blood-staind troopes nor their impiety The rivers swell'd with blood looke backe and see And pitty Caesar with what heart can be Revisite Rome made happyer by this field VVhat banishment in forreine lands can yeild To thee by thee what ere can be endur'd Vnder th'Aegyptian tyrant rest assur'd The gods and favouring fates as best preferre T were worse for thee to be the conquerer Let all the people waile and weepe no more But dry their teares and let the world adore As well thy ruine as prosperity Looke vpon Kings with a commanding eye Aegypt and Libyas Kings whom thâ—u hast crown'd And cityes builâ— by thee and choose a ground VVhere thou wilt dy Larissa towne beheld First witnesse of thy fall fled from the field Thy noble selfe vnconquer'd by the fates VVhose Citizens all issuing forth the gates To meete thee as if Conquerer they went And gifts from loue and sorrow did present They ope theiâ— temples and their houses all And wish themselues paâ—tâ—kâ—rs of his fall Much of his great name 's left in his owne eye He seemes the least nations would helpe him trâ—â— Once more his fortune and renew the war He cryes be faithfull to the Conquerer What should the conquer'd doe with townes and men Thou Caesar thy countreys bowells then Wert wading through Pharsalia's bloody field Whilest peoples loues to thee he reconcil'd Pompey rides thence the people sigh and cry And raile against each cruell deity The people's favour now is truely proov'd Whilest great thou couldst not know thy selfe belov'd When Caesar saw the field with Roman blood Was overflow'd enough he thought it good His swords from execution to refraine And spare poore liues that would haue dy'd in vaine But left the foes should to their campe in flight Retire and rest should banish terrour quite He straight
wife and son Sextus Pompejus he repeated these two Iambike verses of Sophocles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These were the last words hee spake to his friends and so entred into the boate where Achillas was e When Pompey was now farre from his ship and perceived no courteous entertainement in the boate hee looked vpon Septimius and thus spake Haue not I knowne thee heretofore my fellow souldier Septimius disdaining to answere him at all only nodded his head to him and when Pompey was rising out of the boate Septimius first run him through with his sword LVCANS Pharsalia The Ninth Booke The Argument Pompey's departed spirit to heaven ascends His wife and sons lament Cato commends His worthy life checks the Cilicians And marching are the scorched Libyan sands To Iuba's Kingdome with strong patience Endures the heat the Southwinds violence And killing serpents venome Caesar sees Renowned Troys defac'd antiquities To Aegypt comes and with dissembling breath Complaines and weepes for noble Pompey's death IN Pharian coales his ghost could not remaine Nor those few ashes his great spirit containe Out from the graue he issues and forsakes Th' vnworthy fire and halfe burnt limbs and takes Vp to the convexe of the sky his flight Where with blacke ayre the starry poles doe meete The space betwixt the regions of the moone And earth halfe-deify'd soules possesse alone Whom fiery worth in guiltlesse liues has taught To brooke the lower part of heaven and brought Them to th'aeternall sphaeres which not they hold That are with incense bury'd tomb'd in gold There filled with true light with wondring eyes The wandring planets and first stars he sees He sees our day involv'd in midst of night And laughes at his torne trunkes ridiculous plight Then ore the Aemathian fields his scatter'd fleete And bloody Caesars troopes he tooke his flight And with revenge for these dire facts possest Catoâ—s bold hart and brutus noble breast Cato while chance was a doubtfull and at stake Whom civill war Lord of the world would make Then hated Pompey though with Pompey he Led by the Senate and Romes Auspicy Had fought but when Pharsaliaes field was try'd He altogether favour'd Pompey's side His countrey wanting a protector then He tooke and chear'd the trembling hearts of men And â—utting swords in fearefull hands againe Made civill war neither for hope of reigne Nor feare of bondage nought at all in war For his owne sake did he his forces are Since Pompey's death alone for liberty VVhich lest the speed of Caesars victory Should seaze vpon being dispersed ore The coast he sailes vnto Corcyra's b shore And in a thousand ships carryes away The conquer'd remnant of Pharsalia Who would haue thouâ—ht so great a fleete had held All flying men that conquer'd ships had fill'd The straitned seas from thence they saile away To ghost-fill'd Taenarus and long Males Thence to Cytherus Boreas blowing faire Crete flyes and getting a good sea they cleare The Cretan coast Phycus that durst deny Their men to land they sacke deservedly And thence along the deepe while faire winds blow Vnto thy shore oh Palinurus goe For not alone doth our Italian sea Keepe monuments of thee but Libya Can witnesse well calme harbours once did please Thy Phrygian master when vpon the seas Descrying shâ—pâ— afar they gan to feare Whether the men their foes or partners were Caesars knowne speed gaue them just cause to feare And still suspect his comming every where But those sad ships brought greife and woes and crys Able to draw soft teares from Catoes eyes For after that Cornelia all in vaine â—est Pompey's tâ—unke beat from the shore againe Should floate at sea by prayers had striv'd to draw From flight the sailers and her son in law When from the shore that little fire descry'd His most vâ—worthy funerall she cry'd Seem'd I not worthy then fortune to thee To light my husbands funerall fire and ly Stretch'd out on his cold limbs burne his torne haires And gathering his sea-scatterd limbs with teares To bath each wound with bones and ashes hot To fiâ—l my lap and in the temples put The sad remainder of his funerall That fir's no honour to his hearse at all Besides perhaps some hands of Aegypt now This loathed office to his ashes doe Well did the Crassi's ashes naked ly For by the gods far greater cruelty Is Pompey burnt Still shall my woes appeare In the same shape and shall I nere interre My slaughter'd Lords and at full vâ—nes lament What need'st thou tombe or any instrument Of sorrow wretch doth not thy breast containe Thy Pompey and his image still remaine VVithin thee let those wiues that meane to liue After their Lords vrnes to their ashes giue But yet the fire that lends you envious light From Aegypts shore brings nothing to my sight Of thee deare Pompey now the flame is gone The vanisht smoake beares to the rising Sunne Pompey aloft the windes vnwillingly Beare vs from thence yet is no land to me Though triumph'd by my Lord as Conquerer Nor chariot deck'd with laurell halfe so deare My breast has quite forgot his happinesse And loues that Pompey whom Niles shores possesse Faine would â— stay vnder this guilty clime The land 's enobled by so great a crime I would not leaue beleeue me Aegypts shore Sextus try thou the chance of war and ore The spacious world thy fathers colours beare This his last will was trusted to my care VVhen me of breath deaths fatall hower shall reaue To you my sonnes this civill warre I leaue And let not Caesar's race in quiet â—eigne VVhilest any of our stocke on earth remaine Solicite kingdomes and free powerfull townes By my names fame these are the factions These are the armes I leaue what Pompey ere VVould goe to sea shall finde a navy there My heires may stirre war in what land they will Be but couragious and remember still Your fathers lawfull power Serue vnder none But Cato whilest he fights for Rome alone I haue perform'd thy trust done thy behest Deare Lord thy cunning did prevaile and lest False I those words of trust should nere deliver Deceiu'd I liv'd Now Pompey wheresoever Th' art gone through hell if any hell there be Or empty Chaos I will follow thee How long my life 's decree'd I doe not know If long I le punish it for lasting so For not expiring when it first did see Thy wounds with sorrow broken it shall dy It shall dissolue in teares no halter sword Or praecipâ—ce shall death to me afford It were a shame for me now thou art gone Not to haue power to dye with griefe alone This said and covering with a vaile her head Vnder the hatches she resolv'd to lead A life in darkenesse neerely hugging woe She feedes on teares and for her husband now Embraces greife The noise of stormy winde Nor cryes of fearefull saâ—lers mooue her minde Her hope contrary to the sailers is Compos'd for
at noone is mounted high Those trees no shadow can diffuse at all Their boughs scarse hide their trunkes No shade or small The Sunbeames make since perpendicular It is perceiv'd this is the region where The summer Tropicke hits the Zodiacke The signes obliquely rise not but direct Nor more direct the Bull then Scorpio Moist Capricornus then hot Cancer goe Nor Gemeni then Sagitarius Nor Leo then oppos'd Aquarius Virgo then Pisces Libraes motion Then Aries But whom the torrid zone Divides from vs those people ever see The shadowes Southward which here Northward be You slowly seeing Cynosure suppose Her vndrench'd carre into the Ocean goes And that no Northerne signe from seas is free You stand far distant from each axeltree Your signes in midst of heaven converted be The Easterne people standing at the doore The oracles of horned Ioue t'implore Gaue place to Cato whom his souldiers ply That of that Libyan far-fam'd deity His future fates event he would be taught Him Labienus most of all besought Chance and the fortune of our way quoth he Lâ—nd vs the mouth of that great deity And his sure counsells we may now implore His powerfull guidance through this war and ore The dangerous Syrtes For to whom should I Beleeue the gods would truly or certify Their secret wills then Catoes holy breast Whose life to heavenly lawes was still addrest And follow'd god behold we now haue heere A freedome given to talke with Iupiter Cato enquires of wicked Caesars fate And know what shall be Romes ensuing state Whether this civill war be made in vaine Or shall our lawes and liberties maintaine Let Ammon's sacred voice thy breast inspire Thou lover of strict vertue now desire To know what vertue is seeke from aboue Approovement of the trueth He full of Ioue Whom in his secret breast he carried ever These temple worthy speeches did deliver What Labienus should I seeke to know If I had rather dye in armes then bow Vnto a Lord if life be nought at all No difference betwixt long life and small If any force can hurt men vertuous If fortune loose when vertue doth oppose Her threats if good desires be happinesse And vertue grow not greater by successe Thus much we know nor deeper can the skill Of Ammon teach The gods are with vs still And though their oracles should silent be Nought can we doe without the gods decree Nor needes he voices what was fit to know The great Creator at our births did show Nor did he choose these barren sands to shew Hiding it heere his trueth but to a few Is there a seate of god saue earth and sea Aire heaven and vertue why for god should we Seeke further what ere moues what ere is seene Is Ioue For oracles let doubtfull men Fearefull of future chances troubled be Sure death not oracles ascertaine mee The coward and the valiant man must fall This is enough for Ioue to speake to all Then marching thence the temples faith he saues And to the people vntry'd Ammon leaues Himselfe afoot before his weary'd bands Marches with piâ—e in hand and not commands But shewes them how to labour never sits In coach or charriot sleepes the least a nights Last tasts the water When a fountaines found He stayes a foot till all the souldiers round And every cullion drinke If fame be due To truest goodnesse if you simply view Vertue without successe what ere we call In greatest Romans great was fortune all Who could deserue in prosperous war such fame Or by the nations blood so great a name Rather had I this vertuous triumph win In Libyaes desert sands then thrice be seene In Pompey's laurell'd charriot or to lead Iugurtha captiue Here behold indeed Rome thy true father by whose sacred name Worthy thy Temples it shall never shame People to sweare whom if thou ere art free Thou wilt hereafter make a deity Now to a torrid clime they came more hot Then which the gods for men created not Few waters heere are seene but in the sands One largely-flowing fountaine only stands But full of Serpents as it could containe There on the bankes hot killing Aspes remaine And Dipsases in midst of water dry VVhen Cato saw his men for thirst would dy Fearing those waters thus he spake to them Feare not to drinke souldiers this wholesome streame Be not affrighted with vaine shewes of death The snakes bite deadly fatall are their teeth VVhen their dire venome mixes with our blood The water 's safe Then of the doubtfull flood He drinkes himselfe there only the first draught Of all the Libyan waters Cato sought VVhy Libyaes aire should be infected so VVith mortall plagues what hurtfull secrets grow Mixt with the noxious soile by natures hand Our care nor labour cannot vnderstand But that the world in the true cause deceiv'd In stead of that a common tale receiv'd In Libyaes farthest part whose scorched ground The Ocean warm'd by setting Sol doth bound Medusas countrey lay whose barren fields No trees doe cloath whose soile no herbage yeilds Chang'd by her looke all stones and rockes they grow Heere hurtfull nature first those plagues did show First from Medusas jawes those serpents growne Hissed with forked tongues and hanging downe Like womans haire vpon her backe gaue strokes Vnto her pleased necke In stead of lockes Vpon her horrid front did serpents hisse Her combe comb'd poyson downe no part but this Safe to be seene about Medusa was For who ere fear'd the monsters mouth and face Whom that had view'd her with an eye direct Did she ere suffer sence of death t' affect She hasten'd doubting fate preventing dread Their bodyes dy'd before their soules were fled Enclosed soules with bodyes turn'd to stone The furyes haires could madnesse worke alone Cerberus hissing Orpheus musicke still'd Alcides saw that Hydra which he kill'd But this strange monster even her father who Is the seas second god her mother too Cetos and Gorgon sisters feared she Could strike a numnesse through the sea and sky And harden all the world into a stone Birds in their flight haue fall'n conjealed downe Running wilde beasts to rockes converted were And all the neighbouring Aethiopians there To marble statues not a creature brookes The sight of her t' avoide the Gorgons lookes Her snakes themselues backeward themselues invert She neere Alcides pillars could convert Titanian Altâ—s to an hill and those Giants with serpents feete that durst oppose The gods themselues those wars in Phlegra field Her face could end but shew'd in Pallas sheild Thither the sonne of showre rap'd Daâ—ae Borne on th' Arcadian wings of Mercury Inventer of the harpe and wrestling game Flying through th' aire with borrow'd Harpe came Harpe whom monsters blood before did staine When he that kept Ioves loued cow was slaine Aide to her winged brother Pallas gaue Conditioning the Gorgons head to haue She bids him fly to Libyaes Easterne bound His face averted or the Gorgons ground In his left
hand a shield of shinning brasse Wherein to see the stone transforming face Of sterne Medusa Pallas bad him keepe Then lay'd Medusa in an endlesse sleepe But yet not all part of her snaky haire Defends her head some snakes still waking are Some ore her face and sleeping eylids glide Minerva doth th'averted Perseus guide And with a trembling hand directs the stroake Of his Cyllenian Harpe which quite broke Her large snake-cover'd necke How strange a looke Had Gorgons head cut off by Perseus stroke And towring blade what poyson did arise In her blacke mouth what death shot from her eyes Which not Minerva durst to looke vpon And Perseus sure had bin congeal'd to stone Had not Minerva hid that dismall face With those snake-haires Now Perseus flyes a pace To heaven with Gorgons head but in his mind Considering how the nearest way to find Over the midst of Europe meanes to fly But Pallas straight forbids that injury To Europes fruitfull fields and bids him spare The people there for who can in the ayre Refraine to gaz when such a bird he spyes Perseus converts his course and Westward flyes Ore desert Libya whose vnfruitfull seat Vntill'd lyes ope to nought but Phaebus heat Who runs his burning course straight ore their heads No land then this a larger shadow spreads ' Gainst heaven nor more the moones ecclipse doth cause When straying not in latitude she drawes Neither to North nor South but still is found In signes direct· Yet this vnfruitfull ground Barren in all that 's good a seed could yeild From venome which Medusaes head distill'd From those dire drops mixt with the putrid earth Sols aiding heat did giue new monsters birth First from that dust so mixt with poyson bred Rose the sleep-causing Aspe with swelling head Made of the thickest drop of Gorgons gore Which in no serpent is compacted more She wanting heat seekes not a colder clime Content to liue in her owne Libyaes slime But oh how shamelesse is our thirst of gaine Those Libyan deaths are carryed ore the maine And Aspes at Rome are sold as marchandise In scaly folds the great Haemorrhus lyes Whose bite from all parts drawes the flowing blood Chersidros then that both in land and flood Of doubtfull Syrtes liues Chelydri too That make a reeking slime where ere they goe The Cenchris creeping in a tract direct Whose speckled belly with moe spots is dect Then ere the various Theban marble takes Sand-colour'd Ammodytes the horned snakes That creepe in winding tracks the Scytale No snake in winter casts her skin but she The double-head Dipsas that thirsty makes The water-spoyling Newte the dart-like snakes The Pareas whose way his tale doth guide The Prester too whose sting distendeth wide The wounded's foamy mouth the Seps whose bite Consumes the bones dissolues the body quite The Basiliske whose hisse all snakes doth scarre Hurtfull before the venome touch who far All vulgar serpents from his sight commands Reigning alone vpon the empty'd sands You dragons too glistring in golden pride Who hurtlesse wander through all lands beside Hot Affrik mortall makes aloft you fly Through the ayre on wings and follow speedily The heards your strokes the mightyest buls destroy Great Elephants not escape you all you kill Nor neede you poysons helpe to worke your will This thirsty way among these venom'd snakes Cato amidst his hardy souldiers takes Where many losses of his men he found And deaths vnusuall from a little wound A trodden Dipsas turning backe his head Did bite young Aulus Ensigne bearer bred Of Tyrrhene race no griefe nor paine ensew'd His wound no pity found no danger shew'd But in alas did fiery venome deepe Into his maâ—row and scorch'd entrailes creepe Which quite drunke vp all moisture that should flow Into his vitall parts his palate now And tongue is scorch'd and dry no sweate could goe To his tir'd joynts from 's eyes no teares could flow His place nor his sad generalls command Could stay this thirsty man out of his hand He throwes his Eagle water runs to haue Which the dry venome in his heart did craue Though he in midst of Tanais did ly Padus or Rodanus he would be dry Or drinke the streamer where ever Nilus flowes The soyle ads to his drought the worme doth loose Her venoms fame help'd by so hot a land He digs and seekes each veine in all the sand Now to the Syrts he goes and in his mouth Salt water takes which could not quench his drought Although it pleas'd He did not know what kinde Of death he dy'd nor his disease could finde But thinkes it thirst and now full faine he would Rip open all his veines and drinke his blood Cato commands them loath his men should stay To know what thirst was straight to march away But a more wofull death before his eye Appear'd A Seps no poore Sabellus thigh Hung by the teeth which he straight with his hands Cast off and with his pile nail'd to the sands A little snake but none more full then she Of horrid death the flesh falls off that nigh The wound did grow the bones are bared round Without the body naked shewes the wound His shankes fall off matter each members fills His knees are bar'd his groine blacke filth distills And every muscle of his thighes dissolues The skin that all his naturall parts involues Breaking lets fall his bowels nor doth all That should remaine of a dead body fall The cruell venome eating all the parts Alâ— to a little poisonous filth converts The poison breakes his nerues his ribs doth part Opens his hollow breast there shewes his heart His vitalls all yea all that man composes And his whole nature this foule death discloses His head necke shoulders and strong armes doe flow In venomous filth not sooner melts the snow By hot South windes nor waxe against the Sunne This is but small I speake burnt bodyes run Melted by fire in filth but what fire ere Dissolv'd the bones no bones of his appeare Following their putrid iuice they leaue no signe Of this swift death the palme is only thine Of all the Libyan snakes the soule take they But thou alone the carcasse tak'st away But lo a death quite contrary to it Marsian Nasidius an hot Prester bit Whose face and cheekes a suddaine fire did rost His flesh and skin was stretch'd his shape was lost His swelling body is distended far Past humane growth and vndistinguishd are His limmes all parts the poison doth confound And he lyes hid in his owne body drown'd Nor can his armour keepe his swolne growth in Not more doth boyling water rise within A brazen caldron nor are sailes more swell'd By Westerne windes No limme he now can weild A globe deform'd he is an heape confus'd Which ravening beasts did feare which birds refus'd To which his friends durst doe no obsequy Nor touch but from the growing carcasse fly But yet these snakes present more horrid sights A fierce Hamorrhus noble
LVCANS PHARSALIA OR THE CIVILL WARRES OF ROME betweene POMPEY the great and IVLIVS CAESAR The whole tenne Bookes Englished by THOMAS MAY Esquire The second Edition corrected and the Annotations inlarged by the Author LONDON Printed by Aug. Mathewes for Thomas Iones and are to be sold at his shop in St. Dunstanes Church-yard 1631. THis dying Figure that rare Lucan showes Whose lofty genius great Apollo chose When Roman liberty opprâ—st should dy To sing her sad and solemne obsequy In stately numbers high as Rome was great And not so much to yeares indebted yet As thou fam'd Maro when thy infant verse The Gnats low funerall did first reherse Thy favourâ—d Muse did finde a different fate Thou gott'st Augustus loue he Nero's hate But t was an act more great and high to moue A Princes envy then a Princes loue Heu Nero crudelis nullaque inuisior umbra Debuit hoc saltem non licuisse tibi Martial LVCAN'S Pharsalia OR THE CIVILL Warres of Rome betweene POMPEY the great and IVLIVS CAESAR The whole ten Bookes Englished by Thomas May. Esquire LONDON Printed for Thomas Iones Anno 1631. TO THE RIGHT Honorable WILLIAM Earle of Devonshire c. MY LORD THe great subiect of this stately Poem together with the worth of the noble Author haue enboldned me to present the Translation how meanely soever I have performed it to your Honourable hand I cannot but presume that the high and rich conceits of Lucan from your deepe iudgement shall finde their proper and due approbation and my defects from your noble candor an easie and gentle censure The matter of this Worke is a true History adorned and heightned with Poetical raptures which doe not adulterate nor corrupt the truth but giue it a more sweet and pleasant relish The History of it is the greatest of Histories the affaires of Rome whose transcendent greatnes will admit no coÌ„parison with other States either before or after it Rome was then at that great height in which S. Augustin wished to haue seen it which after Ages almost with adoration haue admired and do rather coniecture then fully comprehend The blood of her valiant citizens and the conquests and triumphs of so many ages had raised her now to that vnhappy height in which shee could neither retaine her freedom without great troubles nor fall into a Monarchy but most heavy and distastfull In one the greatnesse of private Citizens excluded moderation in the other the vast strength and forces of the Prince gaue him too absolute and vndetermined a power The vices of Rome did at this time not only grow vp to their power but overthrow it Luxury and Pride the wicked daughters of so noble a Mother as the Roman Vertue began to consume that which brought them forth These were the seeds of that faction which rent the State and brought in violently a change of governement The two heads of this great division if wee may terme Pompey the head of a faction not rather the true servant of the publike State were Pompey the great and Julius Caesar men of greater eminence then the former ages had seene any whose prosperous atchiuements in forreine wars had too far enabled them to ruine that state which before they served The Author of it was a noble Roman rich in his minde as his large fortunes of whose happy conceits and high raptures I forbeare to dispute or any way anticipate your Lordships iudgement To whose noble censure I refer both the Author and my poore endeavours and shall ever rest Your Lordships to command THO. MAY. THE LIFE OF MARCVS ANNAEVS LVCANVS MARCVS Annaeus Lucanus was by nation a Spaniard and borne at Cordubu His fathers name was Marcus Annaeus Mela sonne to Lucius Annaeus Seneca the oratour and brother to Iulius Gallio and Lucius Seneca the Philosopher Nero's Tutor The two elder Brothers employed at Rome in state affaires especially Seneca arrived at the height both of dignity and renowne They were both Senatours and by their worthy endeavours deserved not only to bee powerfull in their owne times but famous to all posterity Marcus Mela the youngest brother content with that title which his birth gaue him a Roman knight and preferring the sweetnesse of a countrey life before the glorious trouble of a court employment lived at home at his natiue Corduba hee married Caia Acilia the daughter of Acilius Lucanus the Orator on whom hee begat Marcus Annaeus Lucanus surnamed of his grandfather by the mothers side Annaeus Mela though but a Roman Knight was saith Tacitus a great man and hee begate Lucan no small addition to his greatnesse a great testimony of Lucan's worth from so judicious an author as Cornelius Tacitus He was borne at Corduba the third of the Nones of November in the second Consulship of Caius Caesar Germanicus with Lucius Caesianus When he was eight moneths old his father brought him to Rome to season his infancy so soone as it might bee capable with the choisest education in learning and manners At which time if we may credit fame and as was before reported of Plato Bees swarmed about the childes cradle and pressed in clusters toward his mouth A happy presage as the learned interpreted it of his future wit and admired eloquence His Tutors and Schoolemasters were the most eminent and famous men of those times Rhemnius Palaemon the Grammarian and Flavius Virginius the Rhetorician By whose carefull instructions as by his owne diligence and admirable facility of naturall wit he arrived in a short time to an high perfection as well in the Greeke as Roman language Of all his schoolefellowes hee most vsed the friendship of Salcius Bassus Anlus Persius the Satyrist Hee marryed Polla Argentaria the daughter of Pollius Argentarius a Noble Rich and learned Lady Brought to the Court by his Vncle Seneca he grew suddainly into great favour with Nero the Emperour He was made Quaestor before the vsuall time and admitted into the Colledge of Augurs But what vertue could long be safe in such a Court the jealous tyrant being not able to brooke another mans praises who amongst all his other crueltyes was most severe in depressing the fame of deserving Men. Nero therefore envying the Wit and excellent Poetry of Lucan supprest his works and forbad him any more to recite Verses Which indignity of all other most hard to bee endured as witty Martiall Qui velit ingenio cedere rarus erit Discontenting Lucan drew him into Pisoes conspiracy The conspiracy detected Lucan by Nero was commanded to dy but liberty given him to choose his death Who after a full feast bad the Physitians cut his veines and when hee perceived through losse of blood his hands and feete to waxe cold and the vitall spirits forsaking the outward parts of his body with a minde and looke vndaunted hee recited these Veries of his owne in the third booke of his Pharialia Scinditur auulsus nec sicut vulnere sanguis Emicuit lextus ruptis cadit
be the gods owne crime who would endure To see the world dissolue himselfe secure Who could look on when heaven should fal earth faile And the conâ—usde world perish and not waile Shall vnknowne Nations in our Roman war Engage themselues and forreine Kings from far Crossing the Seas and shall I rest alone Farre be it gods the Daci and Getes should mone Their losses in Rome's fall and Cato lie Secure as parents when their children die In person mourne build vp with their owne hands The funerall pyle and light the fatall brands I will not leaue thee Rome till I embrace Thy hearse and liberty thy dying face And fleeting Ghost with honour doe attend So let it goe let th' angry gods intend A compleate Romane sacrifice no blouds Will we defraud the war of would the gods Of heaven and Erebâ—â— would now strike dead For all our crimes this one condemned head Devoted Decius by his foes could fall Me let both Roman hosts assault and all Rhines barbarous troupes let me i' th midst receiue All darts all wounds that this sad war can giue Let me redeeme the people let my Fate What ere Romes manners merit expiate Why should the easily conquer'd people die That can endure a Lord Strike onely me Me with all swords and Piles that all in vaine Our wronged lawes and liberties maintaine This throate shall peace to Italy obtaine After my death he that desires to raigne Need not make war but now let 's follow all The common Ensignes Pompey generall Though he orecome 't is not yet knowne that he Meanes to himselfe the worlds sole Monarchy I le helpe him conquer lest he should suppose He conquers for himselfe From this arose Young Brutus courage this graue speech too farre Made the young man in loue with civill war Now Phoebus driving the cold darke away They heard a noyse at doore v chast Martiae Come from Hortensius tombe stood knocking there Once given a Mayd in marriage happier But when the fruit and price of wedlocke she Three births had payd another Family To fill was fruitfull Martia lent a Bridle To joyne two houses by the Mothers side Now wâ—en Hortensius ashes vined rest She in her funerall robes beating her breast With often strokes and tearing her loose haire Sprinkled with ashes from the Sepulchre To please sowre Cato with a gesture sad Thus speakes Whilst blood childing strength I had Cato I did thy will two husbands tooke Now worne away and with oft travell â—roke I come no more to part grant now our old Wedlocks vntasted rites grant me to hold The empty name of wife and on my Tombe Write Cato's Martia lest in time to come It may be ask'de whether I left the bed Of my first Lord bestow'de or banished Nor câ—me I now prosperity to share But to partake thy labours and sad care Let me attend the Campe leaue me not heere In peace Cornelia to the war so neere These speaches mou'd the man though these times are Vnfit for Hymen when Fate cals to war VVithout vaine pompe to tye a nuptiall knot In the gods presence he refuses not No garlands on the marriage doores were worne Nor linnen fillets did the posts adorne No bridall Tapers shone no bed on high VVith Ivory steps and gold embrodery No Matron in a towred crowne that led The Bride forbid her on the threshold tread No yellow veile cover'd her face to hide The fearefull blushes of a modest Bride No precious girdle guirded her loose Gowne No Chaine adornd her necke nor linâ—en downe From off her shoulders her nak'de armes orespred So as she was funerall habited Even like her Sonnes her Husband she embrac'de A funerall robe aboue her purple plac'de The vsuall Iests were sparde the husband wants After the Sabine vse his marriage tants None of their kindred met the knot they tye Silent content with Brutus auspicy His ore-growne haire he from that sacred face Shaues not nor will in his sad lookes embrace One joy since first that wicked war begun He lets his vnshorne hoary lockes fall downe Ore his rough front and a sad beard to hide His cheekes for he alone from factions free'd Or hate had leasure for mankinde to weepe Nor in his bridall bed would Cato sleepe Even lawfull loue could continence reject These were his manners this sowre Cato's sect To keepe a meane hold fast the end and make Nature his guide dye for his Countreys sake For all the world not him his life was lent He thinks his feasts but hungers banishment His choisest buildings were but fence for cold His best attire rough gownes such as of old VVas Roman weare and nothing but desire Of progeny in him warm'd Venus sire Father and husband both to Rome was he Servant to justice and strict honesty For th'publike good in none of Catoes acts Creepes selfe borne pleasure or her share exacts Now with his fearefull troopes Pompey the great To Trojan Capua fled mean't there to seate The war his scatter'd strength there to vnite And his aspiring foes assaults to meete VVhere Apenine rais'd somewhat higher fills The midd'st of Italy with shady hills Then which no part of earth dooes swell more high In any place nor neerer meetes the sky The mountaine twixt two seas extended stands Th'vpper and lower sea on the right hand Is Pisae seated on the Tyrrhene shore Ancona on the left vex'd evermore VVith stormes and windes that from Dalmatia blow Heere from vast founâ—aines doe great rivers flow And into th'double seas divorce doe slide In severall channells downe on the left side Metaurus swift and strong Crustumium flow Isapis ioyn'd t'Isaurus Sonna too And Aufidus the Adriaticke beates Eridanus then which no river gets More ground whole forrests rowles into the sea Oreturn'd and robs of rivers Italy They say that Poplars on this rivers side First grew when Phaeton amisse did guide The day his wandring Chariot burnt the skie And scorcht the earth all rivers then were drye But this whose streames did Phoebus fires withstand Not lesse then Nile if on playne Libyan sand It flow'd like Nile not lesse then Ister 't were Vnlesse that Ister running every where The streames that fall into all seas does meet And not alone the Scythian Ocean greet From springs that downe the hils right side doe flow Rutuba Tyber swift Vulturnus grow Night-ayre infecting Sarnus Liris too Runnes strength'ned by the Vestine rivers through Maricars wooddy lands Siler that glides Through Salerne's fields Macra whose Ford abides No ships into the sea neere Luna fall The hill where he in length extended all Meeting the bâ—nding Alpes France oversees Totâ— ' Vmbrians Marsians and Sabellians is Ferâ—ile and does with wooddy armes embrace The people of the ancient Latine race Nor leaues he Italy before he end In the Scyllaean cavernes and extend Vnto Lacinian Iuno's house his hill Longer he was then Italy vntill The sâ—a divided him and water forc'd The land then when two meeting seas
hornest ' engirâ— the adverse fleet As when strong windes with tydes repugnant meet One way the Sea the waues another go These ships vpon the furrow'de Ocean so Make different tracts and waues vpon the maine Which oares rais'd the sea beats downe againe But the Greeke vessels were more nimble far Either to flye or turne about the war They could without long tedious turning weild Themselues and quickly to the sterne could yeeld The Roman ships slow keel'd would firmely stand And lend sure footing like a fight by land The master then of his Praetorian ship Brutus be spake why doest thou let them slip Leaue thy Sea-tricks and joyne the battells close ' Gainst the Phocaicke stemmes â—ur ships oppose He straight obeyes and turnes his owne broâ—d side Against their stemmes what ship so ere they tride To encounter her with her owne stroke orecome Stiâ—kes fast and is surprisde they hoâ—ke in some With oares some some they with chaines hold fast On the seas cover'd face the war is plac'd No brandisht Iavelins manage now the war No darted steele bestowing wounds from far Hands ioyne with hands and in this Navall fight The sword acts all in their owne ships vpright They face their foes prone strokes some fal down slaine In their owne ships dy'd is the Ocean And the waues stiffen'd with congealâ—d blood Ships hook't together could not meet withstood By falling carcasses some halfe dead sinke And their owne bloud mixt with salt water drinke Some that desire their strugling liues to keepe Fall in the ruines of their broken ship Iavelins that mist the aime they did intend Fall in the sea and finish there their end Finding their bodies to receiue a wound A Roman ship by Greeks inviron'd round Fights stiffely still on left hand and on right Maintaining long ' gainst all a doubtfull fight Vpon whose lofty decke whilst Taâ—us bold Strived a seazed Graecian flag to hold Two darts together sent together split His breast and backe and in the middle meet The blood not knowing yet which way to run Makes stand but out at last both darts are throwne He in two wounds his dying soule divides Hither his ship whilst haplesse Telo guides Then whom none better on a boistrous sea Could guide a ship none better knew then he Tomorrow 's weather if the Sunne he spy'de Or Moone and could for futâ—â—re stormes provide He vvith his stemme a Roman ship had broke But through his heart a trembling javelin stroke The ship turnes off following his dying hand Gyareus leaping to his friends command Straight with a Roman javelin strongly flung Was slaine and to the ship fast nailed hung Two twinnes stand vp their fruitfull mothers fame That from one wombe with fates far different came Death parâ—s them their sad parents reft of one Without mistaking know their living sonne Whose lookes the cause of lasting sorrow keepe And make his friends for his slaine brother weepe One of those twinnes from his Greeke ship was bold Vpon a Roman keele to lay strong hold But from aboue a stroke cuts off his hand Which in the place did still fast bended stand And kept the hold the nerues more stiffe became By death his courage by this noble maime Was rais'd and greater by this accident His valiant left hand ' gainst his foes he bent And rushes on his lost right hand to reach But that alas another sword did fetch Off by the shoulder now both hands were gone Nor sword nor target could he weild yet downe He did not sinke but naked breasted stood Formost to saue his armed brothers blood And there all darts all wounds that were ordain'd For many deaths one dying breast contein'd And then his soule fleeting so many wayes He recollects and in his tir'd limmes stayes That little strength and blood was left to skip Before his death into the Roman ship His enemies by weight alone t' oppresse For now the ship laden with carcasses And full of blood bor'd through the side had been And through her â—eakes drinking the water in Was fill'd vp to the hatches sinking than It turn'd the face of the neere Ocean The waters to the sinking ship gaue way And in her roome clos'd vp againe That day Miraculous fates the Ocean did behold An iron hooke throwne to lay violent hold Vpon a ship on Lycidas did light Drown'd had he been but his friends hinder'd it And on his lower parts caught hold in two The man was pluckt nor did his blood spin slow As from a wound but gushing in one spout From all his broken vaines at once let out Into the sea falls his life-carrying blood Never so great a passage open stood To let out any soule life straight forsakes His lower halfe since vitall parts it lackes But in his vpper halfe since in that part Lay the soft lungs and life susteining heart Death staâ—es a while and findes repugnancy Nor at one time could all his members dye The men that mann'd one ship eager of fight All pressing to one side leaue empty quite The other side whose weight ore turn'd the ship Which topsie turvy sinking downe did keepe The Saylers vnder water all of them Were drown'd nor could their armes haue roome to swim One horrid kind of death that day was seene A yong man swimming was whose breast betweene Two meeting Ships sharpe stemms was bored through The brazen stemms through bones and flesh did goe And made a noise his squeezed belly sent Vp through his mouth blood mixt with excrement But when the ships divide themselues againe The body throwne into the Ocean The water through his bored bosome came Now in the Sea shipwrack'd Massiâ—iaâ—s swame Towards their fellowes ship to saue their liues But that already over burden'd strâ—ues To keepe her friends though thus distressed out And from aboue with swords the Souldiers cut Their armes when hold vpon the ship they lay Then downe againe into the Sea fall they Leauing their hands behinde the Ocean Can now no longer their maim'd trunkes sustaine But now when all the Souldiers darts were gone Fury finds weapons Oares by some are throwne Against their foes with a strong arme The mast Do some teare downe and in their fury cast Some teare the Saylers seates bords from the decke Some throwe for weapons they their ships do breake Some wanting swords their friends dead bodies spoile From his owne breast one drawes the mortall Pile With the left hand holding the wound so long To keepe in blood and strength till he had flung The iavelin at his foe then lets it run But nothing wrought so much destruction At Sea as Seas opposed Element The fire which wrapt in vnctious stuffe was sent And sulphur balles the ships apt fuell were Their pitch and melting waxe tooke easily fire Nor now could water quench th'vnruly flame Fragments of broken ships still burning swam Into the Sea to quench his fire one skips For feare of drowning to the burning ships Another cleaues that
death that vvas most neare Among a thousand deaths they most did feare Nor did their shipwrackt valouridly liue Darts floating on the waues they take and giue Their fellowes in the ship or on the seas Themselues those darts though feebly exercise When vveapons vvant the seas their vveapons be Foes grasping foes together gladly die But in that fight one Phocian did excell To search the seas he vnder vvater vvell Could keepe his breath diue to the lowest sands And loosen fastned anchors with his hands He grapling vvith a foe downe in the maine Had sunke and drown'd him and himselfe againe Safe and a conquerour rose but rising found Ships in his vvay and so at last was drown'd Some with their armes on their foes oares lay hold To stay their flight deare as they could they sold Their liues some vvounded to keepe off the blowes From their friends ships their bodies enterpose Tyrrhenus standing on the decke aloft â—â—gdamus vvith a Balearicke shaft VVounded the ponderous lead his temples broke His falling eyes their hollow feate forsooke The opticke nerues and ligaments were broke He now starke blind amazed at the stroake Thinks this to be deaths darknesse finding than That all his limmes their perfect strength retaine Fellowes quoth he place me vvhere I may throw A pile and plant me as you vse to doe Engines of vvar this little life that now Remaines Tyrrenus on all hazzards throw This body though in part already dead VVill serue for vvarlike vses and instead Of men aliue take vvounds Thus hauing spoke In his blind aymelesse hand a Pile he shooke And threw it not in vaine vvhich as it light Below his belly noble Argus hit VVhose vveight now falling made it further glide Argus vnhappy Sire on t'other side The beaten ship then stood to none vvould he VVhen he vvas young in feates of souldiery Giue place his strength is now by age decay'de And he no Souldier but a patterne made He seeing his sonne fall vvith trembling step Stumbling along came to that side the ship And finding there the body panting yet No teares fell from his cheekes nor did he beat His vvofull breast His hands now stiffe vvere growne And all his joynts cold numnesse seizes on A suddaine darkenesse closes vp his eyes That he discernes not Argus vvhom he sees Argus his dying head began to reare And feebâ—e necke seeing his Father there Speachlesse yet seem'd in silence to demand A kisse and to invite his Fathers hand To close his dying eyes but the old man Free from amaze vvhen bloody griefe began To recollect his strength I vvill not loose That time quoth he that angry fâ—te bestowes Pardon thy wretched father that from thee Argus and from thy last embrace I flee Thy wounds warme bloud yet signes of life do giue Th' art but halfe dead and yet a whilâ— maist liue I le goe before thee Sonne these words exprest And with a bloudy sword piercing his brest He leapt into the sea hasting to death Before his dearest Sonne his flitting breath Vnto one single kind of destiny He durst not trust Now great commanders dye And now no longer doubtfull is the fight Some of the Greekes are sunke by hasty flight Some get into the haven others beare Changing their loade the Roman Conquerer But now sad Parents mournings fill the towne The shore with mothers lamentation Did ring instead of her deare husbands face A weeping wife mistaken did embrace A Roman Fathers funerall rites to giue About their Sonnes deformed bodies striue But Brutus Conquerer on the Ocean To Caesar's side first navall honour wan FINIS Libri tertii Annotations on the third Booke a The vsuall time of mourning among the Romans for the losse of Husband or wife was ten moneths within which space of time it was accounted infamous to marry and therefore Cornelia daughter to Lucius Scipio and Widow of Pub. Crassus who was married to Pompey the great within that time it here stiled by Iulia strumpet b Caesar although it much concerned him to pursue Pompey and overtake him before his strength were too much encreased by forreine aide yet partly for want of ships and partly fearing lest in his absence there might happen some new commotion in Italy and withall fearing the Pompeian army that was then in Spaine vnder the conduct of Afranius and Peticius he resolved first to goe and settle things at Rome and afterwards to goe fight against those armies in Spaine c Valerius was sent into Sardinia to fetch Corne and Curio into Sicily as Propraetor with three legions those countreys were two the greatest Granaries of the Romane Empire d Caesar assembled the Senators into Apolloes temple and there with curteous language excused himselfe concerning this war as a thing vndertaken only to preserue his owne dignity against the envy and iniury of a few he entreateth them to take care of the common-wealth and ioyne with him in it likewise to send Embassadors to Pompey and the Consuls concerning peace e The Tribunitiall power was held so sacred that whosoever did offer any violence vnto it they thought the gods would take revenge and conceived the reason of that great and miserable overthrow which Marcus Crassus received in Parthia to be because Atâ—ejus the Tribune had cursed him as he went away f Caesar passing through the further Gallia and vnderstanding that Domitius whom he had lately taken prisoner at Coâ—finium and released againe was come into Massylia a city that favoured Pompey's faction he called out some of the chiefe of the city and admonished them not too much to obey one man and so draw a warre vpon themselues thâ—y shut the gates against Caesar but requested him gently to passe by them hoping by that meanes to haue kept themselues in safety and to haue remained as neuters in the war but that drew this heavy seidge vpon them Vnhappy Massilia saith Florus which desiring too much to preserue her peace for feare of war fell into a war g Caesar had sent Caius Fabius his Lieutenant with three legions into Spaine to dislodge Afranius a Lieutenant of Pompey's in the Pyrenaean straights and now himselfe leaving Caius Trebonius to besiedge Massilia by land and Decius Brutus to besiedge it by Sea goes with nine hundred horsemen into Spayne to Fabius his campe h The story in the place concerning the firing of these workes which Caesars souldiers had raised and the actions of the Massyâ—ians is not rightly related by Lucan but differs much from the relation of true histories LVCANS Pharsasia The Fourth Booke The Argument Caesar in Spaine neere high â—erdaes walls Eâ—campes ' gainst two Pompeyan generalls By suddaine floods his campe endanger'd iâ— Caesar divides the streame of Sicoris Oretakes Petrejus flight who bloodily Breakes off his Souldiers new-made amity But by extremity of thirst compell'd Afranius and himselfe to Caesar yeild Famish'â— Antonius yeilds t' his enemy Vulteius and his valiant cohort dye By their owne swords Curio on Libyaâ— sandâ—
Sword-players to meete they hate by faction This said in open field he leades them on Whom the warres fortune meaning to deceiue After at first does prosperously receiue For Varus he defeated following on Their flying backes in execution Even to the campe When Iuba first did know Of this sad field and Varus overthrow Glad that the glory of the war did stay For him by stealth he leade his troupes away And without noise commanding silence goes Fearing he should be feared of his foes Sabura next in honour to the King With a small troope is sent before to bring Curio on by provocation As if the war were left to him alone Himselfe with all his kingdomes strength below Keepes in the valley The Ichneumon so Provoking by his tailes deceitfull shade Th' Aegyptian Aspe dooes at the last invade Free'd from the deadly venoms danger quite The sâ—rpents throate stretch'd out in vaine to meete A slying shade out the lost poison goes And all about the Aspes jawes vainely flowes Fortune assists this fraud fierce Curio Descrying not the strength of his hid foe Enâ—oines his horsemen all to issue out By night and range the vnknowne fields about And after them himselfe by breake of day With all his Eagles spread marches away Much but in vaine entreated to suspect Libyan deceite and fraudes that still infect The Punicke warres but to his funerall Fate gaue him vp and civill war did call Her author on ore rockes and mountaines high They march when on the hill from farre they spy The foe who cunning seemes to flye away Till he haue set his battells in array Vnder the hill this Curio did not know But thought it flight and like a conquerour now Brings forth his troopes into the open plaine Then first discover'd they this guilefull trainâ— The seeming-fled Numidians they espy'd On the hills tops enclosing every side Curio and his lost troopes astonisht quite The fearefull could not flye the valiant fight The horses now not feirce attrumpets sound Chaw not their foamng bitts beate not the ground Spread not their manes nor doe their eares advance Nor with their wonted spright curyet and prance Their sweating shoulders fum'd their tir'd necks hung And their dry'd mouth thrust out their weary tongue Their breasts and throates hoarse with oft blowing grew Their heavy pulse far their spent bowels drew The fomings dry and hote grew hard vpon The bloody bits no strokes could force them on Nor often spurrings make them mend their speed Wounds make them goe to hasten on the steed Bootes not the rider for the weary horse In comming on wants courage strength and force He onely brings his Rider to the foes And does his breast to all their speares expose But when the Lybian horse came coursing nigh The ground did shake and clouds of dust did flie As great as Thracian whirlewinds blow about Ore the skies cover'd face and darkenesse wrought But when warres miserable fate did fall Vpon the foot no doubtfull field at all Was fought the battell in that time was done That men could die for forth they could not run To make their flight enclos'd on every side From far by darts directly throwne they dy'd Obliquely neere not wounds alone they feele Orewhelm'd with stormes of darts weight of steele Pent vp in a straight roome the army 's kept Those that for feare neer'st to the middle crept Amongst their fellowes swords are not secure For the forefront not able to endure The foes assault slept backe and straighter made The Globe no roome to weild their armes they had Their crowded limmes are prest one armed breast Against another driven to death is prest The conquering Mauritanian could not haue So glad a spectacle as fortune gaue He saw no bodies fall no streames of blood Kept so by crowde vpright the bodies stood Let Fortune this new parentation make For hated Carthages dire spirits sake Let bloody Hanniball and Punicke ghosts Of this sad Roman expiation boast Let not in Lybia gods a Roman fall For Pompey or the Senate make at all Vs rather for her selfe let Affrica Conquer his men ore'throwne when Curio saw And the dust lay'd with blood gaue leaue to see Scorning t'out-liue such a calamity Or hope in flight he meete his death to dye Forward and valiant by necessity What now availes thy place and troubled barres From whence a Tribune to seditious wars Thou stirr'dst the people and the Senates right Betray'dst and could'st to civill war encite The sonne and father in law thy death is wrought Before these Lords haue in Pharsalia fought To see that field is not permitted thee This satisfaction in your bloods giue ye Great ones to wretched Rome and pay for war Oh happy Rome and Romans happyer far Would but the gods aboue as carefull be To keepe as to revenge our liberty Vnburied Curio's noble flesh is food For Libyan birds but since t' will doe no good To conceale that which from times injury Fame still will vindicate wee 'll giue to thee The praise that to thy life dooes appertaine Rome never nurtur'd a more able man Nor one to whom whilest good the lawes ow'd more But vice then hurt our city when the store Of wealth Ambition Riot had declin'd To the worst part his yet vnsetled minde And changed Curio the states fate controul'd Brib'd by the spoiles of France and Caesars gold Though potent Sylla and fierce Marius Cinna and Caesars line got rule ore vs By sword to whom did such power ever fall This man sold Rome the other bought it all FINIS Libri quarts Annotations on the fourth Booke a For this conquest much avayled Caesar having quieted Spaine he might securely prosecute the rest of the war having debarr'd Pompey of those legions on which he most relyed this conquest cost little blood for Afranius and Petreius forced by famine yeilded to Caesar b Afranius and Petreius with aequall power with mutuall loue and care governed fiue legions for Pompey in Spaine and chose Ilerda by the appointment of Pompey as a convenient seate for the war c The Celtae leaving France and passing the Pyrenâ—an mountaines seated themselues by the river Iberus and were called Celtâ—beri d Cinga falling into Iber looses his name to Iber which also giues name to all Spaine e Afranius and Petreius when Caesar's horsemen had stopped their wayes of forraging and fetching in Corne and withall frighted because many cities in that part had revolted to Caesar and the rest were like to follow their example resâ—lved to transserre the war into Celtiberia which remained yet in the friendship of Pompey at having received great benefits from him in the Sertorian war besides they supposed that the fame of Caesar was yet more obscure among those barbarous people therefore at the third watch they secretly dislâ—dged and passing over the river Sicoris they marched with speede toward Iberus When Caesar by his scouts vnderstood this and hearing that beyond there were mountainous strait and
rugged passages which if the enemy should first enter they might with ease keepe him backe and carâ—y the warre into Celtiberia and those farre countreyes he commanded his horsemen with speede to prevent them and himselfe marching through devious and rough wayes arrived first at those places and encamped himselfe betweene Afranius and the river Iberus which Afranius was marching to the two campes were here fortified so neare to each other that the Souldiers distinctly knew each others faces and talked with their kindred and ancient acquaintance f In this appeared a strange clemency of Caesar that after hee had heard the cruelty of Petrejus towards his Souldiers how taking them from their friends company that had vpon promise secured them hee caused them to be murdered as the Poet relates plainely Caesar notwithstanding seeking out Petrejus his souldiers in his campe spared their liues all and suffered as many of them as would to depart but many Tribunes Centurions and others would not retune but stayed and served after vnder Caesar g It was a policy had often beene vsed by barbarous enemies against the pursuing armies of the Romans to poison all their river it was done by Ingurtha King of Numidia Mithradates King of Pontus and Iuba King of Mauritansa h These two Generalls Afranius and Petrejus though they were here pardoned by Caesar vpon promise to serue no more against him did notwithstaÌ„ding afterwards in the Affrican war follow Scipio against Caesar where they were againe overthrowne Afranius was taken prisoner and by Caesar's command and was slaine Petrejus despairing of pardon as is afterwards showne slew himselfe vpon King Iuba's sword i Fortune yet presumed to doe somewhat against Caesar in his absence aboue about Illyrium for Dolabella and Antonius commanded by Caesar to possesse the Strenghts of the Adriaticke sea eâ—camped one on the Illyrian the other on the Corcyraan share Pompey farre and neere was master of the seas whose Lieutenant Octavius and Libo with great strength of shipping besiedged Antonius and by famine forced him to yeild Basilus from the other shore sent ships to ayde Antonius which were caught by the Pompeyans in a strange snare casting ropes crosse the sea vnder water not to be spi'd Two of the ships escaped and got over the ropes the third which carryed the men of Opitergium was ensnared and held fast The Opitâ—rgians in that place left an example memorable to all posterity for being scarse a thousand men they endured from morning to night the assaults of a great Army round about them and at last when valour could not possible release them rather then yeild themselues into the enemyes hands by the exhortation of their captaine Vultejus all kill'd themselues k In Affrica also the side of Caesar enduring the like calamity shewed the like valour Curio sent by Caesar to winne Libyae having vanquished and put to flight Varus was enclosed on the suddaine by the vnexpected horsemen and army of Iuba King of Mauritania Curio might haue fled when he saw the day lost but much ashamed and scorning to returne to Caesar after the losse of his legions he dyed with all his men LVCANS Pharsalia The First Booke The Argument Romes flying Senate met at Epire chose Great Pompey generall faint Appius goes To Delphos Oracle to seeke advise Which his owne death obscurely signifies Caesar return'd from Spaine with victory Quiets his Souldiers dangerous mutiny Dictator then and Consull both at Rome He makes himselfe sailes from Brundusium To Greece but vex'd with Anthony's delayes In a small boate himselfe alone assayes By night the stormy sea and crosses ore His legions all met on the Graecian shore Addresse themselues for triall of the day Pompey to Lesbos sends his wife away THus fortune kept mixing her good with ill The two a war-wounded generalls aequall still For Macedonia when with Winter's snow The Pleiades did Oemus top bestrow And when the times new-naming day drew neare Old Ianus feast beginner of the yeare Then both the Consuls at the vtmost date Of their expiring honour convocate To Epire the fled fathers where a plaine And forraine seat Rome's Nobles did containe A borrowed court in forraine land heard all The secrets of the State For who can call That place a campe where all Romes Fasces were And axes borne The reverend order there Taught all the people 't was not Pompey's side But Pompey there a member did abide Silence possessing the sad Senate than From an high seat thus Lentulus began If you retaine a strength of minde as good As Roman spirits and your ancient blood Befitts then thinke not in what land you are As banisht from surprised Rome how farre But know the face of your owne company Fathers that governe all this first decree Which yet all kingdomes and all people know We are the Senate For if fortune now Should carry vs vnder the frozen waine Of Vrsa maâ—or or where daies remaine Aequall in length with nights the torrid zone Thither the Empire and dominion Would follow vs When Rome by Gaules was fir'd And that to Vey Camillus was retir'd There then was Rome this order never lost Their right by changing place Caesar can boast Only of mourning walls possession And judgement seates by sad vacation Shut vp and silenc'd empty mansions That court those fathers onely sees whom once When full it banisht of that ranke who ere Is not a banisht man is sitting here We that long peacefull free from guilt haue stood At wars first fury were dispers'd abroad Now to his place each part returnes againe And for the losse of Italy and Spaine The gods the strength of all the world bestow Th'Illyrian Sea has overwhelm'd one foe And Libyan fields does slaughtred Curio No little part of Caesars Senate strow Advance your Eagles follow fate and grant The gods your hope doe not that courage want In this good fortune which when first you fled Your cause stirr'd vp The yeere has finished Our power you fathers whose authorityes No time shall end for th'publike good advise Command great Pompey to be generall His name with joyfull cryes the Senate all Receiue imposing vpon Pompey straight His countrey's and his owne most wretched fate Then faithfull Kings and Nations had their praise Phaebus sea-powerfull Rhodes rewarded was And Spartans rough prais'de were th' Athenians b Phocis made free with her Massylians Faithfull c Deiotarus young Sadalis The valiant d Cotys and e Rhasipolis Of Macedon were prais'd Iuba to thee The Senate giues all Libya by decree And oh sad fare ignoble Ptolemy Worthy of treacherous subjects vnto thee The crime of all the gods and fortunes shame Is granted the Pellaean diadem A tirants sword over thy nation Thou tak'st proud boy would 't were ore them alone Ore f Pompey's throate it is thy sisters crowne Thou tak'st and Caesars impious action The Senate now broke vp the troopes all take Their armes the people and the captaines make For warres vncertaine preparation But g
Appius feares warres doubtfull chance alone Solliciting the gods th' events to heare And Phoebus Temple that for many a yeare Had beene shut vp at Delphos opens he Parnassus with two tops reaching the sky Twixt East and West aequally distant lyes To Bacchus and Apollo's deityes Sacred to whom in mixed sacrifice The Theban wiues at Delphos solemnize Their trieterickes this one hill alone Appear'd when all the world was overflowne And stood as middle twixt the sea and sky One top Parnaffus then contented thee For one alone did aboue water shew Young Phoebus there with shafts vnvsed slew The speckled Python that in waite long lay His banisht mother great with childe to slay Themis the kingdome then and Tripos held But when h Apollo the cleft ground beheld T' inspire oraculous truth and further findes The gapâ—ng earth exhale prophetike windes Downe in that sacred caue himselfe he hides And now turn'd Prophet there Apollo bides VVhich of the gods lurkes here what deity Shot downe from heaven vouchsafes to dignify This caue what heavenly god dwells heere below That does the fates aeternall courses know And things to come and telling people sure Vouchsafes the touch of woman to endure VVhether this powerfull god barely relate The fates or his relation make them fate Perchance that spirit that all the world maintaines And the poiz'd earth in empty aire susteines Through these Cirrhaean caues does passage get Striving with his aethereall part to meete This spirit once entered the virgins brest Striking her humane soule sounds forth exprest VVith hideous noise so vrging flames come from Sicilian Aetna's over burden'd wombe Typhaeus so throwes vp his stones abroade Prest with Inarime's aeternall loade This god expos'd to all deny'd to none Is free'd from hearing human crimes alone To him no man whispers vnlawfull prayers For he things fixt vnchangeable declares Forbidding men to wish and gratiously Giues just men dwellings though whole townes they be As once to Tyre he teaches vs wars slight As to th' Athenians in their navall fight At Salamine he cleares the causes showne Earths barrennesse and aire 's infection Our age no gift of heaven wants more then this Of Delphos oracle which silent is Since Kings afraid to haue their fates exprest Forbid the gods to speake nor is the Priest Of Delphos for the god 's long silence sad This Oracle's cessation makes them glad For to that breast where ere he doe inspire Vntimely death is punishment or hire Of his reception the fitt's vehemence Too much orecomes the strength of human sence And their fraile soules the god 's high motion shakes Appius whilest too too neare a search he makes To know Rome's fate to th' vnstirr'd Tripodes And silent cavernes does his steps addresse The Priest commanded t'ope that dreadfull seate And for the god a prophetesse to get Findes young Phemonoe as she carelesse roues ' Mongst the Castalian springs and silent groues And makes her breake the Temple doores The maide To stand in that most horrid place afraide Thought by a vaine deceit Appius to bring From his desire of knowing future things Why hop'st thou Roman truth should here be showne The hill quoth she is mute the god is gone Whether the spirit haue left these cavernes quite And to the worlds far regions tane his flight Or Phytho burnt by barbarous Brennus vp Did with the ashes fill this hole and stop Great Phaebus way or that the gods decree Make Cirrha mute thinking it prophecy Enough that Sibyll's bookes among you liue Or Phoebus wont from out his temple driue All wicked persons now no mouth haue found Worthy enough his Oracles to sound The Maids deceit appear'd her feare imply'd She falsely had the present gods deny'd Then a white fillet ties her lockes behinde With Delphian Bayes and wreathed garlands binde Her haire before The Priest thrusts on the maid VVho fearefull still about the entrance staid And durst no neerer to the god to come Nor to approach the temples inmost roome There counterfeiting that she was possest She vtters from an vndisturbed brest Fain'd words with no confused murmure flowing Nor the least signe of divine fury showing Her words so deepely could not Appius wound As great Apolloes truth no trembling sound That broke her speech there was no voice so shrill As all the caues capacious throat might fill Her Lawrell fell not from her frightd haire The temple and the wood vnshaken were These signes betray'd her fearefull to receiue The god when angry Appius did perceiue That 't was no Oracle Thou wretch quoth he Both I and these abused gods will bee Reveng'd for this vnlesse thou straight descend And truely tell what all these stirres portend To the affrighted world with that the maid Descends downe to the Oracle afraid And standing ore the vault the god possest VVith a full spirit her vnaccustom'd brest The rockes so many yeeres vnwasted spirit He fills her with and comming to inherit A Delphian brest nere fill'd he Prophetesse Fuller her former minde he banishes And bids all woman from her breast begone She raging beares in this distraction Not her owne necke her haire vpright throwes downe The sacred ornaments and Phoebus crowne Her necke turnes wildly round downe she throwes All tripodes she meets with as she goes And with an inward fire she burnes which shewes Thee Phoebus wrath nor doest thou onely vse Thy prickes thy flames and incitations now But bridles too the Prophetesse shall know More then she must reveale all times are heapt Vp in one heape and many ages crept Into her wretched breast things orders too And all contend out into light to goe The Fates desiring vtterance striue within VVhen the world ends and when it shall begin The prophetesse can tell and vnderstands The Oceans depth and number of the sands As the Cumaean Sibyll in a scorne Her prophecies should serue all nations turne From the vast heape of vniversall Fate VVith a proud hand cull'd out the Roman State So now the Phoebus fill'd Phemonâ—â— Striues obscure Appius where to find out thee ' Mongst all the Delphian inspirations Then first from her mad mouth the foaming â—unnes And in the horrid caue were heard at once Broke-winded murmurs howlings and sad grones At last these words fall from the maide orecome Great threates of war thou only freed from Shalt in Eubaea's pleasant valleys rest And there she stopt Phoebus her speech supprest Yee Tripodes keepers of fate that know All the world's secrets and Apollo thou Skill'd in all truth from whom the gods conceale No future times why fear'st thou to reveale That action that our Empire 's ruine brings Great Captaines deaths and funeralls of Kings And all the people that with Rome shall bleede Haue not the gods this mischiefe yet decree'd Or stay those fates whilest planets are at strife And doubt about condemning Pompey's life Or hid'st thou fortune to effect more sure Our liberties revenge and Brutus cure Of monarchy
whilst vnder me If Pompey were your generall would flye Whilest Labienus did with Caesar stay He was a man now a base runaway Flyes with his chosen cheife ore sea and land Nor shall your faith in my opinion stand Better though me ye make nor enemy Nor generall he that revolts from me And does not Pompeys faction straight maintaine He never will my souldier be againe The gods themselues over my campe haue care And would not venture me in such a war Ere I haue chang'd my men A burden maine Has fortune from my weary shoulders tane I may disarme those hands now lawfully Whose boundlesse hopes earth could not satisfie Out of my campe I le for my selfe make wars Resigne those Eagles vp to souldiers Base citizens but those that authors were Of this sedition punishment shall heere Detaine not Caesar fall vpon the ground Yeild your disloyall heads and necks to wound And you which now my campes sole strength shall be Young souldiers learne to strike and learne to dye Veiwing their death the foolish people than Gan tremble at his anger and one man Made all them feare who had it in their hand To ruine him as if he could command The swords themselues and without souldiers make His wars but in this punishment to lacke Assisting swords he feares they patient all Exceede the hope of their sterne Generall Not onely swords but throates they offer he Feares nought but ' batement of their cruelty A l covenant dire this quarrell does decide With punishment the army 's pacify'd In ten dayes march to reach Brundusium He bids them straight and call all shipping home That on crookt Hydrus and old Taras then Leucas close shores and the Salapian fen Dispersed were and Sypus ore which stands Fruitfull Garganus on Italian lands Reaching the Adriatike and their tasts Dalmation North Calabrian Southerne blasts Caesar without his troupes goes safe alone To trembling Rome now taught to serue a gowne And kind forsooth yeilds at the peoples prayer To be dictator m honour's highest staire And joyfull Calenders being Consul made For all those words n then their beginning had VVith which ere since our Emperours we claw But Caesar that his power might want no law Falsely the name of Magistrate purloines And to his swords the Roman axes joynes Fasces t' his Eagles and with fitting shame Signes the sad times for by what Consuls name VVill the Pharsalian yeere be better knowne A fain'd assembly in the field is o showne The people giue their suffrages compell'd Not lawfully admitted th'urnes are held The tribes are cited voices throwne in vaine Into the vene the Augurs deafe remaine Though loud it thunder and are forc'd to sweare That birds auspicious though sad owles appeare Thence that once honour'd power her dignity First lost but left the times vnnam'd should be Our Calenders doe p monethly Consulls fill That god that dwells on Trojan Alba's hill Though not deserving Latium conquer'd sees The Consuls solmne nightly sacrifice Caesar departing thence runs forward right Swifter then whelpe-robb'd Tyger or the flight Of lightening ore Apulia where the field Vnplow'd no cerne but slothfull grasse does yeild And come to Cretan crookt Brundusium findes The sea vnsaileable for dangerous windes And the fleete fearefull of cold winters face He thinkes it shame thus to delay the space Of war and keepe the haven when the sea Lies ope to men lesse fortunate then he And thus perswades his men to try the seas The Northerne winds more constantly possesse Both ayre and Ocean when they once begin Then those which the vnconstant spring brings in We haue no turnings different shores vpon Our way 's forth right the North winde serues alone VVould he would stuffe our sailes bending our masâ—â— And force vs vpon Greece with furious blasts Lest Pompey's gallys from Dyrrachium meete VVith their swift oares our becalmed fleet Then cut the cables that our fleete doe stay VVe loose the stormes these clouds will passe away Now in the Sea bright Sol had hid his head And starres appear'd the moone her shadowes spread The fleet at once weigh'd anchor and drew out The sailes at length which straight they turn'd about To the ships length and spread the topsailes too To loose no gust of wind that ever blew VVhen a soft gale had made the sailes to swell For a short space downe to the mast they fellâ— Againe that winde that put them from the shore VVas able now to follow them no more The seas flat face now all becalmed lyes Like standing pooles no waues no billowes rise So bridled is the Euxine sea whose course Ister nor Thracian Bosphorus can force The frozen sea lets goe those ships no more That once it takes the horses trample ore Safely where ships haue saild the Bessians Furrow Maeotis frozen backe with waines This cruell calme does the sad Ocean make As if the seas their nature did forsake Like standing pooles th' Ocean obserues no more His ancient course he had forgot to rore No tides flow to and fro nor seemes the Sun To dance vpon the waters motion To many dangers this becalmed fleete Is subject on one side they feare to meete Pompey's swift galleys on the other side Detain'd at sea a famine to abide From these new feares arose a new desire They wish the Ocean would collect his ire And all the windes would wrestle so it were No calme but no such signes no cloudes appeare The skies and seas conspir'd to take away All hope of shipwracke but th' ensuing day All clouded ore did comfortable prooue Waues from th' seas bottome rose hills seem'd to mooue The ships were borne away and as they swim The waues in crooked furrowes follow them With prosperous windes and seas they reach the land And anchor cast vpon Palestes sand The place where first both generalls q campes did pitch Neare to each other was that region which Swift Genusus and gentle Apsus round Encompasse Apsus because slow profound And navigable is the other flowes Encreast by showres and sun-dissolved snowes More swift both channells are but short not far From sea the springs of both these rivers are Heere fortune first those two fam'd Heroes brought Together the vaine-hoping world had thought The generalls now no farther off remoov'd Thus wicked war would both haue disaprov'd Each others face they saw and well might heare Each others voice ah Pompey many a yeare Not nearer did thy once lov'd father in law Since that deare pledge the death of Iulia And her young sonne see thee till stain'd with gore He saw thy face on Aegypts cursed shore But part of Caesar's r forces left behinde Made him protract the battell though his minde Were feirce on fight those bold s Antonius led In civill wars now vnder Caesar bred For Leucas fight whom making long delay With threats and prayers thus Caesar calls away Thou mischeife of the world why doest thou wast The gods and fates good will my prosperous haâ—â—
passage free from fight But rather force the trenches and breake downe The forts and passe where ruine leades him on Through swords and slaughter to enforce his way The part of the neere trench most fitly lay Minutius castle call'd trees thickly set Making a groue obscure ore shadow'd it Hither his Cohorts by no dust betray'd He led and suddenly the walls assay'd So many Roman Eagles glister round The field at once so many trumpets sound That now to swords the victory nought owes Feare had discomfited th' astonisht foes Yet wherein valour only could be show'd That ground where first they stood they dying strow'd But the Pompeyans now want foes to slay Whole showers of Pilâ—s in vaine are throwne away Then fire rowâ—'d vp in pitchy stuffe they throw Vpon the workes the shaken turrets bow Threatning a fall the battred bulwarks grone Beat by the rammes impetous fury downe And ore the trenches Pompeys Eagles fly To vindicate the Roman liberty That place which not a thousand companyes Nor all the strength of Caesar could surprise One man alone guards from the Conquerers Denying Pompey's conquest whilest he weares A sword and liues His name was Scaeva once A common souldier of those legions That serv'd in Gallia then Centurion By blood promoted to all mischiefe prone And one that knew not in a civill war How great a crime the souldiers valours are He when he saw his fellowes leaving fight And seeking out safe places for their flight Whither quoth he base slaues and beasts does feare Vnknowne to all that armes for Caesar beare Driue you can you retire without one wound Or are you not asham'd not to be found Among the heape of men though faith were gone Anger me thinkes should make you fight alone We are the men of all through whom the foe Has chose to breake let this day bloody goe On Pompey's side I should farre happyer dy In Caesars sight but since the fates deny Him for a witnesse Pompey shall commend My death your breasts and throates vndaunted bend Against their steele and turne their weapons backe The dust far off is seene this ruines crackâ— Has by this time enter'd our generalls cares We conquer fellowes Caesar straight appeares To challenge though we dye this fort his voice More then th' alarums first inciting noise Their fury stirr'd then wondring at the man And eager to behold the souldiers ran To see if valour disadvantag'd so Surpris'd by place and number could bestow Ought more then death He making good alone The falling worke first throwes dead bodyes downe From the full tower to overwhelme the foes The posts the wals slaughter it selfe bestowes Weapons on him threatning himselfe to fall Downe on their heads and thrusts off from the wall The breasts of scaling foes with poles and stakes And with his sword cuts off his hand that takes Hold on the bulwarkes top and with vast stones Pashes their heads in peices breakes their bones And dashes out their weakely-fenced braines Downe on anothers haire and face he raines Pitch fir'd the fire whizzes in burning eyes But when the pil'd vp carcasses gan rise To aequall the walls height as nimbly then Into the midst of Pompey's armed men Scaeva leapes downe from thence as Libbards fierce Breake thorough the besetting huntsmens speares Then Scaeva wedg'd in round and by th' whole war Enclos'd yet where he striks is Conquerer His swords point dull with blood congealed growes And blunt nor does it peirce but bruise his foes His sword has lost the vse and without wound It breakes mens limmes The foes encircling round At him direct their weapons all and all Their hands aime right and javelins rightly fall There fortune a strange match beholds one man ' Gainst a whole war His strong sheild founded than VVith often strokes his broken helmet beat Downe to his Temples wrings with paine and heat And nothing else protects his vitall parts But th' outside of his flesh stucke full of darts VVhy with light darts and arrowes doe you striue Vaine fooles such wounds as cannot kill to giue Let the Phalaricke strong her wilde fire throw Or massy walls of stone gainst such a foe Let battring Rammes and wars vast engines all Remooue him thence he stands for Caesar's wall ' Gainst Pompey's course His breast no armes now hide Scorning to vse a sheild lest his left side Should want a wound and he be forc'd to liue By his owne fault what wounds the war can giue He takes alone and bearing a thicke wood Of darts vpon his breast now wearyed stood Choosing what foe to fall on so at sea Doe whales and monstrous beasts of Libya So a Getulian Elephant clos'd in By hunters round all shafts from his thicke skin Beates backe and breakes or mooving it shakes off The sticking darts his bowells safe enough And through those wounds no blood he looses so So many shafts and darts cannot bestow One death At last a Cretan bow let flye A sure Gortyan shaft in the left eye Of Scaua stucke the shaft be voide of feares The ligaments and opticke sinnewes teares That th' arrowes forked iron head did stay And kick'd the shaft with his owne eye away So if a Libyan looped javelin peirce The side of a Pannonian beare more fierce Growne by her wound she wheeles her selfe about Eager to catch the dart and pull it out Which still turnes with her Scaeua's lookes now bore No fiercenesse all his face deform'd with gore A shout that reach'd the sky the Conquerers raise So little blood though drawne from Caesars face Could not haue joy'd them more But Scaeua now In his great heart suppressing this deepe woe With a milde looke that did no valour show Hold Countrey-men quoth he forbeare me now VVounds further not my death nor now neede I Moe weapons in but these pull'd out to dye Into the campe of Pompey carry me Doo 't for your generalls sake let Scaeua be Rather th' example now of Caesar left Then of a noble death Aulus be left These fained words of his vnhappily And did not the swords point against him see But as to seize him and his armes he ventures His throate the lightning sword of Scaeua enters His valour then by this one death renew'd VVax'd hot who ere dares thinke Scaeua subdu'd Thus let him rue quoth he if from this steele Pompey seeke peace let him to Caesar kneele Thought you me like your selues fearefull and base You loue not Pompey and the Senates cause As I loue death VVith that the dust rais'd high Gaue them all notice Caesars troopes were nigh And from wars shame did the Pompeyans free Lest a whole troope should haue bin thought to flee From Scaeua only VVhen the fight was done He fell and dy'd for fight when blood was gone Lent strength His friends taking him as he fallâ— Vpon their shoulders to his funeralls Are proud to beare him and that breast adore As if some sacred deity it bore Or
catches The kindling brand in their sad parents hand The funerall beds blacke smoaking fragments and Their ashy garments and flesh-smelling coales But when she findes a coarse entombed whole Whose moisture is drawne out and marrow growne Hard by corruption greedy havocke on Each limbe she makes and from their orbes doth teare His congeal'd eyes and stickes her knucles there She gnawes his nailes now pale oregrowne and long Bites halters killing knotts where dead men hung Teares from the gibbetts strangled bodies downe And from the gallowes licks corruption Shee gathers dead mens limmes which showres haue wet And marrow harden'd in Sols scorching â—eate She keepes the nailes that pierc'd crucifi'd hands And gathers poysonous filth and slime that stands On the cold joynts and biting with her fanges The harden'd sinewes vp from ground she hangs And where so ere a naked carcasse ly Before the beasts and ravenous fowles sits she But teares or cuts no limbe till it be bit By Wolves from whose dry jawes she snatches it Nor spares she murdering if life blood she need That from a throat new open'd must proceede She murders when her sacrifices dire Life-blood and panting entrailes doe require And births abortiue by vnnaturall wayes From wounded wombes she takes and burning layes Them on her wicked altars when she lacks Stout cruell ghosts such ghosts forthwith she makes All deaths of men serue for her action From young mens chinns she puls the growing downe And dying striplings haire she cuts away Ericttho oft when ore the coarse she lay Of her dead kinseman and did seeme to kisse Off from his maimed head would bite a piece And opening his pale lips gelled and clung In his dry throat she bites his cold stiffe tongue And whispering murmurs dire by him she sends Her banefull secrets to the Stygian feinds By generall fame when Sextus notice had Of her in depth of night when Titan made At the Antipodes their noone of day Over the desart fields he takes his way The servants waiting on his folly then Searching through broken tombes and graues of men Spy'd on a rocke at last where Aemus bends And the Pharsalian lofty hills extends Ericttho sitting she was trying there Spells which nere witch nor magicke god did heare And for new purposes was framing charmes For fearing lest the civill warres alarmes Should to some other land be carryed thence And Thessaly should want that blood's expence Phillippi feilds with incantations stain'd And sprinâ—kled with dire iuice she did command Not to transferre the war meaning t' enioy So many deaths and the worlds blood t' employ The carcasses of slaughter'd Kings to maâ—me And turne the Roman ashes was her aime To search for princes bones and each great ghost But what best pleas'd her and she study'd most Was what from Pompey's coarse to take away Or vpon which of Caesars limmes to prey Whom first thus Pompey's fearefull sonne bespake Wisest of all Thessalians that canst make Foreknowne all thingâ— to come and turne away The course of destiny to me I pray The certaine end of this wars chance relate I am no meane part of the Roman state Great Pompey's sonne now either lord of all Or wofull heir of his great funerall My minde though wounded now with doubtfull feare Is well resolv'd any knowne woe to beare Oh take from chance this power it may not fall Vnseene and suddaine on me the gods call Or spare the gods and force the truth out from The ghosts below open Elysium Call forth grim death himselfe bid him relate Which of the two is given to him by fate T is no meane taske but labour worthy thee To search what end of this great war shall be The impious Witch proud of a fame to spread Replyes young man wouldst thou haue altered Some meaner fate it had beene easily done I could haue forc'd to any action Th' vnwilling gods I can preserue the breath Of him whom all the starres haue doom'd to death And though the planets all conspire to make Him old the midst of his lifes course can breake But fates and th' order of great causes all Worke downeward from the worlds originall When all mankinde depend on one successe If there you would change ought our arts confesse Fortune has greater power but if content You be alone to know this wars event Many and easie wayes for vs there be To finde out truth the earth the sea the sky The dead the Rodopejan rockes and fields Shall speake to vs. But since late slaughter yeilds Such choise of carcasses in Thessaly To raise vpone of those will easyest be That a warme new-slaine carcasse with a cleare Intelligible voice may greete your eare Least by the Sunne the organs parch'd and spill'd The dismall ghost vncertaine hizzings yeild Then double darkenesse ore nights face she spred And wrapping in a foggy cloud her head She searches where th'unbury'd bodyes lye Away the wolues and hungry vultures flye Loosening their tallands when Ericttho comes To choose her prophet griping with her thummes Their now cold marrows seeking where a tongue And lungs with fillets whole vnwounded hung The fates of those slaine men stand doubtfull all Which of their ghosts she from the dead would call Had she desir'd to raise th' whole army slaine And to reviue them for the war againe Hell had obey'd from Styx by her strange might The people all had beene drawne backe to fight When she a carcas sitting had espy'd An hooke she fasten'd in his throate and ty'd To it a fatall rope by which the hag Ore rockes and stones the wretched carcasse drag That must reviue Vnder the hollow side Of an high mountaine which to this blacke deede The witch had destin'd she the carcasse layes A deepe and vast descent of ground there was As low almost at the blinde caues of Diâ— Which a pale wood with thicke and spreading treâ— Barring the sight of heaven and by Sol's light Not penetrable did oreshadow quite Within the caue was bred by dreary night Pale mouldy filth darkensse sad no lighâ— But light by magicke made ere shined there Within the jawes of Tanarâ—â— the aire Is not so dull that balefull bound twixt hell And vs the princes in those shades that dwell Send without feare their spirits hitherto For though this hag can force the fates to doe What ere she please t is doubtfull whether here Or there those ghosts in their true place appeare She puts a various colour'd cloathing on And fury-like her haire loose hanging downe Was bound about with vipers her face hid But when young Sextus and his traine she spy'd Shaking for feare and his astonisht eye Fixt on the ground banish those feares quoth she His life 's true figure you shall see him take That cowards neede not feare to heare him speake But if the furyes to your eyes were showne The Stygian lakes and burning Phlegeton The gyants bound and Cerberus that shakes His dreadfull curled mane of hissing snakes Why
quivers bring along If you O Parthians vndisquieted I ever left when I pursu'd the fled Vnquiet Alans to the Caspian strait And forc'd you not for safety to retreat To Babylon marching ore Cyrus ground And the Chaldaean kingdomes vtmost bound Appearing nearer then the Persian To the Suns rise where into th' Ocean Nysas Hydaspes and swift Ganges fall Suffer'd you only when I conquer'd all To goe vntriumph'd Parthias King alone Of all th' Easts monarchs scap'd subjection Nor once alone doe you your safety ow To me who after Crassus overthrow Appeas'd the just incensed wrath of Rome For all my merits now let Parthia come Out of her bounds appointed and passe ore Greeke Zeugma's walls and the forbidden shore Conquer for Pompey Rome will loose the day Gladly The King refus'd not to obey Though hard were his command laying aside His kingly robes and in a servants weede Attir'd he goes in a distressed time 'T is safe for Kings like poorest men to seeme Therefore how much liues he that 's truely poore Safer then Kings The King tooke leaue at shore And by the Icarion rockes great Pompey gone Leaues Ephesus and sea-calme Colophon Shaving small Samos foaming rockes he go's A gentle gale blowes from the shore of Cos Gindon and Phebus-honour'd Rhodes he leaues And sailing straight in the mid-Ocean saues Telmessums long and winding circuits First Pamphylia greetes their eyes but Pompey durst Commit his person to no towne but thee Little Phaselis thy small company And few inhabitants could not cause a feare More in the ship then in thy walls there were But sailing thence againe high Tauâ—us showes It selfe and Dipsas that from Taurus flowes Could Pompey thinke when erst he clear'd the seas Of Pirates rage it purchas'd his owne ease He now flyes safe along Cicilian shores In a small ship there many Senators Following oretake their flying generall Within the haven of Celendrae small Where in and out ships on Selinus past In full assembly of the lords at last Thus sadly Pompey spake my Lords whose sight As deare companions botâ— in war and flight I doe esteeme my country though we stand On a bare shore in poore Cicilian land Attended with no force advice to take And new provision for a war to make Yet bring couragious hearts I lost not all In Thessaly nor did my fortune fall So low but that this head againe may rise Could Marius after all his miseryes In Libya rise to a seaventh Consulship And me so lightly fall'n will fortune keepe A thousand Captaines on the Graecian sea A thousand ships I haue Pharsalia Has rather scatter'd then quite overthrowne My strength but me my actions fame alone Which all the earth haue seene my name that now The whole world loues shall guard Consider you Th' Aegyptian Libyan Parthian monarchies Bâ—th in their strength and faith and then advise Which fittest is to ayde Roms labouring state But I my Lords will to your eares relate Freely my secret'st cares and tell the truth How I encline I doe suspect the youth Of Aegypts King for true fidelity Requires strong yeares I feare the subtlety And double heart of Mauritania's King Remembring Carthage whence his race did spring He gapes for Italy and his vaine brest Is much with thought of Hanniball possest Whose blood commixt with th' old Numidiâ—ns Obliquely Iuba's pedegree distaines He swell'd to see Varus a suppliant growne And Roman fates inferiour to his owne Therefore my Lords to th' Easterne world let vs Retire Euphrates with a spacious Channell divides the world the Caspian straits On tother side yeild safe and large retreats Another pole measures th' Assyrian dayes And nights another colour beare the seas Sever'd from ours their ainâ—e is soveraignty Their bowes more strong their steeds more fierce and high Then ours no boy nor aged man wants skill Or strength to shoot deadly their arrows kill Their bowes first brooke Pellaean speares and won Th' Assyrian wall-renowned Babylon And Median Bactra Nor so fearefull are The Parthians of our piles but that they dare Come out to war against vs they haue try'd Their shafts sufficiently when Crassus dy'd Nor are their trusty shafts arm'd at the head With steele alone but deadly venomed Slight wounds are mortall and the least blood drawne Will kill Oh would on the fierce Parthian I were not forced to depend their fate Does too too much Romes fortune aemulate Too many gods ayde them He draw from home Some other nations of the East to come To war But if Barbarians leagues deceiue Our hopes or else our scorn'd alliance leaue Let fortune then our sad and shipwrack'd state Beyond the knowne and traffiqu'd world translate I will not sue to Kings whom I haue made But in my death this comfort shall be had Lying far off this body shall not be Subject to Caesar's rage nor piety But there revolving my whole life's past fate Still honour'd in those parts was Pompey's state How great has Easterne Tanais me seene How great beyond Maeotis haue I bin Into what lands did my victorious name More sound or whence in greater triumph came Favour my purpose Rome what happyer Can the go is grant thee then in civill war To vse the Parthian armes to overthrow That land and mixe their ruine with our woe When the fierce Parthians haue with Caesar fought Crassus revenge or mine must needes be wrought This said he heard their murmur to condemne His plot But Lentulus ' mongst all of them In spirit and noble griefe the forward'st man Thus worthy his late Consulship began Has the Pharsalian losse so broke thy minde Has one dayes fate the world so low declin'd Doth that one battell our whole cause decide And no cure left to helpe our wounded side Is no hope left thee Pompey but to sue At the proud Parthians feete woulâ—st thou eschew All lanâ—s and climes and thither aime thy flight Where crosse poles reigne and vnknowne starres giue light T' adore the Parthians and their deityes Chaldaean fires and Barbarous sacrifice Why in this war pretend'st thou liberty Why is the wretched world deceiv'd by thee If thou canst serue whose name they trembled at As the cheife ruler of the roman fate Whom they haue seene leade captiue Kings before From wilde Hyrcania and the Indian shore Shall they now see cast downe and broke by fate Measuring themselues by Pompey's begging state With Rome and Italy aspire t'enherit Thou canst spake nothing worth thy fate and spirit Their ignorance i th' Roman tongue requires That thou in teares shouldst vtter thy desires Would'st thou so wound our shame that not from Rome But Parthia the revenge of Rome should come She chose thee Generall of her civill war Why doest thou spread her losse and wounds so far As Scythia and teach Parthia to goe Beyond her bound Rome shall in her deepe woe This speciall comfort loose of bringing in No Kings but serving her owne citizen Canst thou delight from farthest parts to come
Leading fierce nations ' gainst the walls of Rome Following those Eagles that slaine Crassus lost That only King that from th' Aemathian a host Was absent fortune did his favour guide Will he provoke the Conquerers strong side And joyne with vanquisht Pompey thinke you no We haue no cause to trust that nation so The people all borne in the Northren cold Are lovers of the war hardy and bold But in the East and Southerne climes the heat Of gentle aire makes them effoeminate Their men soft cloathing and loose garments weare Parthians vpon the Median fields and where Along Sarmaâ—ian plaines swift Tigris flowes By liberty of flight can by no foes Be vanquished but where the earth does swell Ore craggy hills they cannot clime so well Nor in darke places can they vse the bow Nor dare they swim torrents that swiftly flow Nor in the field with blood all over dy'd Dare they the dust and Summer Sunne abide No rams nor engines can the Parthian vse Nor fill the trenches vp when he pursues What ere is arrow-profe serues for a wall Slight are their waâ—s their fights like flyings all They stragling fight apter to fly then stand Their arrowes venom'd are nor close at hand Dare they maintaine a fight far off with bowes They shoot and where it lists the wind bestowes Their wounâ—s but fight of sword does strength requireâ— All manly nations the sword-fight desire At the first on set they'll disarmed be And when their quivers are exhaust must flee Their trust in poyson is not in their hands Think'st thou them men Pompey that dare not stand Without such helpes the hazard of a fight Can such base aide be worth so long a flight For thee so far from thine owne land to dy And vnder barbarous earth entomb'd to ly In a base monument yet such a one As will he envy'd Crassus having none Thy state is not so pitifull for death Nor fear'd by men ends all but losse of breath Vnder that wicked King Cornelia feares not The Venus of those barbarous courts who heares not Which like bruit beasts all wedlocks rites exile And with wiues numberlesse all lawes defile Th' incestuous beds abhorred secrets ly Ope to a thousand concubines rais'd high With wine and banqueting the King refraines No lawlesse lust though nere so full of staines Th' embraces of so many women can Not all the night tire one insatiate man In Kings incestuous beds their sisters ly And mothers which should names vnstained be Oâ—dipus wofull tale condemns alone Thebes of a crime though ignorantly done But there how often does the Parthian King Arsacides from such foule incest spring What can be wickednesse to him that may Defile his mother shall Cornelia Metellus noble progeny be led The thousand'th wife to a Barbarians bed Yet none more often will the tyrant vse Then her her husbands titles will infuse A scornefull lust and which will please him more He 'll know that she was Crassus wife before And comes as fate did her to Parthia ow A captiue for that former overthrow Thinke on that slaughter 't will not only bring Shame to haue begg'd aide from that fatall King But to haue made a civill war before For what will Caesar and thy selfe be more Accus'd by all then that while you two fought There could for Crassus no revenge be wrought ' Gainst Parthia all our armyes should haue gone And that no strength might want from garrison Our Northren lands should haue bin free'd each one Till treacherous â—usa and proud Babylon Had fall'n for tombes vpon our slaughter'd men Of Parthian peace fortune we beg an end And if Thessalia end the civill war Against the Parthian send thy Conquerer Of all the world I should rejoyce alone At Caesar's triumphs ore that nation When thou the cold Araxis streams hast crost Shall not the slaughter'd Crassus mourning ghost Vpbraide thee thou whom our vnbury'd ghosts Long since expected with revenging hosts Com'st thou to sue for peace besides thine eyes Sad monuments of Roman tragoedyes Shall greete the walls on which our Captaines heads Were fixt where bodyes of our souldiers dead Euphrates swallow'd and swift Tigris streame Rowl'd backe againe to earth If thou to them Canst sue why Pompey doest thou scorne to pray To Caesar sitting in Thessalia Looke rather vpon Romes confederates And if thou doe suspect the Southerne states And Iuba's falsehood goe to Ptolomey Aegypt by Lybian quickesands Westerly Is guarded on the East fall Niles seven floods To th' sea a land content with her owne goods A land that needes nor raine nor merchandise So much on only Nilus she relyes Young Ptolemey reignes there that owes his crowne To thee once left to thy tuition Feare not the shadow of a name no hurt Can be in tender yeares in an old court Let not religion faith or trust be sought Men vs'd to scepters are asham'd of nought The mildest governement a kingdome findes Vnder new kings This speech quite turn'd their minds How are despairing states most free and bold Pompey's opinion is by all controll'd They leaue Cilicia and to Cyprus mooue Their course No land does Venus better loue Still mindfull of her birth if we at all Thinke gods were borne or had originall Pompey departing thence his course gan bend Round all the Cyprian rocks that Southward tend And got into the enterposed maine Nor by the nights weake light could he attaine Mount Casius but with strugling sailes and strength A lower port of Aegypt reach'd at length Where parted Nilus greatest channell flowes And to the Ocean at Pelusium goes That time was come wherein just Libra weighes The howers and makes the nights aequall with dayes Then payes the winter nights howers which the spring Had tane away They hearing that the King Was at mount Casius thither make repaire The Sun yet was not downe the winde blew faire The sâ—outs along the shore post to the court And fill their fearefull eares with the report Of Pompey's comming though their time were small For counsell yet the Aegyptian monsters all Were met ' mongst whom Achoreus began Whom age taught modesty a milde old man Him superstitious Memphys that observ'd Th' encrease of Nile brought forth while he had serv'd At the gods altars not one Apis liv'd Fiue changes of the Moone his speech reviv'd The sacred league of Ptolomey's dead father And Pompey's merits but Photinus rather A counseller for tyrants with base breath Durst thus presume to counsell Pompey's death Iustice and truth haue many guilty made Faith suffers Ptolomey when it would aide VVhom fortune hates joyne with the gods and fate And fly the wretched loue the fortunate Profit from honesty differs as far As does the sea from fire earth from a star Crownes loose their power whilest only good they doe Respect of right all strength does overthrow T is mischeifes freedome and th'vncurbed sword That does to hated crownes safety affoord No cruell actions vnlesse throughly done
honour now the fates to thee Through the whole life gaue long prosperity And the world knowes not vnlesse now they see How Pompey's spirit could beaâ—e adversity Blush not that such base hands thy death afford But thinke who ever strike 't is Caesars sword Though they these limbs all torne and scatter'd leaue Yet am I happy god no god can reaue My happinesse my fortunes and my breath Expire at once nor wretched is my death Cornelia and my son this slaughter see So much more patient let my sorrow be The more Cornelia and my son approoue My dying constancy the more they 'll loue So well could he his dying spirits guide Such strength of minde had Pompey when he dy'd But poore Cornelia that had rather dy Then see that sight with shreekings fills the sky T was wicked I deare Lord that murdred thee For whilst at Lesbos thou turnd'st in to me Caesar had enter'd Aegypts shore for who But he had power that horrid act to doe What ere thou art sent from the gods to kill Pleasing thine owne revenge or Caesars will Thou know'st not wretch where Pompey's bowels be Thou strik'st with fury there where conquer'd he Desires thy stroke now let him suffer more Then his owne death and see my head before I am not guiltlesse from the crime of war The only wife following my Lord so far Fearelesse of campes or seas and conquer'd too I tooke him in which Monarchs durst not doe Did I for this husband deserue to be Left safe aboord false Lord why spar'st thou me Or thought'st thou life thou dying fit for me I le finde a death though not from Ptolomey Oh sailors let me leape downe from the decke Or with these twisted shrowdes to breake my necke Or let some worthy friend of Pompey's now Heere sheath his weapon and for Pompey doe An act that hâ—e'll impute to Caesars hate Why doe you hinder my desired fate Husband thou liv'st Cornelia has not power Yet of her selfe they hinder my deaths houre And there she sounds to be the Conquerours pray The fearefull fleete hoist sailes and post away But when great Pompey fell that sacred face And honour'd visage kept his former grace Though angry with the gods deaths vtmost hate Chang'd not his visage and majesticke state As they confesse that his rent necke did see For sterne Seâ—timius in that cruelty Findes out an act more cruell to vncover His face he cuts the cloth that was cast over Invading halfe-dead Pompey's breathing face His dying necke acrosse the bords he layes Then cuâ—s the nerves and I veines the twisted bones He breakes the art to whip off heads at once VVas not yet found But when the head was torne Off â—rom the trunke 't was by Achillas borne Dâ—generate Roman base Septimius Vs'd in an vnder office couldst thou thus Basely cut off great Pompey's sacred head To be oh shame by another carryed Young Ptolomey to know great Pompey's face Those haires that kings haue honour'd whose curl'd grace Adorn'd his noble front stroakes with his hands Fixt on a pole the head of Pompey standes VVhilst yet his lips with throbbing murmurs shooke His eyes vnclos'd and liuely was his looke That head that still determin'd war and peace That rul'd the Senate lawes and suffrages Romes fortune in that face tooke greatest pride Nor was the wicked tyrant satisfy'd With sight but for memoriall of the fact Dire arts the heads corruption must extract The braine is taken out dry'd is the skin The noisome moisture purged from within Medicines make solid and preserue the face Degenerate issue last of Lagus race Whom thy incestuous sister shall depose VVhen sacred vaults the Macedon enclose When dust of Kings in sumptuous buildings lyes And the ignoble race of Ptolomey's In Pyramids and rich Mausolean graues Vnjustly rest must Pompey by the waues And headlesse trunke against the shore be swept VVas it too great a trouble to haue kept The carcasse whole for Caesar this sad date Did fortune giue to Pompey's prosperous state By such a death as this to pull him downe From such an height heaping all plagues in one Sad day which he so many yeares had bin Free from nor yet had Pompey ever seene Ioy mixt with woe no god his prosperous state Did ere disturbe none helpt his wretched fate But once for all with a differring hand Did fortune pay him torne vpon the sand Salt water playing in his wounds the mocke Of seas he lyes and beat ' gainst every rocke No figure left of him t is note enough To know great Pompey that his head is off But fates ere Caesar on that shore arriue A suddaine funerall to Pompey giue Lest he in none or in a better tombe Should ly To th' shore did fearefull Codrus come Out of his lurking hole that was before Great Pompey's quaestors and from Cyprus shore Had follow'd him he by the shades of night Durst goe true loue had vanquisht terrour quite To find his slaughter'd Lord along the sand And through the waues to bring the trunke to land Faint light through dusky clouds sad Cynthia gaue But different colour'd from the foamy waue The trunke appeard which Codrus catching straight When the waues ebb'd but tired with the weight Expects their flow to helpe him and so bore The trunke to land and plac'd it on the shore Then falling downe bathing the wounds in teares Thus to the gods he speakes and clouded stars Fortune no costly pile with odours fill'd Thy Pompey craues nor that his hearse may yeild Precious Arabian fumes to fill the ayre Nor that the pious Roman neekes should beare Their countreys father forth nor to adorne A funerall pompe old tryumphs should be borne No funerall songs nor that his troopes the while March a dead march about their generalls pyle Great Pompey but a base Plebejan Beere That his torne limbs may carry to dry fire Let him not want wood and a burner though But meane and let it be ô gods enough That with loose haire Cornelia does not stand To take her last embrace and then command To fire the pile from this last funerall rite She is away yet hardly out of sight This said far off a little fire he kenn'd Burne a neglected herse watch'd by no friend Thither he goes and taking thence a part Of fire and halfe-burn'd stickes who ere thou art Neglected ghost deare to no friend quoth he But happier then great Pompey pardon me If any knowledge after death remaines That by a strangers hand thy hearse susteines This wrong I know thou yeild'st and castendure For Pompey's sake this losse of sepulture And art asham'd of funerall rites whilest he Lyes an vnburyed ghost Then speedily With his armes full of fire poore Codrus ran To find the trunke which to the shore againe The waues had beat then off the sand he wipes And gathering vp the ribs of broken ships He layes them in a ditch on no hew'n trees Or well built pyle the
death and wishing stormes she lyes They first arriv'd on Cyprus foamy shore From thence a milde Eastwinde commanding bore Their shipps to Catoes Libyan campe as still A doubtfull minde doe sad presages fill Cneius from shore spying his fathers traine And brother running to the sea amaine VVhere is our father brother speake quoth he Liues the worlds head and honour or are we Vndone and Pompey to the shades below Has borne Romes fate he answeres happy thou VVhom fate into another coast disperst Thou brother this dire mischeife only hear'st Mine eyes are guilty of a fathers death Nor did he loose by Caesars armes his breath Nor of his fall a worthy author found By the false tyrant of Niles impious ground Trusting the gods of hospitality And his owne bounty to old Ptolomey In recompence of kingdomes given he dy'd I saw them wound our noble fathers side And thinking Aegypts King durst not haue done So much I thought Caesar had stood vpon The shore of Nile But not our fathers wounds Nor blood so shed so much my heart confounds As that his head which mounted on a speare Aloft we saw they through their cyties beare Which as they say is kept for Caesars eye The tyrant seekes his guilt to testify For whether dogs or fowles devouring maw Consum'd his trunke or that small fire we saw Dissolved it by stealth I doe not know What ere injurious fate to that could doe I did forgiue the gods that crime and wept For that part only which the tyrant kept When Câ—â—ius heard these words his inward woe In passionate sighs and teares he could not show But thus inflam'd with pious rage gan speake Lanch forth the fleete sailers with speed and breake Through the crosse winds a passage with the oare Braue Captaines follow me never before Knew civill war more worthy ends then these T'interre vnbury'd Manes and appease Pompey with slaughter of th'effaeminate boy Why should not I th' Aegyptians towers destroy And from the temples Alexander take To drowne his hearse in Marcotis lake In Nile Amasis and those Kings with him Digg'd vp from their Pyramides shall swimme All tombes shall rue Pompey 's no sepulcher Isis their goddesse now I le disinter Osiris linnen-cover'd shrine disperse And kill god Aâ—is over Pompey's hearse Vpon a pyle of gods I le burne his head Thus shall the land by me be punished I will not leaue a man to till those fields Nor take the profit that Niles flowing yeilds The gods and people banished and gone Thou father shalt possesse Aegypt alone This said to lanch the fleete forth he assayes But Cato stills the young mans wrath with praise Now ore the shore when Pompey's death was knowne The sky was peirc'd with lamentation A greife not seene not pararell'd at all That common people mourne a great mans fall But when Cornelia quite exhaust with teares Was seene to land with torne dishevel'd haires Their troubled lamentations sounded more Cornelia landed on a friendly shore Gathering the garments and triumphall weedes Of haplesse Pompey that exprest his deedes And ancient trophes painted robes and sheild That thrice great Ioue in triumph had beheld Into the funerall fire she threw them all Such was her lords imagin'd funerall Example from her piety all take And funerall fires all ore the shore they make T' appease the ghosts slaine in Pharsalia So when the shepheards of Apulia Make winter fires on their baâ—e-eaten ground To spring their grasse againe a glistering round The Vulturs arms and high Garganus yeilds And hot Matinus bullocke-pasture fields But not more pleasing was 't to Pompey's spirit That all the people raile at heauen and twit The gods with Pompey then what Cato spoke Few words but from a truth-fill'd breast they broke A Roman's dead not like our ancestry To know the rule of right but good quoth he In this truth scorning age one powerfull growne Not wronging liberty the people prone To serue he only private still remain'd He sway'd the Senate but the Senate reign'd Nought claim'd he by the sword but wish'd what he VVish'd most the Senates freedome to deny Great wealth he had but to the publike hoord He brought far more then he retain'd the sword He tooke but knew the time to lay it downe Arm'd he lov'd peace though armes before the gowne He still prefer'd and ever pleas'd was he Entring or leaving his authority A chast vnriotted house and never stain'd VVith her Lords fortune to all lands remain'd His name renown'd which much availed Rome True liberty long since was gone when home Sylla and Marius came but Pompey dead Even freedomes shadow is quite vanished No Senates face no colour will remaine Of power none now will be asham'd to reigne Oh happy man whom death when conquer'd caught And Aegypts guilt swords to be wisht for brought Perchance thou could'st haue liv'd in Câ—sars state To know the way to dy is mans best fate His next to be compel'd and such to me If captiv'd now fortune let Iuba be Not to be kept to shew the enemy I doe not beg so headlesse kept I be More honour from these words the noble ghost Receiv'd then if the Roman barres should boast Hit praise Now mutinous the souldiers are Since Pompey's death growne weary of the war In which broiles Tarcho Catoes side to quit Tooke vp the colours who prepar'd for flight With all his ships was chid by Cato so Never reclaim'd Cilician wouldst thou goe To thy old theft at sea is Pompey slaine And thou return'd to Pyracy againe Then round about he on each man gan looke Mongst whom one boldly thus to Cato spoke Not hiding his intent 't was not the loue Of civill war but Pompey first did mooue Our armes execuse vs Cato we adhaer'd By favour now he whom the world preferr'd Before her peace is dead our cause is gone Now le ts returne to our left mansion Our houshold gods and children deare to see For what can civill wars conclusion be If not Pharsaliaes field nor Pompeys death Our time of life is spent now let vs breath Our last in peace let our old age provide Our funerall pyles which civill war deny'd Two greatest Captaines For no barbarous Or cruell yoke will fortune lav on vs. No Scythian nor Armenian tyranny The subjects of Romes gowned state are we He that was second Pompey being aliue Is first with vs the highest place we giue His sacred name He whom wars fortunes make Shall be our lord no generall wee 'll take Vnto the war we followed thee alone We 'll follow fate Pompey now thou art gone Nor haue we cause to hope for good successe Since Caesars fortune now doth all possesse Th' Aemathian strength is by his victory Dispers'd we loose his mercy only he Has power and will to spare the conquered Our civill war 's a crime now Pompey's dead 'T was duty while he liv'd If Cato thou Wilt serue thy countrey still le ts follow now
Tullus bites A braue young man that studyed Catoes worth And as in pouncing of a picture forth Through every hole the pressed saffâ—on goes So from his every part red poison flowes For blood his teares were blood from every pore Where nature vented moisture heretofore His mouth his nose flowes blood his sweate is red His running veines all parts be bloodyed And his whole body's but one wound become An Aspes sharpe bite did Laeuus heart benum No paine he felt surpris'd with sudaine sleepe He dy'd descending to the Stygian deepe Not halfe so suddaine doe those poysons kill Which dire Sabaean sorcerers distill From off the falsely seeming Sabine tree On an old stumpe a dart-like snake did ly Which as from thence her selfe she nimbly threw Through Paulus head and wounded temples flew T was not the poison wrought his fate the blow It selfe brought death To her compared slow Fly stones from slings and not so swift as she From Parthian bowes doe winged arrowes flee What help'd it wretched Murrus that he did Kill a fierce Basiliske the poyson slid Along his speare and fastned on his hand Which he cut off and then did safely stand With that hands losse viewing securely there The sad example of his death so neare Who would haue thought the knotty Scorpion had Such power in killing or a sting so bad Her straight stroke won when she Orion â—â—ew A trophee which the constellations shew Who small Solpuâ—a from thy hole would flee Yet the three sisters giue their power to tâ—ee So that no rest they found by night nor day They fear'd the ground it selfe on which they lay For neither heapes of leaues nor â—eedes they found To make them beds but on the naked ground Expos'd their bodyes whose warme vapours steame By night attracted the cold snakes to them Whose harmelesse jawes whilest nights astringents cold The poyson freez'd vnhurt their bosomes hold Nor by the guidance of the stars their way Can they discerne but oft complayning say Restore oh gods to vs those wars againe From which we fled restore Pharsalia's plaine Why should we dy whose liues devoted were And sworne to war the death of cowards here The Dipsases on Caesars party are And horned snakes helpe end our civill war Oh let vs goe where the hot zone doth ly 'T would ease our grieved hearts that to the sky We might ascribe our deaths In nought doe we Accuse thee Affrica or nature thee For thou this monster bearing countrey tane From mens plantation didst for snakes ordaine This land all barren where no corne could thriue Thou mad'st that men might from these serpents liue But we are come into their dwellings here Take punishment on vs thou god who ere Hating our journey didst the world divide Placing the doubtfull Syrtes on one side The torrid zone on tother deaths sad seate Plac'd in the midst To thy most hid retreat Our civill war dares goe to the worlds end Our wayes through natures secrets prying tend Worse things perchance must be endur'd then this The pole declines the setting Sunne doth hisse Drench'd in the sea No land doth further ly This way then Iubaes woefull monarchy Knowne but by fame we shall perchance againe Wish for this serpents land th' aire doth containe Some comfort yet some things are living here Alas we wish not for our countrey deare Europe nor Asia different Sunnes which see Vnder what pole oh â—ffricke left we thee 'T was winter at Cyrene when we lay Is the yeares course chang'd in so small a way The South is at our backes to th' adverse pole Our journey tends about the world we rowle We are perchance Antipodes to Rome Let this our comfort be Let Caesar come Oh let our foes pursue where we haue fled Thus they in sad complaints vnburdened Their loaded patience Catoes vertue keepes Them proofe ' gainst any labour who still sleepes Vpon the naked sands and every hower Present at every fate tempts fortunes power Comes at all calls his presence doth bestow Farre more then health a strength to vndergoe Even death it selfe Whilest Cato's standing by They are asham'd impatiently to dy What power ore him had any misery Whose presence griefe in others breasts subdew'd And what small power can be in sorrow shew'd Some case at last did tired fortune giue To their long suffrings there a nation liue Marinarian d Psylls from serpents biting free They arm'd with powerfull incantations be Their blood 's secure and though they did not charme By touch of poyson cannot suffer harme The places nature this did justly giue Thâ—t serpent-free they might with serpents liue T was well that in this poysonous aire they breath For peace is made betwixt themselues and death Of their owne broodes such certaine proofes haue all That when to ground a new-borne childe doth fall Fearing strange Venus hath their beds defil'd By deadly Aspes they try the doubted childe As th' Eâ—gle when her Eaglets are disclos'd Layes them against the rising Sunne expâ—s'd Those that with stedy eye can view his beemes And boldly gaze those only she esteemes The â—ther scornes the Psylls so count it there Their nations pledge if infants doe not feare The serpents touch or freely play with snakes They not content with their owne safety take For strangers care and following th' army then Against those serpents aided Catoes men For when the campe was pitch'd those sands that lay Within the compasse of the trenches they Did purge with snake-expelling charmes throughout And medâ—inable fires made round about Their Wall wort crackes and fennell gumme doth fry Thin Tamaâ—iske Thessalian Centory Strong Panace Arabian Pepperwort Sicilian Thapsos burn'd with Sulphurwort Larâ—he trees and Southernewood which serpents dread And hornes of stags far off from Affricke bred So night was safe If slung by day they were That magicke nations miracles appeare For ' gainst the Psyl's the taken venome striues Markes to the wounded place their spittle giues Whose force the poyson in the wound doth stay Then with a foaming tongue dire charmes they say In ceaselesse murmurs For no time to breath The danger giues Approaching speedy death Admits no silence Oft hath poyson tane In th'inmost parts bin charm'd away againe But when call'd out by their commanding tongue If any poyson dare to tarry long Then falling downe they licke the pallid wound And with a gentle bite squeezing it round Sucke with their mouths the poyson out and it Extracted from the key-cold body spit And in their mouths tasting the poyson well VVhat serpent deepest bit the Psylls can tell Now ore the fields encourag'd by their aide The Roman souldiers wander'd lesse afraide Thus Cato treading sands of Libya The Moone twice waning and twice wexing saw Now more and more the sands to harden gan And Affricks thicken'd ground grew gâ—eâ—e againe Trees here and there began t' extend their shade And cottages of reedes and sedges made How great an hope of better ground had they VVhen
Quiet well temper'd aire doth Ioue possesse The seedes of all things Venus cherishes Cyllenius rules ore waters which are great He when he enters where the dog-stâ—rs heat And burning fire 's display'd there where thâ— signe Of Cancer hot doth with the Lyon joyne And where the Zodiacke holds his Capricorne And Cancer vnder which Niles head is borne Ore which when Mercuryes proud fires doe stand And in a line direct as by command Of Phaebe the obeying Ocean growes So from his open'd fountaine Nilus flowes Nor ebâ—s againe till night haue from the Sun Those howers recover'd which the summer wor. Vaine was the old opinion that Niles flow Was caus'd or help'd by Aethiopian snow For on those hills cold Boreas never blowes As there the natiues Sunburnt visage showes And moist hot Southerne windes Besides the head Of every streame that from thaw'd iâ—e is bred Swells then when first the spring dissolues the snowes But Nile before the dogâ—dayes never flowes Nor is confin'd within his bankes againe Till the Autumnal aequinoctian Thence t is he knowes no lawes of other streames Nor swells in winter when Sols scorching beames Are far remote his waters want their end But Nile comes forth in summer time to lend A cooler temper to the sweltring aire Vnder the torrid zone least fire impaire The earth vnto her succour Nilus drawes And swells against the Lyons burning jawes And when hot Cancer his Siene burnes Vnto her aide implored Nilus turnes Nor till the Sun to Autumne doe descend And that hot Meroë her shades extend Doth he restore againe the drowned field Who can the causes of this flowing yeild Even so our mother nature hath decreed That Nile should flow and so the world hath neede As vainely doth antiquity declare The West windes cause of this increases are Which keepe their seasons strictly and long stay And beare within the aire continu'd sway These from the Westerne parts all clouds exile Beyond the South and hang them over Nile Or else their blasts the rivers current meete And will not let it to the Ocean get Prevented so from falling to the maine The streame swells backe and overflowes the plaine Some through the cavernes of earths hollow won be In secret channells thinke these waters come Attracted to th' aequator from the cold North clime when Sol his Merâ—ë doth hold The scorched earth attracting water thither Ganges and Padus flow vnseene together Venting all rivers at one fountaine so VVithin one channell Nilus cannot goe From th' Ocean swelling which beguirts about All lands some thinke encreased Nile breakes out The waters loose ere they so far haue ran Their saltnesse quite Besides the Ocean Is the stars fond we thinke which Phoebius drawes VVhen he possesseth fiery Cancers claws More then the aire digests attraced so Falls backe by night and causes Nilus flow I thinke if I may judge so great a case Some waters since the world created was In after ages from some broken vaine Of earth haue growne some god did then ordaine VVhen he created all the world whose tides By certaine lawes the great Creator guides Caesar's desire to know our Nilus spring Possest th Aegyptian Persian Graecian King No age but striv'd to future time to teach This skill none yet his hidden nature reach Philipp's great son Memphis most honourd King Sent to th' earths vtmost bounds to finde Niles spring Choise Aethiops they trode the sunburnt ground Of the hot zone and there warme Nilus found The farthest VVest our great Sesostris saw VVhilest captiue Kings did his proud charriot draw Yet there your Rhodanus and Padus spy'd Before our Nâ—les hid fountaine he descry'd The mad Cambises to the Easterne lands And lonâ—-liv'd people came His famisht bands Qâ—te spent and with each others a slaughter fed Return'd thou Nile yet vndiscovered No tale dares mention thine originall Th' art sought wherever seene No land at all Can boast that Nile is hers Yet I le reveale As far as that same god that doth conceale Thy spring inspires me From th' Antarticke pole Vnder hot Cancer doe thy surges rowle Directly North winding to East and VVest Sometimes th' Arabians sometimes Libyans blest VVith fruitfullnesse thou mak'st the Seres spy Thee first and seeke thee too thy channell by The Aethiopians as a stranger flowes And the world knowes not to what land it owes Thy sacred head which nature hid from all Lest any land should see thee Nilus small She turn'd away thy spring and did desire No land should know it but all lands admire Thou in the summer Solstice art oreflowne Bringing with thee a winter of thine owne VVhen winter is not ours nature alone Suffers thy streames to both the poles to run Not there thy mouth not heere thy spring is found Thy parted channell doth encompasse round Meroë fruitfull to blacke husband-men And rich in Eben wood whose leaues though greene Can with no shade asswage the summers heat Vnder the Lion so directly set From thence thy current with no waters losse Ore the hot zone and barren deserts goes Sometimes collected in one channell going Sometimes dispers'd and yeilding bankes oreflowing His parted armes againe collected slide In one slow streame where Philas doth divide Arabia from Aegypt Ore the sand VVhere the red sea by one small necke of land From ours is kept thou Nile doest gently flow Oh who would thinke thou ere so rough couldst grow That sees thee gentle heere but when thy way Steâ—pe Catarackts and craggy rockes would stay Thy never-curbed waues with scorne despise Those petty lets and foaming Iaue the skyes Thy waters sound with noise the neighbouring hills Thy conquering streame with froath grown hoary fills Hence he with fury first assaults that I le Which our forefathers did Abatos stile And those neare rockes which they were pleas'to call The rivers veines because they first of all His swelling growth did show Hence nature did His stragling waues within high mountaines hide Which part thee Nile from Affricke betwixt those As in a vale thy pent vp water flowes At Memphis first thou runn'st in fields and plaines VVhere thy proud streame all bankes and bounds disdaines Thus they secure as if in peace a part Of night discours'd But base Photinus heart Once stain'd with sacred blood could nere be free From horrid thoughts Since Pompey's murder he Counts nought a crime great Pompey's Manes bide Within his breast and vengefull furyes guide His thoughts to monsters new hoping to staine Base hands with Caesars blood which fates ordaine Great Senators shall shed Fate to a slaue That day almost the Senates vengeance gaue The mulct of civill war Oh gods defend Let none that life in Brutus absence end Shall th' execution of Romes tirant be Base Aegypts crime and that example dy Bold man he makes attempt against fates course Nor at close murder aimes by opâ—n force A most vnconquer'd Captaine he assaults So much are mindes embolden'd by their faults He durst the death of Caesar
now command As Pompey's once and by a faithfull hand To sterne Achillas this dire message send VVho shar'd with him in murder'd Pompey's end Whom the weake King against himselfe and all Trusts with a strength his forces generall Thou on thy downy bed securely snort Whilest Cleopatra hath surpris'd the court Pharos it not betray'd but given away Hast thou though all alone this match to stay Th' incestuous sister shall her brother wed Caesar already has enjoy'd her bed Twixt those two husbands Aegypt is her owne And Rome her hire for prostitution Haue Cleopatra's sorcerves beguild Old Caesars breast and shall we trust a childe Who if one night incestuously embrac'd The beastly pleasures of her bed he tast Cloath'd with the name of marriage twixt each kisse He giues my head and thine the gibbet is Our fortune if he finde his sister sweete Hâ—pe we no aide from any side to meete The King her husband her adulterer Caesar and we I grant both guilty are In Cleopatras sight where t will appeare Crime great enough that we are chast from her Now by that crime which we together did And lost and by the league we ratifi'd In Pompey's blood I pray be speedy here Fill on the suddaine all with war and feare Let blood breake off the marriage night and kill Our cruell Queene whose armes so ere she fill In bed to night Not feare we Caesars sate That which advanc'd him to this height of state The fall of Pompey was our glory too Behold the shore and learne what we can doe Our micheifes hope behold the bloody'd waue And in the dust great Pompey's little graue Scarse covering all his limms Hee whom we feare Was but his peere But we ignoble are In blood all one we stir no forreine state Nor King to aide but our owne prosperous fate To mischeife bring and still into our hands Fortune delivers them see ready stands Another nobler sacrifice then he This second blood appeases Italy The blood of Caesar will those staines remoue Which Pompey's murder stucke and make Rome loue Those hands she once thought guilty Feare not than His fame and strength hee 's but a private man His army absent This one night shall end The civill war and to whole nations send A sacrifice t' appease their ghosts bestow And pay the world that head which fates doe ow. Goe confidently then ' gainst Caesars throat For Ptolomey let Aegypts souldiers doo 't The Romans for themselues But stay not thou He 's high with wine and fit for Venus now Doe but attempt the gods on thee bestow Th' effect of Brutus and graue Catoes vow Achillas prone to follow such advise Drawes out his army straight in secret wise Without loud signalls given or trumpets noise Their armed strength he suddainely imployes The greatest part were Roman souldiers there But so degenerate and b chang'd they were With forreine discipline that voide of shame Vnder a barbarous slaues command they came Who should disdaine to serue proud Aegypts King No faith nor piety those hirelings bring That follow campes where greatest pay is had There 's greatest right for money they invade Not for their owne just quarrell Caesars throat Oh wickednesse within what land has not Our Empires wretched fate found civill war Those troopes remoov'd from Thessaly so far Rage Roman-like heere vpon Nilus shore What durst the house of Lagus venture more Had they receiv'd great Pompey but each hand Performes that office which the gods command Each Roman hand helpe to this war must lend The gods were so dispos'd Romes state to rend Nor now doth Caesars or great Pompey's loue Divide the people or their factions moue This civill war Achillas vndertakes A barbarous slaue a Roman faction makes And had not fates protected Caesars blood This side had won in time both ready stood The court in feasting drown'd did openly To any treason and then easily Might they haue tane at table Caesars head His blood amid'st the feasting gobblets shed But in the night tumultuous war they feare Promiscuous slaughter rul'd by chance lost there Their King might fall so confident they are Of their owne strength they hasten not but spare So great an actions opportunity Slaues thinke differring Caesars death to be A reparable losse Till day breake light His execution is put off One night To Caesars life Protinus power could giue Till Titan shew his rising face to liue Now on mount Casius Lucifer appear'd With hot though infant day had Aegypt chear'd When from the wall they veiw'd those troopes afar March on well ranck'd and marshall'd for a war Not in loose maniples but ready all To stand or giue a charge The city wall Caesar distrusts and shuts the pallace too So poore a seidge enforc'd to vndergoe Nor all the house can his small strength maintaine One little part great Caesar can containe Whilest his great thoughts both feare and anger beare He feares assaults and yet disdaines to feare So in small traps a noble Lyon caught Rages and bites his scorned goale with wrath So would fierce Vulcane rage could any stop Sicilian Aetnas fiery cavernes top He that in dire Pharsalian fields of late In a bad cause presum'd on prosperous fate And feared not the Senates hoast nor all The Roman Lords nor Pompey generall Fear'd a slaues war he heere assaulted tooke A house whom Sythians bold dust neere provoke Th' Alani fierce nor Mauritanians hot Which fast-bound strangers barbarously shoote He whom the Roman world could not suffice Nor all that twixt the Gades and India lyes Like a weake boy seekes lurking holes alone Or woman in a late surprised towne Nor hopes for safety but in keeping close And through each roome with steps vncertaine goes But not without the King him he retaines About his person still his life he meanes Shall the revenge and expiation be Of his owne fate thy head ô Ptolomey He meanes to throw for want of darts or fire Against thy servants as Medea dire VVhen her pursuing Sires revenge she fled Stood arm'd against her little brothers head To stay her Sire But desperate fate so nigh Enforced Caesar tearmes of peace to try A courtier from the absent King is sent To checke his men and know this wars entent But there the law of Nations could obtaine No power their Kings Embassadour is slaine Treating of peace to adde one horrid crime O monstrous Aegypt to thy impious clime Impious Pharnaces Pontus Thessaly Nor Spaine nor Iubaes far-spread monarchy Nor barbarous Syrtis durst attempt to doe VVhat heere â—ffaeminate Aegypt reaches too The war on every side growes dangerous And showres of falling darts even shake the house No battring ram had they to force the wall Nor any engine fit for war at all Nor vs'd they fire the skillesse people run Through the vast pallace scatter'd vp and downe And vse their joyned strength no where at all The fates forbid and fortune's Caesars wall But where the gorgeous pallace
proudly stands Into the sea from ships the Navall bands Assault the house but Caesar every where Is for defence at hand and weapons here There wild-fire vses Though besiedg'd he be Doth the besiedgers worke such strength had he Of constant spirit wild fire balls he threw Among the joyned ships nor slowly flew The flame on pitchy shrowds and bords that drop With melted waxe at once the saileyards top And lowest hatches burne An halfe burnt boate Here drownes in seas their foes and weapons floate Nor ore the ships alone doe flames prevaile But all the houses neere the shore assaile The South windes feed the flame and driue it on Along the houses with such motion As through the VVelkin fiery meteors run That wanting fuell feed on aire alone This fire a while the courts besiedging stay'd And drew the people to the cityes aide Caesar that time would not in sleepe bestow VVho well could vse occasions and knew how In war to take the greatest benefit Of suddaine chances ships his men by night Surprises Pharos Pharos heretofore An Iland was when prophet Proteus wore That crowne but joyn'd to Alexandria now Two helpes on Caesar doth that fort bestow Commands the sea the foes incursions stay'd And made a passage safe for Caesars aide He now intends no longer to differ Protinus c death though not enough severe Not fire nor beasts nor gibbets reaue his breath Slaine with a sword he dyes great Pompey's death Arsinoe d from court escaped goes By Ganymedes helpe to Caesars foes The â—owne as Lagus daughter to obtaine By whose just sword was sterne Achillas slaine Another to thy ghost is sacrific'd Pompey but fortune is not yet suffic'd Far be it â—ods that these two deaths should be His full revenge the fall of Ptolomey And Aegypts ruine not enough is thought Nor ere can his revenge be fully wrought Till Caesar by the Senates swords be slaine But though the author's dead these broiles remaine For Ganymedes now commander moov'd A second war which full of danger proov'd So great the perill was that day alone Might Caesars name to future times renowne While Caesar striues pent vp so closely there To ship his men from thence a suddaine feare Of war did his entended passage meete Before his face the foes well-rigged fleete Behinde their foote from shore against him fight No way of safety 's left valour nor flight Nor scarse doth hope of noble death remaine No heapes of bodyes no whole armyes slaine Are now requir'd to conquer Caesar there A little blood will serue Whether to feare Or wish for death he knowes not In this same Sad straite he thinkes of noble Scaeva's fame VVho at Dyrrachium when his workes were downe Beseidg'd all Pompey's strength himselfe alone Th' example rais'd his thoughts resolv'd to doe What Scaeva did but straight a scorne to owe His valour to examples checks againe That high resolue great thoughts great thoughts restraine Yet thus at last Scaeva was mine 't was I Nurtur'd that spirit if like him I dy I doe not imitate but Caesars â—eate Rather confirmes that Scaevas act was great In this resolue had Caesar charg'd them all Himselfe alone and so a glorious fall Slaine by a thousand hands at once had met Or else enobled by a death so great Those thousand hands but fortune was afraid To venture Caesar further then her aide Could lend a famous rescue and endeare The danger to him she discovers neare Ships of his owne thither when Caesar makes He findes no safety there but straight forsakes Those ships againe and leapes into the maine The trembling billowes fear'd to entertaine So great a pledge of fortune one to whom Fate ow'd so many victoryes to come And Ioue whilest he on Caesars danger lookes Suspects the truth of th'adamantine bookes Who could haue thought but that the gods aboue Had now begun to favour Rome and loue Her liberty againe and that the fate Of Pompey's sons of Cato and the state ' Gainst Caesars fortune had prevailed now Why doe the powers Caelestiall labour so To be vnjust againe againe take care To saue that life they had expos'd so far That now the danger even in Caesars eye Might cleare their doome of partiality But he must liue vntill his fall may prooue Brutus and Cassius were more iust then Ioue Now all alone on seas doth Caesar floate Himselfe the oares the Pylot and the boate Yet could not all these offices employ One mans whole strength for his left hand on high Raised holds vp his papers and preserues The fame of his past deedes his right hand serues To cut the waues and guard his life alone ' Gainst th' Oceans perills and all darts which throwne From every side doe darken all the sky And make a cloud though heaven it selfe deny Two hundred paces thus alone he swam Till to the body of his feete he came His ore-ioy'd souldiers shouting to the skies Take sure presage of future victoryes FINIS Annotations on the tenth Booke a Cambyses the son of Cyrus and king of Persia added to his monarchy the kingdome of Aegypt he intended a farther war against the Aethiopians which are called Macrobij by reason of the extraordinary length of their naturall liues But by reason of the tediousnesse of the march and want of provision there was in his army a great famine that they killed by lot every tenth souldier and fed vpon them b Achillas comming to assault Caesar had an army of twenty thousand they were many of them Roman souldiers which had served before vnder Gabinius but had changed their manner of life and corrupted with the riot of Aegypt had quite forgotten the Roman discipline c Photinus the Kings tutor remaining with Caesar sent secret encouragements to Achillas to goe forward with his siedge which being discovered by interception of his messengers he was slaine by Caesar d Ganymedes an Eunuch and tutor to Arsinoe the yoâ—ger sister of the King of Aegypt assaulted Achillas by treachery and slâ—w him and being himselfe made Generall of the army he continued the siedge against Caesar FJNJS
the armyes marching on apace Neere met stood parted but a little space They veiw'd each others hands striving to know Each others face thinking which way to throw Their piles from whence their fates most threatning show What monstrous acts they were about to doe There they their brothers and their fathers spy'd Against them stand yet would not change their side But piety their breasts amazed held And the cold blood in every limme congeal'd And every souldier his prepared pile And ready stretch'd-out arme contain'd a while The gods send thee ô Craestinus not death The common plague but feeling after breath VVhose pile first throwne of all the fight began And Thessaly with Roman bloâ—d did staine Oh frantike violence did Caesar stand Quiet and was there a more forward b hand Shrill cornets then began the aire to wound Th' alarums beat and all the trumpets sound The noise and showts of souldiers peirce the sky And reach the convexe of Olympus high Aboue the thundring cloudes the noise they make The Thracian Aemus sounding valleys take High Pelion's cavernes eccho backe the sound VVhich Pindus and Pangaean rockes rebound Th'Octaean mountaines grone the souldiers feare Their showtes thus eccho'd from all hills to heare Numberlesse piles with different mindes are throwne Some wish to wound others to light vpon The ground and keepe their harmelesse hands from ill Chance rules them and makes guilty whom she will But the least part of slaughter heere was done VVith darts and flying steele the sword alâ—ne Was able civill quarells to decide And Roman hands ' gainst Roman breasts to guide Pompey's great army narrowly dispos'd In a thicke Phalanx stand with bucklers clos'd For fence but wanted roome their rankes thus fill'd To throw their piles their swords or armes to weild But Caesars loose-rank'd troopes all nimbly goe And the thicke armed wedges of the foe Making their way through men and steele assaile And through the strongest joynted coates of maile Peirce the ill guarded breasts each stroke findes out A breast though nere so fenc'd with armes about One army suffers tother makes the war All cold and guiltlesse Pompeys weapons are All Caesars impious swords are reeking hot But fortune heere long doubting waver'd not She swiftly bore fitting so great a day A mighty ruine torrent-like away When Pompey's horse ore all the fields at large Had spred their wings the foes in flanke to charge The light arm'd souldiers scatter'd all attended And ' gainst the foe their missile weapons bended With their owne weapons every nation fought Yet by all hands the Roman blood was sought Arrowes stones fire lead headed darts were throwne Which melted in the aires hot motion There th'Ituraeans Medes Arabians shot Their shafts good archers all yet levell'd not The aire beâ—ore their eyes was only sought By their wilde aimes yet death from thence was wrought But no dire crime could staine the forraine steele Nought could worke mischiefe but the Roman pile The ayre was daâ—kened with thicke arrowes flight VVhich ore the fields orespread a suddaine night Then c Caesar fearing lest his front should yeild To their assault obliquely cohorts held VVhich suddainly from the right wing he sent VVhither the wheeling horse their forces bent But Pompey's horse vnmindefull now of fight Nor stay'd by shame at all take speedy flight Vnhappily alas were civill wars Left to the trust of barbarous souldiers As soone as ere some galled horse had throwne Their riders and their limbs had trampled on The horsemen fled and left the field each one Or turning reines vpon their fellowes run No fight ensues but execution hot One side with sword the other with bare throat Made war nor could Caesarian hands suffice To execute their routed enemies Oh would the blood that barbarous breasts did yeild Could haue suffic'd Pharsalia's mortall field And that no other blood thy streames might staine Let those bones scattered ore thy fields remaine But if thou wouldst with Roman blood be fill'd Spare all the nations Let the Spaniards wilde Th' Armenians Syrians and Cilicians Galatians Gaules and Cappadocians Surviue for when this civill war is done These people will be Romans every one These feares once rais'd through every quarter fly Sent by the fates for Caesars victory Then came the war to Pompey's Roman power The war that variously had wander'd ore The fields there stucke there Caesars fortune stay'd No forreine Kings fought there no barbarous ayde From severall nations to that place was brought There their owne brothers there their fathers fought Mischiefe and fury rag'd there Caesar are Thy crimes oh fly from this sad part of war My soule and leaue it to eternall night Let no succeeding age by what I write Learne how much ill may be in civill fight Or rather let our teares and sorrowes dy What heere thou didst O Rome conceal'd shall be Caesar th'inciting fury of his men And spur to their blind rage lest his guilt then Should wanting be at all rides through all parts Adding new fury to their fired hearts Viewing their swords looking whose points with gore VVere lightly stain'd whose blades were bloody'd ore Who faulter in their blowes who hold their hand Who faintly strike who fight as by command And who with greedinesse who changes looke To see a Roman slaâ—ne himselfe then tooke Survey of bodyes gasping on the ground To let out all the bloâ—d crushing their wounds As fierce Enyo shakes her bloody lance And Mars incites his warlike Thracians Or driues with furious lashes ore the field His Horses starting at Minerva's shield Blacke nights of slaughter and dire deedes arise Like one great voyce the dying souldiers cries Clashing of armed breasts falling to ground And swords with swords meeting and breaking sound He with fresh swords his souldiers still supplyes To strike the faces of their enemies Forcing them on still vrging at their backe And with his javeling beating on the slacke Against the Senate not Plebejan fâ—es He guides their hands and swords full well he knowes VVhere the lawes liue where the states blood does flow Where he may conquer Rome and overthrow The worlds last liberty Together then Fall Senators with Roman Gentlemen Those honour'd names Metells Lepidi Corvini and Torqauati slaughter'd dy That oft commanders ore great Kings haue bin And except Pompey all the best of men In a Plebejan helme disguised there What weapon noble d Bruâ—us didst beare The Senates highest hope Râ—mes greatest grace The last of all thy ancient honour'd race Through the arm'd foes rush not too rashly on Nor seeke out thy Philipâ—iâ—ke faâ—e too soone Fate will to thee a Thessaly allot In vaine thou aimest there at Caesars throte He has not yet mounted the top of fate And reach'd that height that governes humane state To meâ—it that braue death no let him reigne That he as Brutus offring may he slaine Heere call Romes honour dyes heere heap'd on high The slaughter'd Senate with Plebeians ly But ' mongst those nobles that