ghosts expect your side and house to come And for great Pompey in Elysium Prepare a place The houre shall shortly come Envie not then the glory of so small A life that in one world shall lodge you all Make hast to meete your deaths and with a minde Haughty though from small funeralls descen'd To tread vpon the soules of Roman gods For burialls â—all this mortall odds And the Pharsalian fight must only try Who shall by Nile and who by Tyber lye But seeke not thou thy destiny to heare Which fate though I be silent will declare A surer prophet shall thy father be In Sicily although vncertaine he Whither to call thee whence to bid thee flee Or in what coast or climate safe to be Teare Europe Asia Affricke fates divide Your funerall as they your triumphs did Oh wretched house to you the world shall yeild No place more happy then Pharsalia's field Thus having spoke the carcasse did remaine VVith a sad looke and begg'd for death againe But could not die without a magicke spell And herbes nor could the fates restore to hell His soule once sent from thence VVith that the witch Builds vp a lofty funerall pile to which The dead man comes she layes him on the fires Leaues him and lets him dye and then retires With Sextus to his fathers campe and now The welkin gan Auroraes light to show But to the campe till Sextus take his way The darke charm'd night kept off approaching day FINIS Libri Sexti Annotations on the sixt Booke a From their campes by the river Apsâ—â— both generalls at one time brought forth their armies Pompey entending to entercept M. Anthonius and Caesar entending to ioyne with Anthony Anthony certified by some Greekes of Pompey's ambushes kept within his campe till the next day Caesar came to him Pompey then fearing to be enclosed by two armies departing thence marched to asparagu neere Dyrrachium and there encamped thither also marched Caesar and encamped not far from him b Caesar wanting provision was desirous of battell but Pompey better provided of all necessaries purposely delayed it c Caesar perceiving that Pompey would not bee drawne out to fight the next day by a great compasse and difficult way went to Dyrrachium hoping to exclud Pompey thence where his corne and provision lay which Pompey perceiving went thither also by a neerer way d Caesar that his owne men might with the lesse danger forrage and fetch in corne as also to hinder Pompey from forraging and to lessen his estimation among forreine nations kept with garrisons all the tops of the hills and fortified castles there and drew strong trenches from castle to castle so on every side enclosing Pompey The worke extended fifteene miles in compasse being so tarâ—e that Pompey within wanted nothing and Caesar could not man his workes round e Caesars souldiers wanting victuall besieged Pompey abounding with all store of provision Pompey seeing the strange vnheard of food that Caesars souldiers eate while they besieged him said that he now made warre against beasts f Pompey vnderstanding by some renegadoes that Caesars crosse trench betweene the two bulwarkes toward the sea was not finished sent a ship manned with archers and other souldiers to assault the defenders of the worke behind Himselfe about the end of night came thither also with his forces Caesars cohorts that watched there neere the sea seeing themselues assaulted both by land and sea ran away whom the Pompeyans pursued with a great slaughter till Mar. Anthonius with twelue cohorts comming downe the hill made the Pompeyans retreat againe g Caesar to repaire that dayes losse assaulted with three and thirty cohorts the castle which Torquatus kept and beate the Pompeyans from the trench Which Pompey hearing brought his fift Legion to their succour Caesars horsemen fearing to be enclosed began first to flie which the foote seeing and seeing Pompey there in person fled also this victory if Pompey had pursued he had vtterly overthrowne Caesar h Pompey the great slaine vpon the bankes of Nile i Iuba King of Mauritania which had slaine Curio and his Legions before in the Affrican war was vanquished by Caesar and fearing to fall into Caesars hands 〈◊〉 and Petrejus slew each other k For in these two conflicts Caesar lost nine hundred footmen sixty two horsemen thirty Centurions tenne Tribunes and thirty two Ensignes of war LVCANS Pharsalia The Seventh Booke The Argument Great Pompey's flattering dreame his souldiers all Eager of battell vrge their Generall Their wish though rash and fatall findes defence In Ciceroes vnhappy eloquence Against his will great Pompey's forc'd to yeild The signalls given Pharsalias dreadfull field Is fought Romes liberty for ever dyes And vanquisht Pompey to Larissa flyes SAd Titan later Thetis lap forsooke Then natures law requir'd and never tooke A crosser way as if borne backe againe By the sphaeres course would be eclipsed faine Attracting cloudes not food t' his flames to yeild But loath to shine vpon Pharsalia's field That night of Pompey's happy life the last Deceiv'd by flattering sleepes he dream'd him plac'd In the Pompeyan Theater among Romes people flocking in vnnumber'd throng Where shouting to the skyes he heard them raise His name each roome contending in his praise Such were the peoples lookes such was their praise VVhen in his youth and first tryumphant dayes Pompey but then a gentleman of Rome Had quieted the west and Spaine orecome Scattring the troopes revolt Sertorius led And sat by th' Senate as much honoured In his pure candid as trumphall gowne VVhither the doubtfull fancy fearefull growne Of future fate run backe to former joyes Or prophesying by such sights implyes Their conâ—rary and bodes ensuing woe Or else on thee fortune would thus bestow A fight of Rome that could not otherwise Oh doe not wake him from this sleepe to rise No trumpet peirce his eare the next nights rest VVith the foregoing day's sad war opprest VVill nought but fights but blood and slaughter show Happy were Rome could she but see though so Her Pompey blest with such a dreame at this And happy night oh would the deityes Had given one day Pompey to Rome and thee That both assured of your destiny Might reape the last fruit of a loue so deere Thou goest as if thy Rome should thee interre And she still mistresse of her wish in thee Hopes that the fates lodge not such cruelty As to depriâ—◠〈◊〉 of thy honour'd tombe To mourne for thee old men and young would come Children vntaught would weepe the Matrons all VVith haire as once at Brutus funerall Loose hung would beat their breasts now though they feare The swords of the iniurious Conquerer Though he himselfe relate thy death they 'll mourne At publike sacrifice as they adorne Ioues house with laurell wretched men whose mone Conceal'd in sighs must vent it selfe alone And dares not sound in publike theaters Now had the rising Sunne obscur'd the starres VVhen all the souldiers murmuring vp
determines to assault their wall Whilest fortune's hot and terrour workes in all Nor does he thinke that this command appeares Too harsh too hot and weary'd souldiers Small exhortation leads them to the prey Our victory quoth he is full to day And for our blood nought is remaining now But the reward which 't is my part to show I cannot say to giue what every man Shall giue himselfe behold yon tents that stand Full of all riches there gold rak'd in Spaine There th' Easterne Nations treasuryes remaine Pompey's and all those Kings estates doe lacke Possessours souldiers run and overtake Whom you pursue and what so ere to you Pharsalia giues take from the conquer'd now This speech of Caesars and golds impious loue Over the swords the furious souldiers droue To tread on Senatours and Captaines slaine What trench what bulwarke could their force susteine Seeking the price of all their wars and sin To know for what they haue so guilty been Spoiling the world they found a wealthy masse Which for wars future charges gather'd was But their all-covering thoughts could not be fill'd With what Spaâ—nes mines and Tagus streames could yeild Or on their sands rich Arimaspians finde Though all the spoiles be theirs yet in their minde Their mischeife at too cheape a sale they vent And are bid losse in spoiling of these tents VVhen to himselfe the Conquerour Rome decree'd And in that hope whole mountaines promised Patricians tents impious Plebejans keepe In Kings pavilions common souldiers sleepe On brothers and on fathers empty beds The killers lay their parricidall heads But furious dreames disturbe their restlesse rest Thessalia's fight remaines in every breast Their horrid guilt still wakes the battell stands In all their thoughts they brandish empty hands Without their swords you would haue thought the feild Had groan'd and that the guilty earth did yeild Exhaled spirits that in the aire did moue And Stygian feares possest the night aboue A sad revenge on them their conquest takes Their sleepes present the furies hissing snakes And brands their countreymens sad ghosts appeare To each the image of his proper feare One sees an old mans visage one a young Another's tortuâ—'d all the evening long With his slaine brothers spirit their fathers sight Dants some but Caesar's soule all ghosts affâ—ight Orestes so not purg'd in Scythia Th' Eumenides affrighting faces saw Not more was Pentheus in Agaves fit Dismay'd nor she when she was free'd from it Him all the swords that dire Pharsalia saw And which the Senate in revenge should draw Oppresse that night and Hellish-monsters scourge But that which most his guilty soule did vrge Was this that Sâ—yx the fiends and furyes grim Pompey being yet aliue had seiz'd on him But having suffred all when dayes cleare light Display'd Pharsalia's slaughter to his sight No dismall objects could â—uert his eyes From thence the rivers swell'd with blood he sees And heapes of bodyes aequalling high hills And carâ—asses whence blood and filth distills He numbers Pompey's people and that place Ordaines for banquetting from whence each face He might discerne and know them as they ly Proud that Aemathia's earth he cannot see Or scarse discerne the slaughter-cover'd ground In blood his fortune and his gods he found And with that joyfull sight to feede his eyes To the wretch'd soules he funerall fire denyes Making Aemathia noisome to the aire Carthage that gaue our consuls sepulcher And Libyan fire on Cannae did conferre Could not teach him his enemies t' inter Remembring still his anger not even then With slaughter slack'd they were his countrey men VVe doe not seuerall fires or tombs desire Doe but to all these nations grant one fire And let them not on pyles distinct be brent Or if thou aime at Pompey's punishment Pyl'd vp let Pindus wood and Ossa be That he from sea Pharsalia's fire may see This anger bootes thee not fort is all one VVhether the fire or putrefaction Dissolue them all to natures bosome goe And to themselues their ends the bodyes owe. If now these nations Caesar be not burn'd They shall when earth and seas to flames are turn'd One fire shall burne the world and with the sky Shall mixe these bones where ere thy soule shall be Their soules shall goe in ayre thou shalt not fly Higher nor better in Avernus ly Death frees from fortune Earth receiues againe VVhat ever she brought forth and they obtaine Heavens coverture that haue no vrnes at all Thou that deny'st these nations funerall VVhy dost thou fly these slaughter smelling fields Breath if thou canst the aire this region yeilds Or drinke this water Caesar but from thee The rotting people challenge Thessaly And keepe possession ' gainst the conquerer To the sad food of this Aemathian war Senting from far the bloods corruption The Thracian wolues Arcadian lions run Beares from their dens dogs from their kennells come And all those ravenous creatures else on whom Nature bestowes the strongest sents ful well The ayre by carrion putrify'd to smell Hither all birds of prey assembled are That long had waited on this civill war Birds that from Thrace to Nile in winter goe Stay'â— longer then then they were wont to doe Nere did moe birds of prey in one ayre fly Nor did moe vulturs ever cloud the sky From every wood came foule each tree was fil'd With bloody birds that crimson drops distill'd Downe from the aire blood and corruption rain'd The conquerours face and impious eagles stain'd Birds from their weary tallands oft let fall Gobbets of flosh nor were the people all Consumed so buryed in bird or beast Which would not on their bowels fully feast Nor sucke their marrow all but lightly tast The greatest part of Roman flesh is cast Disdain'd away which by the Sunne and time Dissolv'd is mixed with Thessalian slime Vnhappy Thessaly what hast thou done T' offend the angry gods that thee alone So many deaths and impious fates should staine What age what length of time can purge againe The guâ—lt that thou hast wrought what corne in thee And grasse with blood discolour'd shall not be What plow share but some Roman ghost shall wound Before that time new battells on thy ground Shall be and impious civill wars shall staine Thy fields before this blood be dry againe If all the graues of our dead ancesters We should turne vp their tombes that stand and theirs Whose time-consumed vrnes haue cast abroad Th'enclosed dust moe ashes would be trod And bones by harrows teeth digg'd vp and found In the sad furâ—owes of Thessaliaes ground No Marriners had sailed from thy shore Nor Husbandmen had plow'd thee any more The Roman peoples graue thy ghostly field Had no inhabitant for ever till'd No heards of cattell on thy plaines had run Nor durst the shepheards feede their flockes vpon Thy pasture fields with Roman blood manur'd Nor habitable nor to be endur'd As in the torrid or cold i y zone Shouldst thou haue lyen forsaken
first they saw fierce Lions crosse their way Leptis was neer'st which quiet harbour lent Their winter free from heat and stormes they spent Now Caesar with Pharsaliaes slaughter cloy'd Leaving all other cares his thoughts employ'd In the poursuite of Pompey and was brought VVhen he his steps by land had vainely sought By fames report to sea and passed ore The Thracian straights and that loue-famed shore VVhere once faire Heroes wofull turret stood VVhere Helles traâ—oeâ—y new-nam'd the flood No arme of sea bounds with a streame so small Asia from Europe though Propontis fall Narrow into the â—uxine sea and from Purple Chalcedon part Byzantiâ—m Thence goes to see renown'â— Sigaean sands The streame of Simois and Rhaetaean lands Faâ—â—'d for the Graeâ—ian worthyeâ— tombe wherely Great ghosts so much in debt to Poetry Sack'd Troyes yet honour'd name he goes about To finde th' old wall of great Apollo out Now fruitlesse trees old oakes with putrify'd And rotten râ—otes the Trojan houâ—es hide And temples of their gods all Troy's orespred VVith bushes thiâ—ke hâ—r ruines ruined He seâ—s the bridall groue Anâ—hises lodg'd Hesiones rocke the caue where Paris iudg'd VVhere nimph Oenone play'd â—he place so fam'd For Ganimedes rape each stone is nam'd A little gliding streame which Xanthus was Vnknowne he past and in the lofty grasse Securely trode a Phrygian straight forbid Him â—râ—ade on Hectors dust with ruines hid The stone retain'd no sacred memory Respect you not great Hectors tombe quoth he Oh great and sacred worke of Poesy That freest from fate and giv'st eternity To mortall wights but Caesar envy not Their living names if Roman muses ought May promise thâ—e while Homer's honoured By future tâ—mes shall thou and I be read No age shall vs with darke oblivion staine But our Pharsalia ever shall remaine Then Caesar pleas'd with sight of these so prais'd Antiquities a greene turfe-alter rais'd And by the frankincense-fed fire prepar'd These orizons not vaine you gods that guard These Heroes dust and in Troyes ruines reigne Aeneas houshold gods that still mainteine In Alba and Lavinia your shrines Vpon whose altars fire yet Trojan shines Thou sacred temple clos'd Palladium That in the sight of man did'st never come The greatest heire of all Iulus race Here in your former seate implores your grace And pious incense on your altars layes Prosper my course and thankefull Rome shall raise Troyes walls againe your people I le restore And build a Roman Troy This said to shore He hasts takes shipping and to Corus lends His full-spread sailes with hast to make amends For these delayes and with a prosperous winde Leaues wealthy Asia and faire Rhodes behinde The VVestwinde blowing still the seaventh night Discovers Aegypts shore by Pharian light But ere they reach the harbour day appeares And dimmes the nightly fires when Caesar heares Strange tumults on the shore noises of men And doubtfull murmurings and fearing then To trust himselfe at land stâ—yes in his fleete VVhom straight Achillas launches forth to meete Bringing his Kings dire gift great Pompey's head VVith an Aegyptian mantle covered And thus his crime with impious words to grace Lord of the world greatest of Roman race And now secure which yet thou doest not know In Pompey's death my King doth heere bestow VVhat only wanted in Pharsalia's field And what thy wars and travells end will yeild VVe in thy absence finish'd civill war For Pompey heere desiring to repaire Thessalia's ruines by our sword lyes slaine By this great pledge Caesar we seeke to gaine Thy loue and in his blood our league to make Heere without bloodshed Aegypts kingdome take Take all Niles fertile regions and receiue VVhat ever thou for Pompey's head would'st giue Thinke him a freind worthy thine armes to haue To whom the fates such power ore Pompey gaue Nor thinke his merit cheape since brought to passe VVith easy slaughter his old freind he was And to his banish'd father did restore The crowne of Aegypt But why speake I more Finde thou a name for this great worke of his Or aske the world if villany it is The more thou ow'st to him that from thee tooke This act of villany Thus having spoke Straight he vncovers and presents the head VVhose scarse-knowne lookes pale death had altered Caesar at first his gift would not refuse Nor turne his eyes away but fixtly veiwes Till he perceiv'd 't was true and plainely saw 'T was safe to be a pious father in law Then shed forc'd teares and from a joyfull breast Drew sighs and grones as thinking teares would best Conceale his inward joy so quite orethrowes The tyrants merit and doth rather choose To weepe then ow to him for Pompey's head He that on slaughter'd Senators could tread And see the blood-stain'd fields of Thessaly Dry-ey'd to thee alone durst not deny The tribute of his eyes Strange turne of fate Weep'st thou for him whom thou with impious hate Caesar so long pursu'dst could not the loue Of Daughter Nephew not aliance mooue Think'st thou among those people that bewaile Great Pompey's death these teares can ought availe Perchance thou envy'st Ptolomeys dire fact And griev'st that any had the power to act This but thy selfe that the revenge of war Was lost and taken from the conquerer What cause so ever did thy sorrow mooue It was far distant from a pious loue Was this the cause that thy pursuite did draw Ore land and sea to saue thy sonne in law 'T was well sad fortune tooke the doome from thee And spar'd so far a Roman modesty As not to suffer thee false man to giue Pardon to him or pity him aliue Yet to deceiue the world and gaine beleife Thou add'st a language to thy fained greife Thy bloody present from our presence beare For worse from Caesar then slaine Pompey here Your wickednesse deserues the only meede Of civill warre to spare the conquered We loose by this and did not Ptolomey His sister hate I could with ease repay This gift of his and for so blacke a deede Returne his sister Cleopatras head Why wag'd he secret war or why durst he Thus thrust his sword into our worke did we By our Pharsalian victory afford Your King this power or license Aegypts sword I brook'd not Pompey to beare share with me In rule of Rome and shall I Ptolomey All nations joyned in our war in vaine If any other power on earth remaine But Caesar now if any land serue two VVe were determin'd from your shore to goe But fame forbid vs lest we should seeme more To feare then hate dire Aegypts bloody shore And doe not thinke you haue deceived me To vs was meant such hospitality And 't was our fortune in Thessaliaes war That frees this head VVith greater danger far Then could be feard we fought I fear'd the doome Of banishment the threats of wrathfull Rome And Pompey's force but had I fled I see My punishment had come from Ptolomey VVe spare his age and
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 strength they strike in this did stand Their piety alone that at one blow They would dispatch them on the hatches now Halfe dead they draw their bowells and much blood Stream'd downe into the sea it did them good To see the scorned day death to preferre And with proud lookes despise the conquerer Now on the ship the heapes of bodyes shew'd The slaughter made on which the foes bestow'd Fit funeralls admiring much to see To any Captaine such fidelity Fame flying through the world did never raise Any one ship with such resounding praise Yet will not coward nations since such braue Examples learne to know that death to saue Their liberty is not a price so deare But kingdomes arm'd with power of sword they seareâ— Liberty can vse armes and swords should be As men should know to keepe their liberty Oh would the fates would let the fearefull liue That valour only death to men might giue Nor was that war that did in Libya grow Lesse terrible then this bold g Curio By a milde Northren winde was wasted ore From Lilybaeum to that well knowne shore VVhere Clupea seated is and where he sees Great Carthages halfe ruin'd aedifice And pitching his first tents far from the maine VVhere Bagrada furrowes the sandy plaine Those hills and eaten rockes goes to behold VVhich were Aâ—taeus kingdome call'd of old Asking the cause of this old name a clowne Thus tells the tale by long Tradition knowne For Giants births Earth yet not barren made In Libian caues a feared issue had Which to his mother brought as true a fame As Typhon Tityus and Briareus name 'T was good for heaven Antaeus was not borne At Phlegra but this guift did more adorne His mighty strength into his limmes though tir'd His mothers touch a vigour fresh inspir'd This caue his dwelling was this mountaine here He lurckt about his foode slaine lions were His bed no leaues of trees no skin of beasts His strength by sleeping on the ground encreast By him th' inhabitants of Libya dy'd And strangers all that to our coast apply'd His strength not vsing a long time to fall Needed not earths rich gift too strong for all He was though standing vp at length through fame Of this dire plague the great Alcides came Whose hand both sea and land from monsters free'd And for th' encounter each put off his weede One's Nemean tother 's Libyan Lions skin Hercules oiles his limmes ere he begin According to th' Olimpicke rites but he Rubb'd ore his limmes with sand it could not be Enough to touch his mother with his feete They grapple then and armes armes folded meete Striving each others necke with heavy hand To bend yet both fixt and vnbended stand Both wonder much to meete their match at length But Hercules vs'd not his vtmost strength At the first bout but weary'd out his foe Which his oft blowing and cold sweates did show His shaking necke nor breast could firmely stand His bending hammes yeild to Alcides hand Alcides then about his short ribbes cast His conquering armes and grip'd his yeilding wast Then tripping vp his leggs he fairely â—ayes His foe stretch'd out vpon the sand earth stayes His sweat and fills with fresh blood every vaine His armes grow brawny his joynes stâ—ffe againe And his fresh limmes vnclaspe the others hands Amaz'd at this new strength Alcides stands Nor fear'd he Hydra so in Lerna lakes Fruitfull by losse of her reviving snakes Though then but yong Now both were aequall growne One in earths strength the other in his owne Nere had sterne Iuno more encouragement To hope she sees his limmes with sweating spent And his necke dry'd as when he did sustaine The heavens but when he clasp'd his foe againe Antaeus staying not till he be throwne Falls of himselfe and rises stronger growne His mother earth to his tir'd members giues What spirit she has and labours when he striues But when Alcides found â—arths touch to be Strengthning to him now thou shalt stand quoth he No more thou falâ—'st nor will we trust againe The ground this breast shall thy crusht limbes susteâ—ne Hither Antaeus shalt thou fall this spoke Him striving to fall downe aloft he tooke And grasp'd his middle fast earth could not lend Strength to her dying sonne nor succour send But till his foâ—s breast starke and cold he found Alcides durst not trust him on the ground From hence selfe-lov'd antiquity and fame Old times recorder gaue this place a name But to these hills a nobler name gaue he That drew the Punicke foe from Italy Scipio arriving on our Libya heere Pitch'd his first campe the ruines yet appeare Of that old trench this place of all the rest Was first by Roman victory possest Curio as if the place were fortunate And still retain'd those former Captaines fate In war rejoyc'd and in this lucky place Pitch'd his vnlucky tents which did deface The places Omen and provok'd sterne foes With strength vnaequall Affricke all that owes Obedience to the Roman Eagles then VVas vnder Varus who though strong in men Of Italy aide from the Libyan King Requires to whom the worlds far regions bring Their force with Iuba no one King alone VVas master of such large dominion In length th'extent of his great Kingdomes ground Gades-neighbouring Atlas and Ioues Ammon bound Neere Thera but in breadth the torrid zone Betwixt the sea and it it coasts vpon So many people to his army presse Th' Autolodes and wandring Nomades Getulians hors'd without caparison The Mauritanians of complexion Like Indians poore Nasamonians Scorcht Garamantes swift Marmaricans Massylians that without saddles ride And with a wand their bitlesse horses guide Mazacian darts that Median shafts excell Those that in empty cottages doe dwell Affrican hunters that all darts refuse And their loose coates ' gainst angry Lyons vse Nor did the cause of civill war alone But private anger bring King Iuba on Curio that yeere wherein he did defile Divine and human lawes striv'd to exile By tribunitiall law from Libyas throne This King and barre him his forefathers crowne VVhâ—lest he would make thee Rome a monarchy He mindfull of the wrong thinkes this to be The greatest guift his scepter could bestow This Iuba's fame affrighted Curio Besides no Souldiers firme to Caesar's side Were in his army none that had beene try'd In Germany but at Confinium tane False to new Lords did to their first remaine Doubtfull and thought both sides indifferent were But when he saw all slacke through slavish feare That the night-guards their trenches did forsake With a distracted spirit thus he spake Daring conceales great feareâ— I le first assay The fight and put my Souldiers in array While tâ—ey are mine doubt growes from rest alone Fight shall prevent their consultation When swords whet their dire wills and helmets hide Their blushes who can then compare the side Or weigh the cause they favour as they stand As no old hate does on the stage command
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
againe then the maides breast Shou'd ope the temple doores and out she prest Her mad fit holds nor had she all explain'de Part of the god within her still remain'd And round about her wandring eyes he rowl'd Nor does her face one constant posture hold But sometimes threatning sometimes fearefull t is Sometimes a fiery red her countenance dyes Sometimes her pallid cheekes anger exprest Not feare nor can her wearied heart finde rest But as a while after the windes are câ—as'd The Ocean muâ—mur's so oft so bings eas'd The maidens breast But twixt this inspir'd light And her plaine humane vnderstandings sight A darkenesse came Phoebus oblivion sent Then from her breasts the gods high secrets went And divinations to the Tripodes Return'd againe But when her fit gan cease Shee falls Nor didst thou beguil'd i Appius feare From doubtfull Oracles thy death so neare But in that tottering world with hopes most vaine Thought quietly Eubaea to retaine Ah foole what god but death could set thee free Out of the world 's generall calamity And war there shall thy hearse entombed lye And so possesse Eubaea quietly Where th' sea by marble-fam'd Carystos is Straightn'd and pride-revenging Nemesis Rhamnus adores a straighten'd currert strong That channels holds and Eurypus along Beares ships by violence changing oft his tide From Chalcis to ill harbouring Aulis side By this time Caesar come from conquer'd Spaine With his victorious Eagles was againe Marching k another way when rate almost The prosperous course of his whole war had crost For conquer'd in no fight the generall In his owne campe gan feare the losse of all His treason's fruit those hands that faithfull still Had serv'd his warres now glutted with the fill Of blood began to quit their generall Th' alarmes tragicke sounds not heard at all A while and cold sheath'd swords their thirst of war Had cool'd or else the greedy souldier Damning for gaine both cause and generall Would set his blood stain'd sword at higher sale Caesar not more in any danger try'd How tottering and vnfirme a prop his pride Had lean'd vpon and well might stagger reft Of all those souldiers hands and almost left To his owne sword he that so many lands Had drawne to war knowes now the souldiers hands Not his must doe the deede Their plaints now be Not dumbe nor timorous is their mutiny That cause that does suspitious mindes restraine Whilest each one feares where he is fear'd againe And thinkes that he himselfe distasts alone His rulers tyranny in this was gone Their number to secure their feare is able Where all offend the crime 's vnpunishable They poure out threats now Caesar let vs cease From wicked war thou seek'st by land and seas Swords for these throates and vpon any foe Wouldst our too cheape esteemed liues bestow Some of vs slaine in war in Gallia lye In Spaine lye some and some in Italy Ore all the world thy army 's slaughtered While thou orecom'st what bootes our blood that 's shed ' Gainst Gaules and Germans in the North so far For all thou pay'st vs with a civill war When Rome we tooke and made the Senate flye What spoiles from Men or Temples gathered we Guilty in swords and hands all villany We goe vpon vertuous in poverty Alone what end is there of war at all Or what can be enough if Rome too small See our gray haires weake hands and bloodlesse armes Our vse of life is gone in warres alarmes Our age consum'd send vs now old at least To choose our deaths this is our bad request Our dying limmes on hard ground not to lay Nor strike steele helmets till our dying day To seeke some frends to close our eyes in death To get our proper Piles our last to breath In our wiues armes let sicknesse end our dayes Let 's vnder Caesar find some other wayes Of death then sword why hood winkt leadst thou vs With a vaine hope on acts portentuous As if in civill war we were not able To know what treason is most profitable Our wars haue taught him nothing if not this What we can doe nor is this enterprise Forbid by law he was our generall In th'German wars here we are fellowes all Whom treason soiles it makes of aequall state Besides in his vnthankefull aestimate Our valour 's lost and whatsoere we doe Is call'd his fortune but let Caesar know We are his fate Though friended by the gods Caesar is nothing if with vs at odds This said about his tent they mustur all With angry lookes seeking their generall So let it goe ye gods since piety Forsakes vs and our hopes on vice relye Let discord make an end of civill war What generall would not such a tumult scarre But Caesar that the fates still suddaine tryes And loues through greatest dangers t'exercise His fortunes comes nor till their rage abate Stayes he but meetes the fury of their hate Cityes and Temples spoyles to them he nere Deny'd though Ioue's Tarpejan house it were Senators wiues and daughters to deflower All villanyes would Caesar from his power Haue them aske freely and wars guerdon loue And nothing feares but that his men should proue Honest Ah Caesar art thou not asham'd That civill war by thine owne souldiers damn'd Should be allow'd by thee shall they first be Weary of blood and hate impiety Whilest thou runn'st headlong on through wrong and right Giue ore and learne to liue out of a fight Giue thy guilt leaue to end Why to these wars Doest thou enforce vnwilling souldiers The civill war flyes from thee on the top Of a turfe mount stands Caesar fearlesse vp Deserving feare by his vndaunted looke And thus as anger prompted him he spoke Whom you with hands and lookes did absent braue Souldiers vnarm'd and present now you haue Heere sheath your swords if you would end the wars Sedition that no act of valour dares Faint hearted fooles and flying spirits declares Tir'd with their matchlesse Captaines conquering state But goe leaue me to war with mine owne fate These weapons will find hands when I cashiere All you as many men as swords are heere Will fortune send me shall all Italy In such a fleete with vanquisht Pompey flye And shall my conquests not bring men to share The wealthy spoiles of this neere finisht war Reaping the profit of your toile and so Vnwounded with my laurell'd charriot goe You an old worne and bloodlesse company Then Rom's plebeians shall my tryumphs see Can Caesars fortune feele the losse of you If all the streames that into th' Ocean flow Should threaten to withdraw themselues the seas Would by the losse of them no more decrease Then now they fill Thinke you that such as ye Can any moment to my fortunes be The gods care never will so low descend That fates your deaths or safeties should attend The fates attend on great mens actions Mankind liues for a few and you whom once Spaine fear'd and all the North
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—
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
with thy Thessalian bow Feirce wars first seedes did from this countrey grow Heere the first horse for war sprang from a rocke Which mighty Neptune with his trident stroke To chew on the steele bit he not disdain'd And fom'd by his Thessalian rider rain'd From hence the first of ships the Ocean plow'd And seas hid paths to earth-bred mortalls show'd Itonus first of all Thessalia's King To forme by hammer did hot mettalls bring Made silver liquid stamp'd his coines impresse In gold and melted brasse in furnaces Hence did th' account of money first arise The fatall cause of war and tragedies Heere was that hideous serpent Python bred VVhose skin the Delphian Tripos covered Whence to those games Thessalian bayes are brought Aloeus wicked brood ' gainst heaven here fought When Ossa on high Pelions top was set And the Celestiall orbes swift motion let When both the generalls in this land by fate Destin'd encamp'd the wars ensuing state Fills all presaging mindes all saw at hand That hower on which this wars last cast should stand Cowards now trembled that wars fate so neare Was drawne and fear'd the worst both hope and feare To this yet-doubtfull tryall brought the stout But one alas among the fearefull rout Was Sextus Pempey's most vnworthy son Who afterwards a banisht man vpon Sicilian seas turn'd Pirate and there stain'd The fam'd sea-triumphs his great father gain'd He brooking no delay but weake to beare A doubtfull state endeauoures vrg'd by feare To find fates future course Nor does he craue From Delphian Phoebus from the Pyâ—hian caue Or that fam'd Oake fruitfull in akehornes where Ioues mouth giues answere this event to heare Nor seekes advice from them to whom are knowne Birds flights beasts entrailes lightnings motion Nor the Chaldaean skill'd Astrologer Nor any secret wayes that lawfull were But magicke damn'd by all the gods aboue And her detested secrets seekes to prooue Aide from the ghosts and feinds below to craue Thinking ah wretch the gods small knowledge haue The place it selfe this vaine dire madnesse helpt Nere to the campe th' Aemonian witches dwelt Whom no invented monâ—â—ers can excell Their art 's what ere 's incredible to tell Besides Thessaliaes fields and rockes doe beare Strange killing hearbes and plants and stones that heare The charming Witches murmurs there arise Plants that haue power to force the deityes Medea there a stranger in those fields Gather'd worse herbes then any Colchos yeilds Those wretches impious charmes turne the gods cares Though deafe to many nations zealous prayers Their voice alone beares through the inmost skyes Commands to the vnwilling deityes Which not their care of heavens high motions Can turne away when those dire murmurs once Enter the sky though the Aegyptians wise And Babylonians their deepe misteryes Should vtter all th'Aemonian witch still beares From all their altars the gods forced eares These witches spells loues soft desires haue sent Into the hardest hearts ' gainst fates intent Severe old men haue burn'd in impious loue VVhich tempered drinkes and philtrums could not moue Nor that to which the fole his damms loue owes The swelling flesh that on his forehead growes Mindes by no poyson hurt have perished By spells those whom no loue of marriage bed Nor tempting beautyes power could ere inflame By Magicke knot-ty'd thread together came The course of things has stay'd to keepe out day Night has stood still the sky would not obey The law of Nature the dull world at their Dire voice has beene benumn'd great Iupiter Vrging their course himselfe admir'd to see The poles not moov'd by their swift axeltree Showres they have made clouded the clearest sky And heaven has thunder'd Ioue not knowing why By the same voyce with haire loose hanging they Moist swelling clouds and stormes haue chas'd away The sea without one puffe of wind has swell'd Againe in spite of Auster has beene still'd Ships sailes haue quite against the windes been sway'd Steepe waters torrents in their fall haue stay'd And rivers haue run backe Nile not oreflowne In Summer time Maeander straight has run Arar has hasten'd Rhodanus growne slow High hills sunke downe haue aequall'd vales below Aboue his head the cloudes Olympus saw In midst of VVinter Scythian snowes did thaw VVithout the Sunne the tide-rais'd Ocean Aemonian spells beat from the shore againe The ponderous earth out of her center tost Her middle place in the worlds orbe has lost So great a weight strooke by that voyce was stirr'd And on both sides the face of heaven appear'd All deadly creatures and for mischeife borne Both feare and serue by death the witches turne The Tigers fierce and Lyons nobly bold Fawne vpon them cold snakes themselues vnfold And in the frosty fields lye all vntwin'd Dissected vipers by their power are joyn'd Their poison'd breathings poison'd serpents kill Why are the gods thus troubled to fulfill And fearefull their enchantments to contemne What bargaine has thus ty'd the gods to them Doe they obey vpon necessity Or pleasure or some vnknowne piety Deserues it or some secret threats prevaile Or haue they jurisdiction over all The gods or does one certaine deity feare Their most imperious charmes who what so ere Himselfe is forc'd too can the world compell By them the starres oft from the pole downe fell And by their voices poyson Phaebe turn'd Growne pale with darke and earthly fires has burn'd No lesse then if debarr'd her brothers shine By enterposall of the earth betweene Her Orbe and his these labours vndergone Has she deprest by incantation Vntill more nigh she foam'd her gelly on Their herbes These spells of this dire nation And damned rites dreadfull Erictho scornes As too too good and this foule art adornes With newer rites in townes her dismall head Or houses roofes is never covered Forsaken graues and tombes the ghosts expell'd She haunts by fiends in aestimation held To heare hells silent counsells and to know The Stygian cells and misteryes below Of Dis her breathing heere no hindrance was A yellow leanenesse spreads her lothed face Her dreadfull lookes knowne to no lightsome aire With heavy hell-like paâ—enesse clogged are Laden she is with long vnkemmed haires But when darke stormes or clouds obscure the starres From naked graues then forth Ericttho stalkes To catch the nights quicke sulphur as she walkes The corne burnes vp and blasts where ere she tread And by her breath cleare aires are poisoned She prayes not to the gods nor humbly cryes For helpe nor knowes she pleasing sacrifice But funerall flames to th' altars she preferres Frankincense snatch'd from burning sepulchres The gods at her first voice grant any harme She askes and dare not heare her second charme Liue soules that rule their limbs she does entombe Death though vnwilling seizes those to whom The fates owe yeeres with a crosse pompe men dead Returne from grâ—ue coarses from tombes haue fled Young mens hot ashes and burnt bones she snatches Out of the midst of funerall Piles and
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
and downe The fates now drawing the worlds ruine on Desire a signall to the fight poore men VVhose greater part should never see the end Of that sad day about their Generalls tent Hasting the houre of their neere death they vent Their passions and complaints and franticke growne Their owne and publike fate they hasten on They call great Pompey sluggish timorous Patient of Caesar and ambitious Of soveraignety desirous still to reigne Ore all those Kings and fearing peace againe The Kings and Easterne nations all complain'd VVarre was prolong'd and they from home detain'd The gods when they our ruine had decreed VVould make it thus our owne erroneous deed Ruine we sought and mortall warres requir'd In Pompey's campe Pharsalia is desir'd Noâ— did this wish want Cicero's defence The greatest author of Romes eloquence In whose growne-rule fierce Catiline did feare The peacefull axes Now turn'd souldier From barres and pleadings had beene silent long And this bad cause thus strengthens with his tongue Pompey for all her gifts fortune implores That thou wouldst vse her now thy Senators Thy kings and all the suppliant world entreat Thy leaue to conquer Caesar shall he yet So long a war against mankind maintaine VVell may the forreigne nations now disdaine VVho suddainely were vanquished by thee That Pompey is so slow in victory VVhere 's now thy spirit thy confidence of fate Canst thou now doubt the gods ah most ingrate Or fear'st thou to commit into their hand The Senates cause thy troopes without command Their Eagles will advance 't were shame for thee To be compell'd to conquer if thou be Our generall and ours the war to try The hazard lyes in our authority VVhy hold'st thou the worlds swords from Caesar's throat They all are drawne almost and tarry not Thy â—low alarmes make hast lest thy command They all forsake the Senate does demand If they thy souldiers or companions be Great Pompey sigh'd to see how contrary The gods were bent and fortune crost his mindâ— If you be all quoth he this way inclin'd And me a souldier not a generall The time require I le be no let at all To fate let fortune all these nations cast Into one ruine be this day the last To the great'st part of men But witnesse Rome Pompey 's enforc'd to this sad field to come The warres whole worke neede not haue cost one wound But Caesar without blood subdu'd and bound Might haue bin brought to answere injur'd peace What fury 's this oh blinde in wickednesse To conquer without blood in civill war You are afraid Masters o'th'land we are The seas are wholly ours the famisht foe To fetch in Corne vnripe is forc'd to goe And 't is become his wish by swords to dye And with his ruine mixe our tragedy In this some part is finisht of the war That our fresh-water souldiers doe not feare The fight if that be in true valour done Into extreamest dangers many run For feare of future ill valiant'st is he That feares not t'vndergoe a danger nigh Nor to differ it Would you then commit Your strength to fortunes hand and to one fight The worlds estate desiring all that I Should rather fight then get the victory The rule of Romes estate thou didst bestow Fortune on me receiue it greater now Protect it in this wars blinde chance to me Nor crime nor honour shall this battell be Caesar thy wicked prayers ' gainst mine prevaile We fight how dismall to all people shall This day appeare how many lands vndone Shall be how crimson shall Enipeus run With Roman bloud would the first pile of all This mortall war would light if I could fall Without the ruine of our side on me For not more joyfull can the conquest be Pompey a name shall be to every one Of hate or pity when this fight is done The conquer'd shall endure the worst of woe The worst of crimes the Conquerour shall doe With that the reines be to their fury giues Suffring the fight So th'artlesse sailer leaues His helpelesse barke when Corus blasts are growne Too strong to guidance of the windes alone A fearefull murmuring noise rose through all parts Of th'campe and diversly their manly hearts Beat ' gainst their breasts vpon the face of some Appear'd the palenesse of a death to come And ghastly lookes that day they thinke fate brings A lasting state of rule on earthly things And what Rome was after this field is fought Be ask'd no man of his owne danger thought Amaz'd with greater feares Who when he sees All shores oreflowne and th'vncurb'd Ocean rise Ore mountaines tops the Firmament and Sunne Fall downe to earth in such confusion Could feare his owne estate no private state Has time to feare but Romes and Pompey's fate Nor did they trust their swords vnlesse sharpe set On stones the points of their dull piles they whet Each archer fitts his bow with surest strings And choisest arrowes in his quiver brings Horse-men sharpe spurres provide and strongest raines So when earths Giants vpon Phlegra 's plaines If with the actes of gods our humane warres We may compare rebell'd the sword of Mars In Aetna's fâ—rge and Neptunes three-fork'd speare Were scowr'd and sharpen'd Phoebus arrowes there With Python dull'd made sharpe the blew-ey'd maide Vpon her sheild Medusa's haires display'd Ioues lightning then the Cyclops moulded new Fortune foretold the woes that should ensue By many tokens for the stormy sky Withstood their marches into Thessaly The cloudes against their eyes did lightnings throw Meteors like lampes like fiery posts in show And beamâ—s cloud-breaking Typhons did arise And lightnings flashes dimm'd and closd their eyes Their helmets plumes were sindg'd their piles did meltâ— Sword-blades dissolv'd run downe the hilts they felt Their impious swords with sulphur from the skyes Did smoake their Ensignes hid with swarmes of Bees Could scarce be pluck'd from ground the bearers bow'd Themselues to get them vp which seem'd oreflow'd With teares from thence even to Thessalia The bull from th' holy altars ran away And to Pharsalia field directly flyes VVhilest their sad altar wants a sacrifice But what night furyes what Eumenides VVhat Stygian powers or gods of wickednesse VVhat hellish feinds Caesar didst thou appease Preparing for such wicked warres as these Whether the gods or their owne feare had wrought These wonders doubtfull t is but many thought They saw Olympus meete with Pindus hill And Aemus fall th'adjoyning valleyes fill That in the night Pharsalia sounded loud The noise of battell that Baebei's flowd Swiftly with blood But most admired they To see each others face show darke the day Grow pale and night their helmets overspread Their fathers ghosts and all their kinsemen dead T' appeare before their eyes But this alone Comforted their sicke mindes knowing their owne Impious entents brothers to kill and ope Their fathers throates they hence conceived hope Thinking these monsters and portents t'imply Th' accomplishment of their impiety No wonder t is if
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
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
shames constraint She rise and vtter'd this most sad complaint VVould I to hated Caesar had bin led A bride since happy to no Husbands bed Twice haue I hurt the world my bridall lights Erinnys and th' vnhappy Crassi's sprights Carry'd accursed by those ghosts I hare Th' Assyrian fortune to this civill war I was the cause that all these nations dy'd And all the gods forsooke the juster side O greatest Lord worthy of better fate Then my sad marriage had dire fortunes hate Such power on thee why did I marry thee To make thee wretched take revenge on me VVhich willingly I le pay to make the sea More passable Kings faiths more firme to thee And all the world more hospitable drowne Me by the way oh would this life had gone Before to get thee victory but now Deare Pompey expiate thine overthrow VVhere ere thou lyest ô cruell Iulia Reveng'd already in Phaâ—salia Come wreake thine anger et thy strumpets death Appease thy wrath and spare thy Pompey's breath This said and sinking in his armes her fall Againe drew teares from the spectators all Pompey's great heart relented and that eye VVept there that in Pharsalia's field was dry The Mâ—tylenaeans then thus on the shore Bespake great Pompey if for evermore It shall our honour be to haue preserv'd Thy dearest pledge if we haue so deserv'd To grace the city of thy servants daine And heere with vs though but one night remaine Make this a place honour'd for evermore A place that Roman pilgrims may adore Our towne before all townes thou should'st approue For all townes else may hope for Caesars loue VVe haue already trespast further yet This is an I le and Caesar wants a fleete Besides thy nobles know this place and heere Will meete thy fates on this knowne shore repaire Take our gods wealth our temples gold and bands Of our young men to serue by sea or land Take thou though conquer'd Lesbos forces heere Lest Caesar presse them as the Conquerer Oh cleare this faithfull land of that foule crime That thou which loud'st vs in thy prosperous time Should'st feare our faith in thy adversity Glad of these mens so wondrous piety For the worlds sake that some fidelity Was left to wretched states this land quoth he That I of all the world most deare esteem'd By this great pledge I left with you it seem'd She was the hostage that my loue was here That here my houshold gods and countrey were Heere was my Rome fled from the field before I came to you I toutch'd vpon no shore Knowing that Lesbos in preserving her Had purchas'd Caesars iâ—e I did not feare To giue you cause your pâ—rdons all to plead Let it suffice that I your guilt haue made I must through all the world my fates pursue Oh happy â—esbos ever fam'd from you People and Kings shall learne fidelity To vs or faithfull you alone shall be VVhich lands are true which false I now must try Heare ô ye gods it any gods with me Remaiâ—e my last of prayers grant vs to finde A land like Leâ—bos whose stiâ—l faithfull minde Dares giue safe landing to our conquer'd state And parting safe not fearing Caesars hate His sad companion then aboord he tooke You would haue thought all Lesbos had forsooke Their natâ—ue soile exil'd so great a cry VVas rais'd and wofull hands heav'd to the sky All ore the shore for Pompey least of all Though he deserv'd their sorrow by his fill But seeing her depart whom they had seene All this war time as their owne citizen The people wept of her the matrons dry From teares could hardly haue tane leaue though she Vnto her lord a Conquerer had gone She so had gain'd the loue of every one By vertuous courteous carriage modesty Of a chast looke proud to no company Lowly to all and such her life was seene VVhile her lord stood as he had conquer'd bin Now Titans orbe halfe drowned in the seas Gaue paâ—t to vs part to th' Antipodes When care in Pompey's restlesse bosome runs Sometimes on Romes confederate states and townes And kings vncertaine faiths sometimes vpon The South-scorch'd regions of the torrid zone Sometimes as too sad burdens he layes by His wearied cares of future destiny Asking the master of each star and where He guesses land what rules heaven giues to steere His ship at sea what stars to Syria guide Which of Bootes fires to Lybias side Directs to this the master thus replyes We follow not those stars which through the skyes Doe slide and passe away vnconstant stars In the vnfixt pole deceiue the marriners That pole that never falls nere drownes in sea Famous for Cynosure and Helice Doth guiâ—â—e our ships when ere that stars got vp Right verticall just ore the saileyards top Then to the Bosphorus we make apase And seaâ— that Synthiaes crooked shores embrace But when more low and neerer to the sea Artophilâ—x and Cynosura be Then to the Syrian poâ—ts our course we steere Canoâ—us then is elevated there VVhich feares the North and in the Southerne skyes Remaines alone VVho thence to th'left hand plyes Pharos ore past into the Syrtes falls But whither now shall we direct our sailes To whom with doubtfull thoughts Pompey replyes In all the course at sea obserue but this To keepe thy ship still far from Thessaly And to the heavens and seas leaue Italy The rest trust to the winds I now haue tane My deare left pledge Cornelia in againe I then was certaine whither to resort But now let fortune finde vs out a pâ—rt Thus Pompey spake the master straightway turnes About his sailes stretch'd out with aequall hornes And to the left hand guides the ship to plow Those waues that twixt Chios and Asia flow To the ships length he turnes his sailes about The sea perceiues the change her waves are cut By the sharpe stemme with different motion The skilfull Charrioter not halfe so soone Raines round his horse and doth with suddaine change About the goale his wheeling charriot range Sol hid the stars and land discovered When those that from Pharsalia's battell fled To Pompey came and first from Lesbos shores He met his son then Kings and Senators For Pompey yet although at that sad time Vanquish'd and fled had Kings to waite on him Proud scepter'd Kings that ore the East did reigne Attended there in banish'd Pompeys traine Then Pompey King Deiotarus commands To goe for aide to farthest Easterne lands Most loyall King since on Pharsalia's plaines This world was lost from Rome it now remaines To try the East those that by Tigris ly And by Euphrates yet from Caesar free Grieue not though to repaire my fortunes lost Thou to the Medes or farthest Scythians go'st Or quite beyond the day that this world sees Beare my salutes to great Arsacides And if our ancient league remaine which I By Latian Ioue by his owne deity He swore let the Armenian archers strong Their well-bent bowes and
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
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
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
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
pardon his foule fact For let your King for such a deed expect No more then pardon But doe you enterre This VVorthy's head not that the earth may beare And hide your guilt bring fumes and odours store T' appease his head and gather from the shore His scatter'd limbs compose them in one tombe Let his deare ghost perceiue that Caesar's come And heare my pious griefe VVhilst he preferrs All desperate hazards before me and dares Rather to trust his life with Ptolomey The people all haue lost a joyfull day The world our peace the gods my prayers deny'd That laying these victorious armes aside I might embrace thee Pompey and request Our former life and loue and thinke me blest After this war thy aequall still to be Then had my faithfull loue perswaded thee Though conquer'd to excuse the gods and make Thee Rome to pardon me Though thus he spake He found no partners in his griefe the rest Beleâ—t not his and their owne teares supprest And durst oh happy freedome with dry eye Though Caesar wept behold this tragedy FINIS Annotations on the ninth Booke a Whilest the event of the civill war was yet doubtfull and both the Generalls were possessed of their full strengths Cato was fearefull of both their intents and hated them both as fearing that the conquerer would captiue his countrey but after the battell of Pharsalia was fought and Caesar had conquered he was then wholly of Pompey's side desiring to vphold the party vanquished b Pompey the great pursuing Caesar into Thessalia had left Cato with a great strength to guard Dyrachium who hearing the overthrow and flight of Pompey marched away to take shipping at Corcyra and follow Pompey to ioyne his strength with him c Cato at Cyrene hearing that Lucius Scipio the father in-law of Pompey the great was ioyned in Affrica with Iuba King of Mauritania and that Atius Varus whom Pompey had deputed his Lieutenant in Affrica was there also marched overland thither which march being thirty dayes vpon those desart sands any with admirable patience and magnanimity enduring the iourny forsaking his horse alwayes and marching a foot in the head of his army to teach his souldiers rather then command them to endure hardnesse he arrived at last at Iuba's court where though the souldiers with one voice elected him Generall he refused the charge and chose rather to serue vnder Scipio then command himselfe in chiefe d These Psylli are a people inhabiting those parts of Affrica fortifyed by nature with an incredible priveledge against the strength of poison and susteine no harme by the biting of serpents The serpents saith Pliny are afraid of them and when others are bitten these Psylli by sucking the wounds and muttering some charmes dee easily cure them They haue a custome as writers report when their children are borne if the father suspect his wiues chastity he exposes the infant to all kind of serpents if begotten by a stranger the child dyeth but if lawfully begotten the priveledge of his fathers blood protecteth him against the venome LVCANS Pharsalia The Tenth Booke The Argument Caesar in Aegypt fearelesse walkes and sees Their temples tombes and fam'd antiquityes Before his feete faire Cleopatra kneeles Whom to her brother king he reconciles With sumptuous feasts this peace they celelrate To Caesars eare Achoreus doth relate Niles ebbes and flowes and long concealed spring Within the pallace Caesar and the King By sterne Achillas are besieg'd by night Caesar to Pharos takes a secret flight There from his ship he leapes into the waues And his endanger'd life by swimming saues WHen Caesar first possest of Pompey's head Arrived there and those dire sands did tread His fortune stroue with guilty Aegypts fate VVhether that Rome that land should captivate Or Aegypts sword take from the world the head Both of the Conquerer and the conquered Pompey the ghost prevailes thy Manes free Caesar from death left Nile should after thee Be by the Romans lov'd He goes from thence To Alexandria arm'd with confidence In this dire mischiefes pledge following along His fasces But perceiving that the throng Of people murmur'd that in Aegypt he Bore th' Ensignes vp of Romes authority He findes their wavering faiths perceiving plaine That for his sake great Pompey was not slaine Then with a looke still hiding feare goes he The stately temple of th' old god to see VVhich speakes the ancient Macedonian greatnesse But there delighted with no objects sweetnesse Not with their gold nor gods majestike dresse Nor losty city walls with greedinesse Into the burying vault goes Caesar downe There Macedonian Philip's mad-brain'd son The prosperous theife lyes buryed whom just fate Slew in the worlds revenge vaults consecrate Containe those limbs which through the world 't were just To cast aâ—road but fortune spar'd his dust And to that Kingdomes end his fate remain'd If ere the world her freedome had attaind He for a mocke had beene reserv'd whose birth Brought such a dire example to the earth So many lands to be possest by one Scorning the narrow bounds of Macedon And Athens which his father had subdew'd Through Asian lands with human slaughter strew'd Led by too forwaâ—d fates he rushes on Driving his sword through every nation Rivers vnknowne Euphrates be distaines VVith Persians blood Ganges with Indians Th' earth fatall mischiefe lightning dire that rent All people and a star malevolent To nations To invade the South-east sea He built a fleete Not barren Libya Water nor heat nor Ammons desart sands Could stop his course Vpon the Westerne lands Following the worlds devexe he meant to tread To compasse both the poles and drinke Niles head But death did meete his course that checke alone Could nature giue this Kings ambition Who to his graue the worlds sole Empire bore With the same envy that 't was got before And wanting heires left all he did obtaine To be divided by the sword againe But fear'd in Parthia and his Babylon He dy'd Oh shame that Easterne nation Then trembled at the Macedonian speare Farre more then now the Roman pile they feare Though all the North the West and South be â—urs In th' East the Parthian King contempes our powers That Which to Crassus proov'd a fatall place A secure province to small Pella was Now the yong King come from Pelusium Had pacify'd the peoples wrath in whom As hostage of his peace in Aegypts court Caesar was safe when loe from Pharos port Bribing the keeper to vnchaine the same In a small galley Cleopatra came Vnknowne to Caesar entering the house The staine of Aegypt Romes pernicious Fury vnchast to Italyes disgrace As much as Helena's bewitching face Fatall to Troy and her owne Greekes did prooue As much Romes broiles did Cleopatra mooue Our Capitall she with her Sistrum scarr'd VVith Aegypts base effeminate rout prepar'd To seize Romes Eagles and a triumph get Ore captiv'd Caesar when at Leucas fleet It doubtfull stood whether the world that day A woman
Are done secure let him from court be gone That would be good vertue and soveraignety Doe not agree nothing but feare shall he That is asham'd a tyrant to be deem'd Let Pompey rue that he thy yeares contemn'd Thinking thou couldst not from thy shore driue backe A conquer'd man let not a stranger take Thy scepter if thou wouldst resigne thy reigne Th' hast neerer pledges giue the crowne againe To thy condemned sister le ts keepe free Our Aegypt from the Roman slavery Shall we that did not in the war adhere To Pompey now provoke the Conquerer Vagrant through all the world hopelesse of all He seekes with what lands ruine he may fall Haunted with civill war slaine ghosts he flyes Not only Caesar but the Senates eyes VVhose greater part feedes fowles in Thessaly He feares those nations whom he left to dy Mixt in one bloody field he feares those Kings VVhose haplesse states his fall to ruine brings Now guilty of the losse harbour'd by none To vs whom yet he has not overthrowne He seekes a greater cause ô Ptolomey Haue we to accuse Pompey why would he Our quiet land staine with the crime of war And make vs hated by the Conquerer VVhy does thy misery choose our land alone To bring Pharsalias fortune and thine owne Fear'd punishment into we beare a blame Already and our swords must purge the same In that because the Senate moov'd by thee Gaue vs a crowne we wisht thy victory This sword now drawne by fate we did provide To wound not Pompeys but the conquer'd side And rather could we wish for Caesar's head But whither all are carry'd we are led Mak'st thou a doubt of our necessity To kill thee now we may what strength haue we For thee to trust wretch'd man thou sawst our men Vnarm'd to plow soft mould scarse able when Nile ebb'd Our kingdomes strength t is fit that we Try and confesse canst thou ô Ptolomey Raise Pompey's ruine vnder which great Rome It selfe is fall'n so low or dar'st thou come To stir the ashes of Pharsalia And such a war vpon thy kingdome draw We to no side before the battell clest Shall we now cleaue to Pompey's which is left By the whole world provoking the knowne fates And feared strength of Caesar wretched states Aide they that did their prosperous times attend No faith ere chose a miserable friend The mischiefe pleas'd them all the young king proud Of this strange honour that his men allow'd Him to command so wonderfull a thing Chose out Achâ—llas for the managing Where the false land in Casian sands does ly Stretch'd out and fords witnesse the Syrtes nigh Weapons and parteners of his murdrous guile He puts in a small boate Oh gods durst Nile Durst barbarous Memphis and th'effoeminate men Of soft Canopus harbour such a spleene Has civill war deprest the world so low Or are the Roman fates dejected so Are Pharian swords admitted and a roome For Aegypt left into this war to come In this at least ye civill wars be true Bring well knowne hands keepe forreine beasts from you If Pompey's far-fam'd name deserue to be The crime of Caesar Feares not Ptolomey The ruine of that name or when the sky Thunders dar'st thou effoeminate Ptolomey Insert thy profane hands to terrify Thee King a Romans name enough should be Without that worth that did the world controll Rode thrice in triumph to the capitoll That govern'd Kings that led the Senates war And sonne in law was to the Conquerer VVhy with thy sword our bowells doest thou wound Thou doest not know proud boy vpon what ground Thy fortunes stand thou now canst claime no right To Aegypts scepter for in civill fight He 's fall'n that Aegypts crowne on thee bestow'd Now Pompey's ship tooke downe her sailes and â—ow'd Toward the shore The wicked band drew b neere In a small two-oar'd boate with fained cheere Tell him the Kingdome at his service stands And fâ—ining that the shore for shelues and sands Could not approached be by ships so great Into their little boate they doe entreat He would descend If by the fates decree And everlasting lawes of destiny Pompey condemned to that wretched end Had not bin forc'd to shore c none of his friends VVanted resages of the dire event For had their faith beene pure if they had meant Their Scepter giver truely t' entertaine In Court th Aegyptian King with all his traine And fleete had come Pompey to fate giues way And bid to leaue his navy does obay Preferring d death before base feare Into The enemyes boates Cornelia faine would go Now more impatient to be separate From her deare Lord because she feares his fate Stay wife and sonne and far from shore quoth he Behold my fortune and in this necke try The tyrants faith but deafe to his commands Franticke Cornelia wrings her wofull hands VVhither without me goest thou cruell man Remoov'd from Thessaly must I againe Be left still fatall haue our parting 's bin In flight thou needed'st not to haue touch'd in At Lesbos but there still haue let me be If thou entend I nere shall land with thee Only at sea thy sad companion Thus all in vaine Cornelia making mone Vpon the ships foredecke stood looking ore So full of griefe and feare she could not more Looke after him nor turne her eyes away Doubtfull of his successe the fleete did stay Not fearing swords nor force nor treachery But lest great Pompey shouâ—d submissiuely Adore that scepter that himselfe bestow'd Septimius then a Roman souldier bow'd Saluting Pompey from th' Aegyptian boate VVho oh Heavens shame leaving his pile had got A Barbarous partizan one of the guard To Aegypts King fierce vnrelenting hard Bloody as any beast VVho would not then Haue thought that fortune meant to favour men VVhen she had kept this impious sword so far From Thessaly and stay'd from civill war This hand but she dispos'd the swords alas That civill mischeife might in every place Be done A tale the Conquerors to shame It was the gods eternall blush and blame A Roman sword should by a King be led And the Aegyptian boy reach Pompey's head VVith his owne sword VVhat fame shall future time Giue thee Septimius or how stile thy crime That Brutus act as parricidall blame And now the ending hower of Pompey came Putting himselfe into the monsters e hands He went aboard their boate the murdrous bands Straight draw great Pompey seeing their drawn swords Covers his face disdaining to spend words Or lookes on such a fate and shut his eyes Containing his great spirit lest words might rise Or teares his everlasting fame to taint But when Achillas murdring weapons point Had peirc'd his side scorning the villaines pride No groanes he gaue great like himselfe he dy'd With vnstirr'd breast and thus in secret spake All times that mention of Romes labours make And future ages through the world will see This fact and Aegypts base disloyalty Maintaine thine