befell vpon them In Pompey there was this desire and thought to ouercome with as little bloudshed as might be But what fiends and damned spirits diddest thou inuocate Caius Caesar what Stygian furies what infernall hagges and what nightly terrors didest thou intreat to what Eumenides diddest thou sacrifice intending such a generall slaughter Pompey being earnestly vrged by his souldiers thought good to marshall his men and to set the armie as might be most conuenient for the soile whereon they were to combate The left wing of the armie was committed to L. Lentulus the leading of the right wing had L. Domitius the strength and middest of the battell did wholly relie vpon P. Scipio vpon the bankes and sides of the riuers did march the Cappadocians Ponticke horsemen in the brode field were Tetrarches Kings and Princes and all the purpled Lords that were tributarie to Rome Pompeis squadrons were furnished with many Romanes Italians and Spaniards Caesar seeing his enemies to haue discended into the plaine was heartily glad that so good occasion was offred him and that the day was come which with a million of wishes he called for wherefore departing out of his tents and marshalling his souldiers he made toward Pompey In this battell the fathers face was directly against the sonnes the brother was preparing himselfe against his brother the vncle was the first that leuelled at the nephew and he that did slay most of his kindred was accompted most couragious VVhen the trūpets denounced the warres and gaue a signe of fight the Caesarians did fiercely giue assault to the Pompeians The force and vigor of the warre did consist in the launces speares and swords which Pompey had well prouided against by ioyning the targets one with another so that Caesar had much ado to breake the array but fearing lest his foremen should faint he caused the transuers legions to follow his ensigne who as it were with a side-wind aduenturing vpon Pōpeis armie stroke them downe on each side so fast as they went The barded horse being incensed with the heate of the warre his heart being boared with the point of the speare exempted himselfe from the reine The Barbarians being not able to restraine them gaue way to Caesar and the foming steede being now the regent of the field the fight was confused and disordered for vpon whom the dart did vncertainly light leauing their horses perforce they lay groning and groueling on the earth till the hoofes of the arrearing coursers did crush the veile of their braines Caesar was now come to the heart and center of Pompeis armie but the night drew on which made both sides pause Caesar did thanke his souldiers and gliding through euery troope and band of them he did put nourishing oile into their burning wrath He tooke view of their swords curiously obseruing whose weapon was ouerflowed with bloud and whose was dipped at the point whose hand did trēble and whose was stedfast who changed the countenance through feare who through furie and casting his eyes on the prostrate carcasses frowning vpon them with curled forehead as not yet satisfied he fed his irefull lookes with the desolate aspect of his slaine countriemen but if he perceiued a gaspe in the flesh of his owne souldiers he would endeuour to close it vp with his hand giuing them words of comfort and encouragement did sooner heale them then indeede they were healed At the dawning of the day next ensuing and at the first entrance of that mornings bloudie houres when the welkin had put aside the vizard of the night the starres being couered and the earth discouered by the Sunne Caesar giuing his souldiers new swords new darts speares and launces and awaking their courage giuing them also to vnderstand with the point of his launce in what part of the aduerse armie the forreine kings the Consuls the Senators and the nobilitie were placed directed them as it were by aime to gage the bodies of many excellēt men who entangling their weapons in the intrals of these noble enemies did throw to the ground to extreme ruine many princely potentates many reuerent persons were buried in go are many of the Lepidi of the Metelli of the Coruini and Torquati but amongst the rest the fortune of Domitius was dolorous and despitefull he as before hath bene said was once pardoned and dismissed of Caesar but now was singled out by Caesar and grieuously wounded but yet so great was his mind that he would not stoope to begge a second pardon whome Caesar looking vpon like a tyrant and seeing him rowle his fainting members in the moistned dust did with this bitternesse insult giuing him the scornefull gaze L. Domitius now I hope at length you wil forsake your maister Pompey hereafter I trust you will practise no enmitie against Caesar But as good fortune would he had as yet breath enough to replie in these few words Caesar I dy a free man and I go to the region of Proserpina not seeing thee as a conquerour but as yet inferiour to Pompey and euen at my death am I refreshed with this hope that thou liuest to be subdued by the rigor of destinie which wil take reuenge both for vs and for thy sonne in law Hauing spoken these words his life fled from him and his sight was taken away with a dreadful darknesse by whose wounds so much bloud was not lost as there was glorie gained For he gaue a cleare token of an honorable mind accompting it a great deale better to haue dignitie without life then life without dignitie But Caesar thinking nothing to be done if any thing were vndone ragingly and earnestly did seeke for the person of Pompey rushing into the thicke of his souldiers neuer stretched out his arme without deaths warrant and neuer looked backe but when he saw none to fight withall Pompey standing a farre off on the top of an hill seeing the fields to swimme with bloud and the Romane Senate to be nothing now but an heape of carcasses and that his owne decay was sought for by the bloud of a multitude reseruing himselfe to some better fortune forsooke the field and fled to Larissa Caesar perceiuing it thought it better to giue some rest to his armie then with a sudden pursuite to make after him wherefore he retired his souldiers came to Pompeys tents VVhen the wandering night was chased frō the inferiour Islands by the recoursing day and the Sunne had imparted his brightnesse to our vnder-neighbors and the dreames were readie to possesse the Theater of the fancie the wearisome creatures of the world declining to their rest the Caesarians hauing ransacked Pompeis tents and refreshed their fainting bodies with the viand there left betooke themselues to their ease and reposed their wearied limmes in these plots which the Pompeians did before lodge in But how shall I describe the deformitie of that night in which hell did breath out the ghosts of them that
and bloodshed nay which is more virgins are deflowred infants are taken out of their parents armes and put to the sword matrons do suffer villanie temples and houses are spoyled and euery place is full of armed men of carcasses of bloud of teares Secondly the opening of the cause hereof which is nothing else but ambition for out of this seed groweth a whole haruest of euils Thirdly the declaring of the remedie which is by humble estimation of our selues by liuing well not by lurking well by conuersing in the light of the common weale with equals not by complotting in darke conuenticles against superiors by contenting our selues with our lot and not contending to our losse by hoping without aspiring and by suffering without conspiring Let Rome in this history be a witnesse that a slipperie ascending was alwaies accompanied with a headlong discent and that peace is a great deale better then triumph which will be an occasion I trust to my countreymen of England to be thankfull to God for this sweete quiet and serenitie of this flourishing estate in which England now standeth wherein the day striueth with the night whether shall be calmer and let it mooue thee whosoeuer thou art courteous Reader to pray with the earnest endeuor of thy hart that the Iris which is the pledge of our peace may still shine amongst vs that the happie Virgin which is the starre of safety in the Zodiacke of this common weale may continue immoueable that our Halcyon may still sit in this Albion on this white rocke to make the seas calme and the waues silent and to preserue the league of heauen and earth I meane true Religion amongst vs. From my Chamber in Graies Inne 13. Octob. Anno Dom. 1600. Thine in all sincere affection WILLIAM FVLBECKE A Table of the Romaine forenames written with one letter A. Aulus C. Caius D. Decimus for Decius it cannot be because that was the name of a familie and in the monuments of the Greeke writers it is written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 L. Lucius M. M. ' Marcus Manius N. Numerius P. Publius Q. Quintus T. Titus Written with two letters Ap. Appius Cn. Cneus Op. Opiter Sp. Spurius Ti. Tiberius Written with three letters Mam. Mamercus Sex Sextus Ser. Seruius Tul. Tullus The names of the bookes and Authors out of which this historie was deriued Appianus Augustinus Cassiodorus Caesar Cicero Dio Nicoeus Dio Cassius Eutropius Florus Gellius Gentilis Albericus Hirtius Iornandes Iosephus Liber de viris illustribus Liber antiquitatum Romanarum Libri gentium familiarum Romanarum Liuius Lucanus Manutius Paulus Obsequeus Orosius Plinius Pedianus Plutarchus Salustius Seneca Sigonius Strabo Velleius Valerius Maximus Zonaras CLOTHO Or the first booke WHen vainglorious Tarquine the last of the Romaine kings for the shamefull rape of Lucrece committed by one of his sonnes was banished from Rome Consuls succeeded which as the name declares had charge of prouiding for the cōmon safetie securitie the Romaines changed gold for brasse and loathing one king suffered manie tyrants scourging their follie with their fall and curing a festred sore with a poisoned plaister for what could be more vniust or more contrarie to the free estate of a citie then to subiect the whole common weale to the rule of manie potentates and to exclude the people from all right and interest in publique affaires VVhat could be more absurd then the Senators onely to bestow the Consulship the soueraigntie in warres the supremacie in superstitious offices according to their fancie and affection to call Senates at their pleasure to conuocate assemblies when it seemed best for their owne profite and to haue power of life and death vpon the bodies of their fellow citizens the people to liue like their slaues being barred and restrained from marrying with the daughter of anie Senatour as if that pray had bene too high for so low a wing and being held in such disdaine and disreputation that common fellowship and mutuall societie was denied them which was indeede not to liue like free men in a citie but like villaines and bondmen in a wainscot prison and like sillie birds in a golden cage but when after long experience they had found that winter succeeded sommer that the withered welfare of their citie could not be reuiued without some fortunate spring to the intent that moderation might be induced and that the meaner sort might beare some stroke with the mightier that the people might enioy the sweete of the citie as well as the fathers they procured a new office entituled the Tribuneship whereby they might protect themselues as with a shield against the arrogant endeuors and outragious decrees of the Senatours and thē the fellowship of mariage was brought in with the Senate which before was prohibited the people as if they had bene stained with some cōtagious iandise or infected with some dangerous leprosie and their suffrage was thē made necessarie to the election of officers which before was as rare in that cōmon-weale as a white skin in Aethiopia The people hauing thus erected their power did by degrees more and more enhaunce it till by many alterations it was turned from an Aristocracie from the rule of them that were manie and mightie to a plaine and visible Democracie or estate popular administred by the voyces of the multitude and magistrates and by the vnited consent of the whole corporatiō Now when the people had by continuall incrochments assumed and seased into their handes the giuing and bestowing of the greater offices as the Consulship that strong tower of the Senatous authoritie and besides that the Dictatorship the Censorship the warlike Empire the priestly dignitie and many other most excellent honors which before did solely belong to the Peeres of Rome and now there wanted nothing to make their power equall but onely that Plebiscites that is decrees made by the people should binde the greater powers as well as the people themselues frō which at that time the whole companie of the Nobles were exempted Therefore to make them generall and of like force against all they wrested from the fathers after much businesse the law Hortensia by which it was enacted that in euery important matter the people should be equally interested with the Senate and that the lawes so made and ratified by them should stretch as well to the Senators as to the people themselues After that the common-weale was brought to this good and temperate constitution many profitable lawes were established many victories followed many cities bowed vnto them manie monarchies sued for their fauour manie tyrants feared their puissance manie countreys dreaded their inuasion Then there flourished in Rome most admirable examples of abstinencie modestie iustice fortitude and which was the seale of their securitie an vniuersall vnitie and agreement Then the same of their Curij their Coruncani their Fabritij their Metelli their Fabij their Marcelli their Scipioes
valure and fortune in Affricke and within a yeare and three moneths after his comming thither he tooke Numantia and caused euerie stone to be throwne to the ground as a notable monument of a Romane victorie There was neuer anie man of anie name or nation that by the sacking of cities did more aeternise his house or enlarge his glorie for hauing rooted vp Carthage he deliuered the Romanes from feare and hauing razed Numantia he deliuered them from reproch Being returned into the Citie within a short time after two Consulships two victories and two notable triumphs he was found dead in his bed his iaw bone being dissolued and dislocated There was no inquisition made afterward of the death of this inuincible Captaine the bodie of Scipio was brought out into the streete his head couered by whose great labours and warlike exploits Rome lifted vp her head ouer all the world to the terrour and dismay of other cities and countreys His death was as the most say fatall as some say conspired his life doubtlesse was of that singularitie that it was ouercome of no mans glorie but onely his grandfathers After the death of Ti. Gracchus the same fury and rage of mind that possest him entred as it were by a kind of transmutation into his brother C. Gracchus a man as like to Tiberius in his vertues as in his errour who when with great facilitie and ease of mind he might haue bene the Prince of the Citie and the ruler of the Senate tooke the Tribuneship vpon him to raise tumults to licence swords and to reuiue discord to no other intent or purpose but either to reuenge his brothers death or purchase to himselfe a soueraigntie and for the more hastie pursuing of his drift he bestowed the freedome of the Citie vpon euery inhabitant of Italy he interdicted and forbad by Tribunitial law that no citizen should possesse more then fiue hundred akers of land he erected new hauens he filled the prouinces with new colonies he transferred the authoritie of iudgement froÌ„ the Senate to the Nobles he determined to distribute and deuide corne amongst the people to be briefe he left almost nothing vnaltered or vndisturbed This man was slaine by the sharpe and hastie pursuite of L. Opimius Consull who was in armes against him and Fuluius Flaccus was likewise slaine one that had enioyed both the Consulship and the honor of Triumph a man of a detestable meaning whom C. Gracchus had denominated and designed to be one of the Treuiri in the place of Tiberius his brother being his associate in all his enterprises and defiled with the like dishonest intendment Opimius caused proclamation to be made that whosoeuer could bring vnto him the head of Gracchus should haue the weight of the head in gold Flaccus inciting his soldiers on the hill Auentine was there slaine together with his eldest sonne C. Gracchus coÌ„mitting himselfe to flight lest he might fall into the hands of them whoÌ„ Opimius had sent to take him putting his bare necke vnder the naked sword of his seruant Euporus was of him beheaded and the same Euporus was suddenly a slaughter-man to himselfe Thus the two Gracchi finished the course of their life men that had a fortunate beginning sinister proceedings a cursed ending to whom if they had embraced quietnesse the commoÌ„weale wold haue offered these honors which by tumult and disquietnesse they sought their mother Cornelia as yet liuing a vertuous and learned Ladie who hauing nurtured and trained them vp in the studie of learning and vertuous demeanour did greatly bewaile that her good endeuors had so bad successe and that her two sonnes whom nature praetended to be the solace of her age were so sodainely and shamefully disgraced that she could not see their bodies couered with earth they being in most despitefull maner throwne into Tiber whose mindes she had furnished and beautified with such excelleÌ„t learning so was her ioy ouercome and surprised with griefe that she must either loath her children or else lament for them but howsoeuer for euer lacke them In that tract of time C. Marius waging battaile in Numidia against Iugurtha who were both fellow souldiers and managed armes together vnder Scipio Affricanus sent L. Sylla his Quaestor to Bocâ—hus the King of the Mores to treate and capitulate with him about the taking of Iugurth whom by that meane he enioyed and being made the second time Consull in the beginning of his Consulship and in the Calends of Ianuary he brought Iugurth in triumph to Rome The Cimbrians Teutons at that time did cause great slaughter and manie massacres of the Romanes in France and hauing put to flight and discomfited Caepio Manlius Carbo and Silanus they killed in fight Scaurus Aurelius one of the Consuls and other excellent men of memorable qualities The people of Rome did not thinke anie Generall so fit to encounter these foes as C. Marius whilest he was in these warres he was continually Consull his third Consulship he spent in warlike preparation thinking it not sufficient to haue souldiers but to haue practised and skilfull souldiers training them by pettie skirmishes and encouraging theÌ„ by the conquest of base townes to more haughtie and valorous attempts his fourth Consulship was spent about the warres of Sextus where he fought with the Teutons and before that warre finished he razed out of the world the whole progenie of the Teutons In his fifth Consulship he planted his fight betwixt the Alpes and Rome and in that battell Marius him self being Consull and Q. Catulus Proconsul a fortunate victorie ensued farre beyond the expectation of the Romanes and the admiration of strangers an hundred thousand men being brought into the power of the Romans wherof some were slaine some were slaues By this victorie Marius deserued that Rome should not repent her selfe of his birth nor requite his acts with reproch His sixth Consulship was giueÌ„ him as the crowne of his merits yet he is not to be defrauded of the glorie which during this Consulship did of right belong vnto him euen by the confession of the enuious Marius being the sixt time Consul Saturninus one of the Tribunes of the people did promulgate a lawe that what lands or demesnes Marius had gained in France by his expulsion of the Cimbrians from thence should be equally parted deuided amongst the people of Rome and that euery Senator should sweare to this thinking to bind them by their oath from dispossessing and disseising the people of these alotmeÌ„ts and purparties Q. Metellus a Senator against whom Saturninus had a burning stomacke denied to ratifie that lawe by oath wherupon he had day giuen him to appeare before the Senate For Marius being wholly addicted to please the people in all things which did not oppugne his owne profite did greatly fauour the law Metellus though he were supported in
reuolts and runagates Sylla hauing thus appeased and qualified forraine affaires went by sea toward Rome and in the way met him certaine ambassadours from the Parthian king which were sent to gratulate his victorie he being the first of the Romanes to whome the king of Parthia sent ambassadours There was nothing more worthie among Syllaes labours then that whole three yeares space whilst the factioners of Cinna Marius did besiege the townes of Italie he neither pretended any fauour toward them neither did he omit that which he had in hād namely the subduing and vanquishing of forraine enemies for he knew when external tumults were ended he might with more ease extinguish domesticall enemies Before the comming of Sylla Cinna in a mutinie of his owne souldiers was slaine a captaine more worthie to be adiudged to death by the discretion of the conquerour then to loose his life through the furie of his souldiers of whom it may truly be said that he aduentured those things which no vertuous man wold attempt that he brought those things to passe which none but a valiant souldier could accomplish His fellow Cōsul Carbo hauing no colleague did now praedominate and beare sway Sylla hauing entred Italie it was thought he came not as a reuenger of warre but as an authour of peace with such quietnesse and mildnesse he lead his armie through Calabria and Apulia with a great speciall regard of the growing corne of meddowes of men of castles and cities and indeed he assayed by lawfull articles and equall conditions to appease the discord but peace could not please them which were immoderatly couetous Sillaes army did daily increase euery good and discrete Italian making recourse vnto him and he had a most happy victory about Capua against Scipio and Norbanus Consuls Norbanus being ouercome by fight Scipio being forsaken of his army yet Sylla gaue him leaue to depart without hurt or hinderance so vnlike was he to himselfe in his warres and after his victory for whilst the victorie was fresh he was more mild then equitie required but when peace had taken roote he was more cruell then any barbarous Scythian for Q. Sertorious the fury and firebrand of that rebellious warre which not long after ensued being disarmed by Sylla was sent away in safety and many others he did with the same clemency intreate of purpose as I thinke that he might giue an example of a double and diuerse mind in one man and by that meane shroud and couer the contents of his heart At that time to fill vp the measure of publike mishap in the city of Rome where before men did emulate one another in vertuous actions now they did combate and contend in malicious practises he thought himselfe the best man that was most wicked and iniurious Sylla had three mighty aduersaries Carbo and C. Marius the sonne of Marius that was the seauenth time Consull which both were Consuls whilst Sylla rong an allarme at the gates of Preneste and Pontius Telesinus who leuying an army of the Samnites did stoutly confront Sylla before the walles of Preneste he was an Italian borne but was not free of the city of Rome a valiant souldier and a great enemy to a Romane name who stood in defence of Preneste but not with the Consuls This Telesinus conducting forty thousand fighting men ioyned battell with Sylla at Collina and brought both him and the commō-weale to extreame danger for Rome was not in greater feare when the tents of Hanniball were but three miles distant from her walles Telesinus did greatly encourage his souldiers saying that the day of their battell was the last period of the Romane glorie and he cried that Rome Rome must be throwne downe and razed frō the foundations adding therewithall that there wold neuer be wanting inuadors of the Italian liberties as long as the wood stoode where such wolues were harboured At the first houre of the night the Romane armie reuiued their courage Telesinus the next day after was found halfe dead bearing the countenance rather of a conqueror then of a man subdued whose head being cut off Sylla cōmaunded to be caried along the streetes of Preneste C. Marius his life being in a desperate case was faine to creepe through certaine holes of the earth to escape his enemies but he was slaine of Syllaes souldiers that were appointed for that purpose of which towardly gentleman what opinion Sylla caried a man may easily coniecture for when he was slaine he intitled himselfe Sylla the fortunate which had indeed bene true if he had ended his life with his victories For hauing entred the citie and vsurped the Dictatorship which had bene an hundred and twentie yeares intermitted for the last Dictator before Sylla was made the first yeare after Hannibals departure out of Italie so that it was apparant that the Romanes did not so much desire the vse of a Dictator as they did feare his tyrannie he began presently to broach the bloud of citizens hauing alreadie drawne to the bottome the bloud of straungers foure legions of souldiers who had bene of the contrarie faction and had now vpon couenant of life submitted themselues to his mercie calling in vaine vpon the faith of a Romaine soldier he caused to be slaine fiue thousand of that armie which fought against him at Preneste being promised life by P. Cethegus his Lieutenant he put to a sudden and vnlooked for death and caused their ioynts to be plucked in peeces and commaunded that they should be dispersed and cast abrode in the wastes and mores After these great and extreme cruelties he put in practise the heauie penaltie of proscription which if it had died with Sylla would haue beene a great part of the Romane happinesse by that meanes he brought to passe that whose names soeuer he writ in the table of proscription should be vpon their attachemēt presently put to death their goods also were subiect to sale euery one taking the benefit to whome Sylla would graunt it neither was he content to rage against them onely which had before opposed themselues to him but the most quiet and innocent citizens for the greatnesse of their wealth he depriued also of life and against silly women did he bend his wrath as not satisfied with the death of men and which was a signe of a Thracian crueltie as soone as the heads of the slaine citizens were parted from their trembling corses breathing as yet their faces being not wholly depriued of a vitall bloud he did gaze vpon them and tosse thē in his hands that he mightfeed on them with his eyes though he could not crush them with his teeth VVith what sauagenesse did he behaue himselfe in the killing of M. Marius whose eyes were pluckt out before his death and euery part of his bodie was sundred and disioynted and at that instant he enforced his sword through the bowels of M. Pletorius because he