Whan they had taken their place in this maner they made great fiers here there in many places of their hoost and the barbarians after their custome passed forth the most part of the night in myrth pleasure gladnes reioysing daunsyng and making great noyse and dyn rennyng and goyng from place to place and loudly crieng synging and reuellyng The kynges themselfe were also nat a lytel proude and fearse bycause they had nat fled from the batayle and counted themselfe as ouercomers seyng that they helde the romayns so besieged which as they thought durst nat abyde them On the other part the romaiÌ„s inteÌ„tyfly gaue aduerteÌ„s to the demeanour of their ennemies And for that the romayns were on the hyght of the hyl and without lyght therfore more easy from darknesse of hyer places they parceyued al the dedes and behauour of their ennemies which were beneth them and moch more euidently by light of the fyers This vnwyse behauour of the numidiens put the romayns in great confort and was great courage to them And specially Marius was greatly confermed in hope seyng their negligence their folly and vncraftinesse wherfore he coÌ„maunded his folke to kepe sylence as styl as might be possible without any noyse In somoche that he suffred nat the truÌ„petes to souÌ„de the watche as warryours ar wont agaynst night Afterwarde whan the day began to apere the numidiens were al weryed with their cryeng ouerlate watchyng and reuel and had gyuen theÌ„selfe to rest a lytel before as men without feare or dout of the romayns But certenly it is a true ê“uerbe which is often sayd that after fayre wether succedeth teÌ„pestious cloudes and aft myrth ioye often cometh sadnes and sorowe So it hapened to the numidyeÌ„s For whyle they ingorged fylled with wynes lay slepyng on the grounde as beestes without fere without ê“uision Marius coÌ„mauÌ„ded sodenly all his trumpetes clarionistes with other mynstrels to sound their instrumeÌ„tes as shyrle as they coude altogyder and that al his soudyours shulde set vp a shout or cry as horribly as they myght and with that inuade and breke into the tentes of the numidyens This was shortly done wherfore the numidyens mauriens getuliens astonyed and abasshed with that vnknowen and horryble noyse were sodenly awakened of sleape and seyng them thus coÌ„pased with their ennemies what for feare of deth and of the noyse they were so amased that they had no power neyther to fle nor to drawe to them their armour nor vtterly to do or prouid any maner socour for themselfe Thus they stode astonyed for this horrible noyse and cry as yf madnesshe had entred them none able to socour hymselfe nor other The romayns alway increased to them their noyse and feare assayling murdring and woundyng them without any resystence Finally al they were outher ouerthrowen slayne or wouÌ„ded or els fled their armo r standerdes and weapen left behynde them and mo were in this batayle slayne than in al the batels before For amonge them al none was taken prisoner for with fere and sleape so amased were they that fewe escaped by flight ¶ Of the great prouysion and wysdome of Marius after his victory and of the seconde batayle which he had agaynst the two kynges in which also he had great vyctory with laude honour ¶ The .lvii. Chapyter WHan Marius had gloriously thus ouer come the moost part of his ennemies except the two kyngê he drue hym than towarde his wyntring places as he had purposed before And ordred hymselfe his men specially in hauen townes bycause of more easy ê“uision of vytels but neuertheles in his iournay thyderwarde for al his victory he becam nat negligent vnware nor proude as captayns often ar wont aft victory goten of their ennemies but he ê“uided and went forwarde with his army quadrat and deuided into four partes ordred apoynted as if his ennemies had ben in his sight Sylla was assigned to take charge of the ryght wyng of the army and al the spear men with hym And Aulus Manlius of the lyft wyng And with hym the slyngars archers the cohortes of Lumbardes The peticapitayns with fotemen of lyght harnesse were distributed and dyuided in the vantgarde and rerewarde Of the treatours whiche had forsaken Iugurth and came to the romayns suche as were best laboured and knewe best the contrey were chosen forth and sent out to espy the contrey and wayes of Iugurth Bocchus But nat withstandyng Marius hymselfe was as prouident circuÌ„spect and diligent withal as if he had coÌ„mytted the charge to none other He was mouyng coÌ„tinually from place to place ouer all the army laudyng coÌ„mendyng and rewardyng the good soudyors and blamyng and rebukyng the bad he hym selfe armed and diligently prouidyng and ministryng vnto them euery thyng necessary and expedient and coÌ„pelled them that were frowarde and ylwillyng to labour In euery place where he set his tentes in his iournay he ordred defence with depe dyches and trenches rounde about his hoost And in the entres of the tentes he assigned soudyors elect therto to kepe watch and some to kepe scoutwatch about the tentes in compasse Moreouer some other he ordred on the castynge of the dyches and on outwarde bulwarkes to defende the remanent if any sodayne peryl apered He hymselfe armed nyghtly weÌ„t about and serched the watch Nat specially for any feare nor mystrust of any paryl to come nor for feare that his soudyours wold nat obey his coÌ„maundemeÌ„t But specially to th entent that the loudyours seyng their captayne nat refusyng labour nor paryl shuld be also more wylling to folowe the same and to take payne vpon themselfe as ashamed if they dyd nat asmoch as their captayn And certenly at this tyme at many other during this warre as I rede Marius coÌ„strayned his soudyors to labour rather for shame thaÌ„ with sharpnes or punisshemeÌ„t For shame it is to the seruant to be ydle whaÌ„ the maister sore laboreth Howbeit some sayd that Marius toke this labour vpon hym for the desyre of coÌ„mendacion worshyp bycause that froÌ„ his youth he was euer wont with hardnesse hunger thirst and labour and many other thynges whiche the delycate gentylmen of our tyme count for miseries But to Marius were these hardnesses moche pleasure and delyte for affection whiche he had agaynst the commen wayle as equal persones supposed But to what euer intent Marius treated his army in this wyse it was knowen that his dedes dyd asmoche profet and worshyp to the commen wayle of Rome as if he had more rigorously and sharpely treated his soudyours For al thynges were ordred wel and worthely for the honour and profet of the commen wayle as if he had more rigorously treated his army ¶ But to retourne to my purpose whan Marius with suche dyligence as sayd is was come nat far from the towne of Cirtha at the last the fourth day after the forsayd batayle the espyes of their ennemies appered on
¶ Whyle Iugurth thus exhorted his soudyours Metellus nought knowyng of his ennemies apered with his company dysceÌ„dyng downe the pendant of the great hyll whiche at first seyng but fewe men moche marueyled what it myght signifie for he suspected nothyng lesse than batayle but in beholdyng more inteÌ„tyfly towarde the toppe of the small hyll afore hym he espyed among the yong trees bothe horse men whiche wer nat fully hyd bycause of the lownesse of the trees yet was he incertayne what it myght be For what by secretnes of the place and what by gyle of Iugurth their baners the most part of the soudyours were obscured hyd lyeng downe vpon the grounde But anone after whan he parceyued this gyle treason by lytell lytell he set his army in array procedynge forwarde styll as he dyd before faynynge hymselfe ignoraÌ„t of the treason But he chaunged the order of his soudyours and on the ryght wynge whiche was next to the Numidyens his ennemies he ordayned as it were a forwarde enforced with a threfolde subsidy or socoures that is to say with thre bendes of proued soudyours to rescue helpe them whan nede shuld be The archers suche as wich slyngê shulde cast agaynst their enmis pluÌ„mettê of led yron all other whiche were of lyght harnes all these he deuided among the standerdes of other soudyours as the case requyred where as after the ryght ordynaunce of batayle suche soudyours by them selfe deuyded shuld begyn the batayle but in this batayle the sytuacion of the place nat so requyred All the hole coÌ„pany of his horsmen he ordred in the extremitees corners of the forefront of the batayle This done as the breuyte of the tyme suffred he made a short exhortacion vnto his soudyors so proceded forth with his hoost sette in array in maner beforesayd but bycause Iugurth was on the small hyll before hym and by that meane on the hyer ground he thought to remedy that incoÌ„modite led forth his hoost on the syde halfe nat towarde Iugurth but alonge on the hyll towarde the flodde of Muthull into the playne which was betwene the hyll the flood But whan he sawe the Numidyens quyed and that they departed nat from the hyll which they had taken he coÌ„sydred the hete and feruentnes of the somer season And lyst his army myght perysshe for lacke or scarcite of water he sent before one of his capitayns named Rutilius with a coÌ„pany of lyght harnessed soudyours and part of his horsmen vnto the flodde named Muthull for to take vp a place wherin they myght set their tentes in tyme of nede thynkyng that his enâ—emies wyllyng to continue longe in that place by often assauâ—es and scarmysshes shulde disturbe the romayns whyle they resorted to the water And for asmoche as the Numidiens trusted nat moche in their strength and armoure He thought that they purposed and intended to trouble his sodyors with werynes and thurst Whan Rutilius was gone towarde the water Metellus descended procedyng forth withall by lytell lytell as the mater and place requyred he commaunded one named Marius with his company to kepe in the rerewarde But Metellus hymselfe with the horsemen kept hym in the lyfte wyng of the forwarde of the batayle whiche alway remoued forwarde first of all his army ¶ Of the fyrst batayle foughten bytwene Metellus and Iugurth ¶ The .xxxi. chapyter BVt whan Iugurth sawe that the rereward of Metellus was passed his forwarde he be set the hyll from whiche Metellus dyscended with two thousande fotemen by which garnyson if Metellus wold agayn take socour of the same hyll he shuld be prohibyted dryuen bacwarde agayne into the handes of Iugurth This done sodenly he dyd the truÌ„petes to be blowen and anone withall inuaded set vpon the company of Metellus on euery syde The Numidyens assayled and bete downe the romayns some on the rereward and other some dyd their deuoyre to breke the aray on both sydes both on the ryght lyft wyng withall their myght assaylyng the romayns and auaunsyng themselfe on euery syde to breke their array and ordynaunce And after theyr power to trouble dystourbe and deuyde them The romayns whiche were most stable and bolde of myndes in metyng their ennemies were abused dysceyued with the vncertayne batayle For their ordynaunce and array was set and strengthed onely but on one syde But their ennemies assayled them on euery syde so that soÌ„tyme they were stryken wounded of their ennemies from farre of but by no meanes coude they stryke their ennemies agayne nor ioyne with them For Iugurth had taught his Numidiens on horsbake before the batayle that whan they shulde begyn to assayle the romayns they shulde nat kepe themselfe togyder nor nere but asmoche dyspersed as they coude and in diuers places one company here and and other there And where the soudyours of Iugurth coude nat auoyed nor repell the romayns whiche assayled them bycause they were mo in nombre thefore they compassed trapped them behynde or on the sydes betyn of and dysioyned from their company And where it fortuned any of them to fle the Numidyans had more auantage than the romayns For where they fled into the feldes they assayled the romayns on the backe halfe or els on bothe sydes in dyuers companyes But where they sawe it was more auayle and expedieÌ„t to fle agayne to the hyll where they set first their ordynaunce They had also auantage therby for their horses were acustomed to mountaynes and combred wayes wherfore they mounted with lesse difficultie but in coÌ„trary wyse the romayns for the sharpnes of the hylles and lacke of vse coude nat folowe them in their asseÌ„dyng without moch difficulte payne and paryll But nat withstandynge that Iugurth and his men had the most auantage of the countrey and grounde yet the batayle on both sydes was variable vncertayne vngoodly and myserable to beholde for the best men sonest were slayne and in moost ieopardy For the courage and valyant myndes bolde hertes of the romayns was worth the gyle and treason of the Iugurthyns and so on bothe sydes he which was boldest and moost auauÌ„ced hymself was sonest ouerthrowen Some which were deuyded from their owne company and in handê of their ennemies gaue place to them and yelded themselfe And agayne some folowed and chased their ennemies fleyng where they myght make theirê‘ty good there resysted eyther partie manly None of both parties kept vnder their standerdes nor folowed nat the order of batayle nor kept none order nor array but euery man resysted and defended hymself ther where moost ieopardy and paryll was layed to hym and endeuoyred hymselfe to withstande the vyolence of his ennemis with hye valyantise And so the armour defensyfs dartes meÌ„ horse Romayns Numidyans soudyours and pages were all confounded and mengledde togyder without orde or ordynaunce obserued Nothyng was done with dyscression of the soudyours nor with counsell of the captayns
euery syde The romaiÌ„s vnderstode anone therby that their ennemies were at hande The espyes of the romains also which were sende forth brought the same tidynges from euery coost of the couÌ„trey Marius perceyued that his ennemies were in diuerse coÌ„panyes and deuided wherfore he was vncertayne howe he myght best order his hoost to receyue them And therfore perceyuing it vnsure how to order the forfront of his batayle as it ought he abode his ennemies in the same place no order chaunged with his hoost deuyded in .iiii. partes as sayd is as he whiche was redy and prouyded for euery chauÌ„ce Thus was Iugurth disceyued and frustrate of his purpose For he had deuyded his hoost into four partes trustynge to inuade some of the romayns on the backehalfe with parte of his army and with an other part to encouÌ„ter with them and with the other two partes to enclose them on both the sydes and so to enuyron them rounde about In the mean tyme Sylla which first encountred with Iugurth exhorted coÌ„forted his men aswel as he might for breuite of the tyme. That done anone he proceded with his company by bendes clustres togyder their horses conioyned in the moost thyckest maner and so fiersly assayled the Maurians The remanent of the fotemen whiche were vnder Sylla remayned and kept themselfe styl in their first place and defended their bodyes from the dartes whiche their ennemies thrue agaynst them from farre But if it chaunsed any of their ennemies to come bytwene their handes they hewed them downe to decrease the nombre ¶ Whyle Sylla and his horsmen thus fiersly were fightyng on the right wyng of the batayle The kyng Bocchus assembled togyder the fotemen whome his son named Volux had brought thyder with hym These fotemen had suche impediment in their iournay thyderwarde that they came ouerlate to the other batayle whiche was last foughten before this Wherfore Bocchus whan he had assembled inbolded with his wordê these fresshe fotemen with them he assayled fiersly the rerewarde of the romayns ¶ In the meane tyme Marius hymself was occupyed in the forwarde of his hoost and there employed his wysdome and strength as a valyant and worthy captayne and so stode it hym in hande For in the forwarde Iugurth hymselfe with his grettest power stroÌ„gest coÌ„pany of men inbatayled with hym ¶ But after that Iugurth knewe of the coÌ„myng of Bocchus to the felde anone he turned hym with a smal coÌ„pany about hym priuely vnto the fotemen of the romayns and there with an hye voyse he cried vnto them sayng that they fought but in vayne For a lytel before he had slayne Marius with his owne handes And in cryeng these wordes he lyfted vp withal and shewed his swerde al ouersprincled and dyed with blode whiche he had so couloured in the batayle fiersly ynough in murdring the fotemen of the romayns These wordes Iugurth cryed in latyn tong For he had lerned to speke latyn longe before in the batayle of Numaunce Whan the romayns herde these wordes they were affrayed but more for crueltie of the noyse than for any confidence or trust whiche they had to the messanger But on the other syde the myndes of the barbariens wer bolded exalted by these wordes by reason wherof more sharpely they inuaded the romayns seynge them abasshed astonyed And nowe were the romains of the forwarde at that poynt that they were redy to gyue themselfe to flyght as men dyscouraged for the sayd tidynges ¶ Whan they were at this poynt it fortuned so at the same tyme that Sylla had beaten and ouerthrowen the mauriens which inuaded and assayled hym on the right wyng of the batayle wherfore he retourned to his coÌ„pany fiersly assayled the fresshe fotemen which wer with Bocchus and at one syde brake in amonge the thyckest of them But Bocchus anone tourned his backe and gaue hymselfe to flyght ¶ On the othersyde Iugurth which in his part of the batayle almost had optayned vyctory dyd his diligence to incourage support his coÌ„pany and to mentayne that auaÌ„tage whiche he had won And at coÌ„clusion al in vayne For whyle he laboured there about as a worthy captayne the spear men of the romayns so coÌ„pased hym his coÌ„pany about both on the right syde on the lyft that al his garde other which were about hym at conclusion were slayne But he hymselfe glad to saue his lyfe brake forth alone from among the myddes of his ennemies and from wepyns and dartes with great difficuly ¶ But in the meane tyme Marius had ouercome driuen away the horsmen which assayled hym Wherfore anone he returned fiersly to helpe and socours of his company whome he vnderstode somwhat put backe by violeÌ„ce of their ennemies But he by his policy and valiant dedes anone so reconforted his men that none of his ennemies were able to withstande their violence in any part of that batayle ¶ Thus finally the romayns after great labour and many greuous woundes disconfited their ennemies on euery syde But whan the batayle was ended and the romayns began to pursue the chase than verily it was a pytefull and horrible syght to beholde in the open feldes and to consyder the cruel spectacle of batayle Howe some fled Some pursued some inraged murdring some rored dyeng some slayne some taken prisoners The horse and men mengled togyder labouring in the panges of deth The ground ouerspred with deed corpses mangled mutulate and horribly hewyn inuolued in blode coÌ„geled The horse wounded as mad drewe after them the deed carcases of their maisters their legges hangyng in the styropes and their speares halfe thorowe their bodyes trayling after in the dust The coursers wounded and fleyng cast vp with their fete the dust tempered with blode rennyng ouer the deed bodyes of their lordes Many of the NumidieÌ„s which were sore wounded coude neyther fle nor be suffred to take rest on the grounde Somtyme they laboured to ryse auoyde and anone after for feblenes fel downe to the ground agayne eche rowlyng turnyng in other blode And finally as far as any mannes syght myght extende al the grounde was ouerspred and couered with armour wepen and deed caryons rennyng of blode And al the ground infect with the same horryble to beholde ¶ Howe Bocchus after that he was thus twyse ouercom in batel purposed to make peace with the romains and howe at his request Marius sende vnto hym Sylla and Manlius to knowe his mynde in that behalfe ¶ The .lviii. Chapiter AFter that this batel was thus ended to the vtter damage distruction of the Numidyans and to the laude honour of the romayns Marius was nowe without dout ouercomer victour and went vnto the towne of Cirtha as his iournay and purpose was at first begynnyng before these two batayls Whan Marius had soiourned there fyue dayes aft this batayle there came vnto hym embassadors froÌ„ kyng Bocchus Whiche in their kyngê behalfe desyred of Marius
ire and displeasure of the Romains had he none other hope nor confort saue in the couetyse of the noble men of Rome and in thabundaunce of his treasours wherwith he trusted to corrupte the rulers of Rome to be fauorable to hym This consydred within fewe dayes after he sent to Rome embassadours with moche golde and siluer to whome he gaue in commaundement that first of all they shulde satisfy his olde frendes with rewardes and money and than to spare no gyftes to get vnto hym mo new frendes And brefely that they shulde nat spare nor tary to procure vnto hym fauourers and mainterners of his part and all thynges for his auauntage by gyftes and promysses But after these embassadours were come to Rome accordyng to the coÌ„maundement of theyr kyng they gaue and sent to his acquayntaunce and frendes and to suche as amonge the senatours at that tyme had moost authorite large and great rewardes Insomoche that anone among them was so great a chaunge that the maruelous enuy hatred and euyl wyll which they had agaynst Iugurthe was all chaunged into fauour and grace amonge the noble men Of whome some were so induced by gyftes receyued and some other by hope of brybes in tyme to come that they went about among the senatours from one to one labourynge intretyng that at that season nothyng shuld be extremely nor greuously determined agaynst Iugurth Thus after the embassadours of Iugurth had coÌ„fidence and trust ynough in theyr cause they laboured to haue a day apointed to apere in court The day of apparence was graunted as well to them as to Adherball to Adherball as playntife and to the embassadours as defendentes for Iugurth whan the day assigned was come bothe the parties appered in court before the senatours than after audience graunted Adherball began to speke vnder forme folowynge for complaint and declaracion of his iniuries and oppression ¶ Here insueth the oracyon of Adherball deuised in forme deliberatiue in whiche he exhorteth the senatours to coÌ„maunde socours ayde to be assigned vnto hym prouynge the same to be profitable honest and easy to the Romains to do profita ble that he myght coÌ„tynue a frende vnto the empire of Rome honest for his father grandfather had so deserued easy to be done for the Romains at that tyme had none other warre els where ¶ The .x. chapter MOost dyscrete chosen fathers and noble senatours Micipsa my father at houre of his deth coÌ„mauÌ„ded me that I shulde thynke nought els of the lande of Numidy to apertayne to me saue onely the rule and administracion of the same affirmynge that the title of possession and empyre of the same belonged to you to the people of Rome Moreouer he gaue me in commaundement to do my deuoyr to be vnto you seruiable aboue all thynges both in place and in warre And that I shulde count you vnto me in place of kynsmen and nerest frendes of alyaunce Sayenge that if I so dyd than by your amite and frendshyppe I shulde fynde socours ryches and defence of the kyngdome of Numydy and of me and myne in all tymes of nede which preceptê of my father whyle I kest in mynde to obserue sodaynly Iugurth the moost cruell cursed of all men whome the grounde susteyneth dyspisyng your empyre hath dryuen me from your kyngdome from all my other goodes of fortune nothyng regardynge that I am neuew of Massinissa and by myne auncetry a felowe and frende of the empyre and people of Rome But certaynly worthy and chosen fathers syth I am come to that misery that necessite coÌ„strayneth me to desyre your ayde and socours I wolde moch rather that I myght call for your helpe for myne owne merytes agaynst you done than for the merites of my forefathers and that by suche meanes of myne owne deseruynge your benefites and socours were due vnto me which wolde god that I neded nat at all but if this your socours myght so of you be desyred by my merites deseruyng than shulde I call boldly to you and vse your socours of duety as myne auncetry haue done in tymes passed But nowe syth it is so that honest lyfe and innocence in this worlde fyndeth lytell surenesse by themselfe without proteccion of some other Moreouer syth it was nat in my power to mitigate nor to withstande this tyrannous iniury of Iugurth Therfore chosen fathers I am nowe fled vnto you as to my chefe refuge coarted to necessitie to requyre your socours and coÌ„strayned to put you to besynes charge before I haue done any pleasure or profet vnto you whiche thyng greued me moost of all and is one of my gretest miseries Ryght worthy senatours other kynges haue ben receyued into yor frendshyppe fauour after ye haue ouercome them in batayle or els perceyuynge themselfe in danger and in doubtfull chauÌ„ches of fortune they haue coueyted and desyred your felowshyppe and fauour rather for theyr owne wele than for yours But moche contrarely our forefathers and rote of our lynage Massinissa confederated hymselfe with the people of Rome in the seconde batayle of Carthage what tyme was more faythfulnes to be trusted in them theyr good wyll than of welth or riches to be optayned of the romains beynge at that tyme assayled with warre on euery syde theyr riches and treasours consumed by often batayles Thus it is euident that our auncetry confederat nat themselfe to your felowshyp for theyr owne defence in hope of riches in hope of dominion nor for any other priuate profet but onely for fauour loue whiche they had vnto your empyre Wherfore noble senatours suffre nat the progeny and braunches of this stocke to be distroyed Suffre nat me whiche am neuewe of your trusty frende Massinissa to aske of you helpe and socours in vayne But prudeÌ„t fathers if it were so that I had none other cause to demaunde socours of you saue onely this miserable fortune wherwith I am oppressed that I whiche was lately a kyng by lineall dyscent myghty of auncetry excellent and clere of fame habundauÌ„t in riches and of men of armes and now dysformed by myserable calamite poore and nedy so that I am constrayned to seke helpe socours of other men if I had none other mater wherof to complayne saue this miserable fortune onely Neuerthelesse it longeth is conuenient to the magesty of the people of Rome to prohibite to withstande iniury And nat to suffre the kyngdome or dominion of any man to ryse and increase by falshode myscheuous tyranny And the ryght heyres agaynst ryght agaynst iustice and agaynst reason to be excluded from theyr true heritage But verely I am excluded and cast forthe of that countrey which the romayns in tyme passed gaue vnto my forefathers out of the which countrey my father grandfather accompanyed with your army and helpe haue chased the kynge Siphax and also the Carthaginences bothe moost violent enmyes to the empyre of Rome Your benefites be
delayng and deferryng of the warre trustyng that in meane tyme he shuld brynge about somwhat of his purpose at Rome other by price prayer or fauour But nowe after he had won Scaurus to be partiner of his busynes and fauourer of his cause also with Calphurnius he was brought into a very great trust fully to recouer his peace at Rome and concluded whyle both Calphurnius Scaurus were there present togyder to take aduisemeÌ„t treat preseÌ„tly with them of all apoyntmeÌ„t thyngê necessary to be done for ê‘fourmyng of his purpose Howbeit he trusted nat Calphurnius so moche that he wolde come to his army except some hostagê of the Romayns were left within some strong towne of his in warde of his people wherby he myght trust without daÌ„mage sauely to be remitted agayn to his army Calphurnius to auoyd this dougth of Iugurth to put hym in more assurance send the treasourer of the Romayne army named Sextius vnto one of the chefe townes belongyng to Iugurth called Vacca faynyng amonge the army that he sent the sayd treasourer thyther for prouision of whete other vitayls necessary to his hoost And the same coÌ„maundement to prouyde vitayls the captayn Calphurnius gaue to his treasourer openly in coÌ„men audience to thinteÌ„t that no man shuld suspect his false purpose sayeng to his treasourer that hym neded nat to be in dout of Iugurth for asmoch as trues were taken bytwene bothe parties tyll a certayn day prefixed The treasourer Sextius went to the sayd cyte of Vacca at commauÌ„dement of Calphurnius his captayne Wherfore anone after Iugurth lyke as he apoynted before came to the army of Calphurnius and there in presence of the rulers counsell of the Romains spake a lytell of his purgacion concernyng the displeasure enuy hatredde whiche the senate and commens of Rome had taken agaynst hym for his dedes sayeng that he had nought done but prouoked of his ennemies and for his owne defence with violence to resyst violence Howe beit he sayd that he was coÌ„tented to yelde submit hym selfe vnto the Romayns clemence and mercy Somoch spoke he openly before all the chefe couÌ„sell of the army But all the remenaunt he concluded and dyd secretly with Calphurnius Scaurus at more leasoure and thus ended the coÌ„municacion of this day On the next day after insuynge the captayne and the counsell of the army also Iugurth assembled togyder agayn to common of the same mater concernyng peace to be grauÌ„ted to Iugurth Nowe was it so that at Rome was decreed an ordinaunce long before this tyme named among the romayns the Satyre lawe whiche lawe coÌ„maunded that the captayne of euery army shulde aske aduyse of all the wyse counsell of his hoost whan he went about any weythy mater coÌ„cernyng the coÌ„men wele Wherfore Colphurnius thought so to order hymselfe that he shulde nat be counted a brecare of this lawe And desyred counsell aduise of all the noble and wyse men of his hoost This dyd he to thynteÌ„t that if the peace grauÌ„ted to Iugurth shulde be afterward dysalowed at Rome as it was he myght auoyde the faute from hymselfe into the coÌ„mon couÌ„sell But at coÌ„clusion whan Calphurnius acordyng to the sayd lawe had requyred aduyse of the common couÌ„sell euery man coÌ„sented that peace shulde be graunted to Iugurth vpon coÌ„dicion coÌ„uenaunt that he shulde delyuer vnto the romayns thertie Elyphantes with moche other catell and many horses with a great somme of golde To which ordinaunce Iugurth acorded and soone after delyuered the same Elyphantes catell and horses golde vnto the tresourer of the Romayne hoost This done the consull Calphurnius departed to Rome to requyre the senatours other rulers to coÌ„ferme this peace coÌ„corde which they had made with Iugurth In meane tyme ouer all Numydy and also in the Romayne army was peace and coÌ„corde in abydyng the answere of the senate and rulers at Rome ¶ Howe the rulers of Rome for the moost parte were greuously displeased for grauntyng of this-peace and disalowed the same And how Memmius inflamed the coÌ„men people agaynst the fauourers of Iugurth ¶ The .xviii. Chapter BVt after it was knowen at Rhome in what maner the consull had behaued hymselfe in Affrike with Iugurth in euery place about Rome and among euery company within Rome it was coÌ„myned of the dede of Calphurnius In somoche that among the coÌ„menty was raysed greuous hatered displeasure agaynst hym The senators were sore troubled were in doute whyther they myght coÌ„ferme and alowe this foule and shamefull dede of the consull or els abrogate and annull the same In this perplexite they were longe tyme vncertayne And moost of all the myght and power of Scaurus bycause he was a doer and felowe with the consull in the sayd dede let them frome discussyng of the ryght But whyle the senatours in suche wyse prolonged the tyme. In this dubitacion Memmius of whose condicions promptnes of wytte and hatered whiche he had agaynst the power of the estates and noble men we haue written before at dyuers tymes he assembled the coÌ„mon people exhortyng inflamyng them to reuenge the cruelte of Iugurth and parcialite of his fauourers warnyng them nat to forsake the defence of their coÌ„men wayle and libertie of theyr cite He rehersed vnto them the pride the cruelte manyfolde vnlawfull dedes of the senatours of other estates at many tymes done to disworshyp and oppression of the coÌ„men wele And vtterly at conclusion so he behaued hymselfe that he kyndled the myndes of the vniuersall coÌ„mentie to resyst the parcialyte of the estates and to se the cruelte of Iugurth extremely punysshed But bycause the eloquence of this Memmius at that season was at Rome notable and moche set by dyscrete of great authorite I haue intended of so many exhortacions as he had to the people to coÌ„myt one to remembraunce by writynge And specially before all other I wyll write that exhortacion which after returnyng of Calphurnius from Affrike the sayd MeÌ„mius spake before the coÌ„men people in fourme folowynge ¶ The orison of Memmius had before the commen people of Rome In whiche orison he induceth them to defeÌ„de their lyberte And to represse and persecute with hatered the noble men of Rome ¶ The .xix. Chapter RIght worthy cetyzins many thyngê shulde withdrawe me from defence of you and from charge medlyng with your busynesses were nat the great loue fauour which I haue to the commen wele that causeth me to sette a syde all suche impedimentes and vtterly to take vpon me the defence of your lyberte agaynst these corrupt estates More playnly to ascertayne you the thynges whiche myght withdrawe me from defence of your cause be these First the power of them which are begyÌ„ners of this variauÌ„ce that is to say of Calphurnius and Scaurus Secondly your pacieÌ„ce which is easy to be subdued of crueltie sith ye be disposed to endure
and Aulus came to coÌ„munication togyder Than sayd Iugurth to Aulus that nat withstandyng that he had hym his army which were letf alyue sure ynough coÌ„passed and enuyroned with wepen hunger so that they coude nat escape hym and howebeit it was in his power to oppres hym all his Neuertheles he remembred well ynough the incertayn chances of mannes busynesse wold nat be to hym cruell nor vncurres so that he wolde make with hym a bonde of peas and no more contend agaynst hym in batayle on this condicion that all the soudyours of Aulus shulde do obesance vnto hym and passe vnder a spere in token of subiectyon and so without more damage depart out of the countrey of Numidy within the space of .x. dayes next after But howbeit this composicion and condicions were hard greuous and full of shame misery and worthy to be punysshed of the senatours yf Aulus agreed to them Neuerthelesse theyr myndes so wauered for drede of deth that at last the composicion agrement was concluded agreed at the wyll pleasure of Iugurth vpon the sayd condicions ¶ what sorowe and heuynes was at Rome and how they demeaned themselfe in the cite after that tydynges herof were brought thyder ¶ The .xxvi. chapyter WHan the Romayns vnderstode of this at Rome all the cite was fylled with drede sorowe lameÌ„tacion mournyng Some bewayled the worshyp of tâ—empire as lost by that shamefull coÌ„posicion And other vncustomed to suche busynesse of batayle nat knowyng nor coÌ„sydryng the variable mutabilite of chauÌ„ces of wary fered the losse of their libertie of their cite and of all theyr empire They all were wrothe vtterly displeased with Aulus cause of this subiection shamefull coÌ„posicion But namely they which had ben good warryours in their dayes were displeased with hym most of all whan they coÌ„sydred that he beyng armed well apointed to batayle rather sought meanes to escape from deth by suche shamefull bonde coÌ„posicion than manly abyding the exâ—remite of batayle to haue delyuered hymselfe his coÌ„pany or els valyantly to haue dyed with honoure But the coÌ„sull Albinus hymselfe dreded sore for this thyngê coÌ„sydring that for his brothers faute in tyme to coÌ„e he shuld nat auoyde the displeasure of the senatours coÌ„mens of Rome For as he coniectured all his brothers dedes shuld redouÌ„de to his dishonour paryll bycause he had lymitted hym in Numidy in his sted to be captayne of the army in his abseÌ„ce Wherfore these thynges duely aduysed he went to the senators desyringe them to take counsell aduisemeÌ„t whyther they wolde approbate and allowe the sayd coÌ„posicion bytwene his brother Aulus Iugurth or els nat But he knewe ryght well that the senatours wolde nat coÌ„ferme the same Wherfore in meane tyme whyle they wer couÌ„selling he elect soudyors for supplimeÌ„t to fulffyll and parforme agayne the army whiche was in Affrike and sore diminisshed For many of them were slayne by Iugurth and his company Wherfore Albinus raysed vp socours of such as were nere to the costes of Rome and frendes to thempire as Latinians and Italians with other nacioÌ„s Of these he raysed as many as he myght and assembled them togyder by all meanes whiche he coude deuyse to fournysshe and augmente his army At conclusion the senatours decreed in their counsell that no bonde of peace nor composicion myght be coÌ„firmed without their consent and without the aduyse commaundement of the coÌ„men people also as ryght and reason requyred And thus was the sayd coÌ„posicion of Aulus abrogate as thyng presumed without consent or coÌ„maundement of the senatours or commens But whan the consull Albinus had ordayned and prepared supplement of his army as sayd is he was prohybet and letted by the protectours of the coÌ„menty Insomoche that he was nat suffred by them to conuey suche company as he had raysed into Affrike with hym as he intended to repayre and tornysshe the army whiche there remayned Wherfore he spedde hymselfe forth into Affrike disapoynted of his purpose with a small company of men of his owne retynue The army of the romayns whiche he before had coÌ„mytted to Aulus his brother accordyng to the opoyntment with Iugurth was departed forth of Numidy And to pasforth the wynter taryed in a prouince of Affrike whiche was subget to thempire of Rome Whan Albinus the consull was arryued come thyder his mynde ardently was kyndled with desyre to pursue Iugurth and to remedy the yl wyâ—l and displeasure whiche the commens at Rome had agaynst Aulus his brother Neuertheles whan he knewe the maners and yll behauour of the soudyours of whome some were fled treyterously to Iugurth as is sayd before some by sufferaunce of theyr captayne were infected and corrupted with ouermoch pleasure dissolute liberty and voluptuous lyuing this consydring he concluded as the case requyred to do nothyng for a season and to attempte no maistry but to passe forth the wynter with his army without remouynge or puttyng hymselfe in ieopardy or paryll ¶ In the meane season whyle Albinus and his army soiourned in the ê“uince of Affrike tyll the wynter were ouerpassed At Rome was one named Caius Manlius elect and lymitted proiectour of the coÌ„men people whiche anone after he was seâ— in authorite assembled the coÌ„mens desyred couÌ„sayled them that inquisicion myght be made of all such by whose supportacion couÌ„sell Iugurth had dyspised set aâ— nought the ordinauÌ„ces decreed of the senatours And agaynst them whiche had restored agayne to Iugurth the elyphantes whiche Iugurth had delyuerd to Calphurnius at the first composicion and apoyntment whiche was made with hym And also agaynst them whiche had receyued any money or other rewardê of Iugurth whyle they were embassadors or captains of armies ayenst hym send forth by the romayns And finally the same inquisicion also was extended agaynst all such as had made any pactions apoyntmentes or promises of peace or of warre with ennemies of thempire without generall coÌ„sent of the senatours or commens ¶ Whan this inquire was moued many of the senatours noble men of Rome knewe themselfe culpable in the forsayd articles And other some douted sore of paryls for to come bycause of the ylwyll malyce whiche the partie of the coÌ„mens confederat had agaynst them Wherfore syth the same noble men myght nat well resyst the examinacion of these articles openly but of necessite they must agre therto other els knowlege themselfe by their resystence gylte in the same therfore they prepared impedimeÌ„t priuely agaynst suche inquisicions by theyr frendê but specially by the felowes of thempire whiche were coÌ„federate with the romayns as Italyans LatiniaÌ„s The princes of these nacions suche other lyke gaue counsell to the senatours whiche were nat fauty in the premysses and also to the coÌ„menty that in suche a troublous besy and peryllous season no suche examinacions shulde be made nor procede forwarde to effect for
were fauourers of the coÌ„menty first of all they slewe Tiberius Graccus And after that within a fewe yeres they slewe the other brother named Caius Graccus whyle he was ê“tectour of the coÌ„menty bycause that he acordyng to lawe right deuided among the poore coÌ„mente such landê as they had won in batayle of theyr ennemies And at the same season the estates put to deth also a lorde named Marcus Faccus bycause he defended the coÌ„mens liberte agaynst theyr extorcion But touchyng the two brethern Tiberius and Caius Graccus sothly their myndes were greatly immoderate and vnmesurable in theyr desyre to ouercome the states Neuerthelesse it had be moche better to the states to haue suffred them in theyr ryghtwyse tytell somwhat to haue inclyned to theyr myndes than to haue ouercome them so violently and slayne them so iniuryously how beit that they were ouer hasty besy But whan the states had the victory of them after their desyre pleasure than put they to deth the coÌ„menty without nombre and many they exiled droue out of the cite In somoch that froÌ„ thens forth they rather encreased theyr crueltie and feare to the commens than their owne honoure or power By which meanes many worthy citees haue often tymes ben dystroyed whyle the estates and commens contende the one to ouercome the other by one meane or other And whyle the party vyctoure wyll punysshe ouer greuously that party which is ouercome But yf I wold prepare to write of the besynesse and dedes of both the parties seriatly dystincly And yf I shulde touche all the maners of the cite acordyng to the gretnesse of the mater and as it requyreth othely the tyme shuld fayle me rather than the mater Wherfore I wyll omyt this superfluous and infenite besynes and retourne to my first mater and purpose touchyng this cronycle of this tyranne Iugurth ¶ Howe Metellus was creat consull and sende by the Romayns to warre agaynste Iugurthe of the wyse and dyscrete behauour of the same Metellus ¶ The .xxviii. chapyter AFter the truse and composicion of Aulus before sayde made with Iugurth the foule shamkfull flyght of the romayne army Quintus Metellus and Marcus Sillanus were creat proclamed consuls of Rome whiche acordyng to the olde custome parted deuyded the prouynces belongyng to Rome bytwene them bothe The countrey of Numidy fell and happened to Metellus This Metellus was a fierse man and a noble a worthy warryour And howbeit he fauoured the party of the noble men and was coÌ„trary to the party of the coÌ„mens neuertheles he was of fame vndefyled vnuiolat and couÌ„ted of good name indiffereÌ„tly on both parties Assone as euer this Metellus entred in his office dignite he thought that euery thyng apartayning to his rowm charge beloÌ„ged aswell to his partyng felowe as to hymselfe saue the warre of Numidy whiche onely belonged to hymselfe to his ê‘ticuler charge Wherfore he coÌ„mytted all other charges to Sillanus and onely sette his mynd to make prouysion for the warre agaynst Iugurth But bycause he mistrusted the olde army whiche was in Numidy with Albinus Aulus and had no coÌ„fydence in the myndes of these soudyors corrupted with ydelnes many other vices therfore he elected and assembled newe soudyours And of all suche as were felowes frendes confederate to the Romayns he called for helpe socours He prepared made redy armoure wepyn horse harnes and all other ordynaunce expedieÌ„t to warfare And also he ordayned abundauÌ„ce of vytayls And shortly to speke all thyngê he ordayned which ar wont to be necessary profitable to the variable chaunces incertayne accidentes and ieopardies of warre which requyreth reparacion of many thynges chargeable But suche as were felowes of the empire of Rome at instauÌ„ce request of the senatours and by theyr authorite and by the Latinians many other strange kynges of theyr owne frewyll sent socours to Metellus to auaunce hym in his enterpryse And shortly to speke the hole cytie laboured withall theyr myght to socoure and ayde Metellus in his besynesse Thus at last whan euery thynge was prouyded and sette in order after his pleasure intent than toke he his iournay into Numidy with great hope of all the cytezins of Rome that for his good maners and specially for that his mynde was vnouercoÌ„e with rychesse or coueryse that he shuld do more honoure to the empire than his predecessors had in the warre of Numidy For before his departynge the welth of Numidy by coueryse of the officers of Rome was augmeÌ„ted but the welth of the Romayns wasted and deminisshed Whan Metellus was come to Affrike the army was delyuered vnto hym by Albinus which army was vncrafty sluggysshe feble nouther able to endure paryll nor labour of tunge more redy fiers and hardy than of hande whiche was wont to robbe and pyll from felowes and frendes of the empire But it selfe endured by cowardise to be robbed and spoyled of ennemies of the empyre as a lawlesse dysordred coÌ„pany of men vngouerned without authorite or maners Wherfore Metellus the newe capytayne hadde moche more thought besynesse for suche corrupt vicious maners of a company so farre out of order than he hadde helpe or good hope of confort in the multitude of them Thus howe beit he sawe the tyme of election of newe coÌ„suls drawe nere And all yf he also vnderstode that the Romayns dayly loked after some ende of the warre These causes nat withstandyng yet he coÌ„cluded nat to begyn the warre tyll he had excercysed and vsed the soudyors with besynesse labour aft the instruction and custome of olde captayns vsed before his tyme. For why Albinus was so astonyed with the aduersite myschaunce of his brother Aulus and for murdre of his hoost that after he purposed nat to depart out of the romayns prouince whiche was in Affrike he kept the soudyors alway ydell in theyr tentes as longe as the somer season lasted as long as he was in authorite in somoche that they chaunged no place except the corrupt sauoure of the place or els necessite of vitayle coÌ„strayned them to remoue Nor accordyng to the custome maner of warryours amonge them was no watche but euery man came went at his owne pleasure and absented theÌ„selfe from theyr standardes whan it lyked them The scolyons pages wandred day nyght mengled among the horsemen chiefe of the soudyours without any order And many other as rouers dyspersed abrode destroyed the countrey fyghtynge agaynst the small villages nat agaynst citees nor townes They caryed away from the sayd villages prayes of catell and the inhabitaÌ„tes ledde away also with them as prisoners with other prayes stryuyng togyder who myght haue most and than after chaunged the sayde roberies with marchauntes for delycious strong wynes caryed from other strange countreis where better wyne grewe than in that couÌ„trey and
for other suche delycious thyngê They solde away the where and other vitayles which was delyuered of theyr capytayns among them in coÌ„men dayly they bought theyr bread And finally what euer shame or rebuke longyng to couetyse or lechery coude outher be sayd done or ymagined of any man all was vsed in that hoost And among some more shamefull dedes than ought to be named But Metellus hehaued hym selfe as a myghty wyse man nat lesse this difficultie hardnesse than if it had ben in a batayle foughteÌ„ agaynst his enneÌ„mies as he which in myddes of so great couetyse voluptuesite cruelty was syngulerly indued with teÌ„peraunce merueylous good maner vsed he in coartynge the same fautes Wherfore at the first begynnynge he withdrewe auoyded from the army at his commaundemeÌ„t ordinaunce the occasyons which styred the soudyours to suche slouth cowardyse and voluptuosite For he commaunded vnder great payne that no person shulde be so hardy to sell among the soudyours nouther bread nor other vitayle all reddy dressed saue the coÌ„men ê“uisyon that the pages waterlaggers scolyons shuld nat coÌ„e nere the army nor folowe the same That none of the coÌ„men simple sodyours shulde kepe or mentayne seruaunt nor beest in theyr tentes nor vyage whyle they moued fro place to place These inconuenyences first of all he redressed refourmed After these amended all other fautes he mesured by his wysdome craft and policy refourmynge them by lytell lytell This done to haue his soudyours occupyed he moued dayly from place to place and that nat in wayes coÌ„men vsed but by harde and vnoccupyed wayes He caused them dayly to cast dychesse trenches about the army to the intent that they shuld nat waxe slouthfull nor vicious by ouermoch rest ydlenesse He ordayned often watche among them euery nyght and he hymselfe acompanyed with his vnder captayns and heed officers often serched yf the watches were truely kept coÌ„passyng about the army on euery syde Whyle they remoued chaunged places somtyme he was in the forwarde and amonge the first somtyme in the rerewarde or hynder part and anone in the myddes ouerseynge theyr order to the intent that none shulde passe out of order aray and place to them assigned But kepe thicke togyder euery man coÌ„pany about theyr owne standerdê and also he ordayned that among themselfe they shulde conuey cary theyr owne vitayles and armoure And thus in short tyme he confermed and sette the army in good order rather with fayre wordes or rebukyng blamyng theyr fautes prohybityng their dysorder than in chastisyng or punysshyng their offeÌ„ces with rygour or crueltie ¶ Of the behauour of Iugurth agaynst Metellus and howe he sende embassadours to Metellus requyring vnfaynedly to yelde vp the kyngdome of Numidy to the empyre of Rome And howe Metellus behaued hymselfe agaynst the same embassadours ¶ The .xxix. chapyter IN the meane seasoÌ„ whan Iugurthe vnderstode by messangers espyes of this behauour of Metellus and also whaÌ„ he remembred that which was infourmed to hym at Rome of the integryte and vndefyled name of Metellus whiche wolde nat be corrupte with money nor accloyed with brybes lyke other before he began to mystruste his matters and to haue lasse confydence in his cause thanne euer he had before In somoche that than he began to laboure to yelde hymselfe vnfaynedly and to make a trewe composytion with Metellus and the Romayns without any fyction gyle or disceyt Wherfore he sende embassadours with supplicacions peticions requyring humbly of Metellus to graunt to hym his owne lyfe and the lyfe of his chyldren onely and concernyng all other thyngê he wolde yelde them into handes of the romayns But Metellus knewe well ynough long before this tyme by often experience profe that the Numidians of naturall disposicion were vnfaythfull mouable and vnstable of myndes newfangled and moche desyrous of newe besynesse newelties Wherfore he began with the embassadours of Iugurth tastyng and prouyng the mynde of eche of them by lytell and lytell and separatly one by one And whan he knewe that they somwhat inclined to his purpose he than promysed to them great gyftes promocion so that they wold do some pleasure for hym for the senatours people of Rome Than at last he counsayled and desyred them to delyuer Iugurth to hym alyue specially if it myght be brought about and yf they coude nat so than to delyuer hym outher quicke or deed But whan he had made this apoyntement secretly with thembassadours deuyded in sonder one by one than openly that euery man myght here he shewed to them all togyder other thynges as his pleasure was that they shuld certyfie their kynge Iugurth concernynge their embassade After this within fewe dayes whan he sawe his hoost moost redy and contrary to Iugurth he remoued his tentes and so addressed hym with his army redy in aray and went forward into Numidy where contrary to any similitude of warre the vyllages and cotages were full of men the feldes full of beestê and tylmen and euery where was moche plenty of people yonge and olde namely rude people tyllers of the grounde whiche had styll fled before the army in foretyme for feare but at the last whan they sawe no defence nor socoure the kynges lewtenantes and all other left their townes villages and lodges and went forthe to mete Metellus withall humilite honour and seruice submittyng themselfe to hym and redy to gyue to hym whete and other corne suche as they had And to cary vitayles after his hoost to ease the soudyours and to do and parfourme all other thynges what euer they were commaunded But for all this Metellus was nat lesse diligent nor circumspect in orderyng of his hoost but proceded forwarde togyder with his army iÌ„ aray redy in armoure and defended as if theyr ennemies had ben nere at hande serchynge the countrey abrode on euery syde by his espyes doutynge treason and thynkyng that all these tokens of subiection were but for a face or cloke to couer the treason gyle of Iugurth And so by suche dyscet to wayt a tyme to execute his treason Wherfore Metellus thus mysdemynge kept hymselfe in the forwarde of the hoost with an elect and chosen company of archers slyngers and other lyke soudyours apoynted in lyght harnes His vnder captayne Caius Marius had rule and charge of the rerewarde amonge the horsmen and on bothe the wynges of his hoost he ordayned horsmen other soudyours for supplement subsidy and socouts of the forwarde yf nede shulde requyre and amonge them to expell their ennemies on what syde so euer they shulde come were mengled bowmen and other lyght harnysed fotemen with dartes pykes and iauelyns to trouble the horsmen of theyr ennemies For in Iugurth was so moche gyle so great experience and knowledge of the countrey and also so great practyse of chyualrie that a man coude nat well knowe whether he
were more to be douted or more greuous in peace or iÌ„ ware or whyle he was absent or present ¶ Nat farre from that way whiche Metellus helde with his army was a towne of the Numidyans moche acustomed and frequented of marchantes of Italy and other strange countreis and the princypall market towne of all the kyngdome of Numidy This towne was named Vacca Metellus drewe hym and his army thyder and set garnyson into the same towne This dyd he to proue the myndes of the inhabytantes for if they had kept forth the garnyson thanne shulde they euydently haue declared themselfe ennemies of the romayns And also he ledde a garnyson thyder to thintent to haue taken the towne by force of armes yf the inhabytauntes wolde nat haue admytted the same garnyson Also he commaunded vytayls and all other thynges necessary or expedyent to warre for to be brought thyder thinkynge as the case required that the concours of marchantes resortyng thyder And his good prouision of vytayls shulde be great defence and conseruacyon for hym and his army bothe in warre and in peace But whan the citezins sawe such purueyance as he made of vitels considring that he shulde nat hurt nor disprouyde them whyle he had vytell ynough of his owne prouysion anon they opened the gates and suffred hym to entre withall his garnyson and retynue But in the mean tyme Iugurth agayne sende his embassadours to Metellus more diligently and instauÌ„tly than he had done before mekely besechyng and requyring hym of peace And yeldyng vnto hym euery thynge onely reserued his owne lyfe and the lyfe of his chyldren Metellus sende these embassadours home agayne attysed to the prodycion of their maister Iugurth as he had done to the other embassadours which were sent before But concernyng the peace which they desyred in their maisters name nouther he grauÌ„ted nor vtterly denyed it And in this prolongynge of tyme he loked alway after parfourmynge of the promesse of the other embassadours whiche before had graunted to the betrayeng of Iugurth But whan Iugurth consydred and pondered togyder the wordes dedes of Metellus and whan he parceyued in mynde himselfe assayled with his owne craftes of subtylte and that Metellus vsed suche craftes agaynst hym as he hymselfe had vsed agaynst other than was his mynd greued most of all For Metellus fayned peace but in very dede he shewed sharpe warre Iugurth thus coÌ„sydred also that his greattest towne named Vacca was alienate lost from hym his ennemies by longe continuaunce and exercise knewe the coostes of his countrey of Numidy The myndes of his lordes and coÌ„mens were prouoked and moued agaynst hym Whan he aduysed these difficulties with other mo coÌ„trary to hym he coÌ„cluded fully determined at last to resyst and withstane Metellus in batayle with strength force of armes and no farther to meke nor submitte hymselfe by peticion ¶ Howe Iugurth prepared and addressed hymselfe agayne to warre and what ordynaunce and policy he vsed agaynst the newe consull Metellus ¶ The .xxx. chapyter WHerfore Iugurth thus determyninge to assayle Metellus cause his wayes to be espyed hauyng hope of victorie by auauncement auauntage of some place where he intended of the place and countrey and anone prepared the greattest army that he coude of all sortes of people This done he dyd so moche that by hylles narowe passages by pathes he preuented an ouerpassed the hoost of Metellus ¶ In that parte of Numidy whiche before in deuysion of the kyngdome was assigned in possessyon to Adherball was a flodde named Muthull rennyng from the meridyonall part of the countrey A certayne hyll hy and longe was nere to this water so that at any place the hyll was about .xx. myle from the streme and of equall dystance in length The grounde of this hyll was of suche nature that euer it was barayne wherfore it was nat apte to mennes habitacion but desert About the myddes and pendant of it was an other hyll smaller of quantite but of an vnmesurable heght couered and all ouergrowen with wylde olyue trees with myr trees other sortes of trees wont to growe naturally on dry sandy grouÌ„de The playne bytwene the hylles and the water was desert and vnhabitable for lacke of water saue such places of the playne as were nere to the flodd of Muthull which part was growen with small trees and occupyed with men beestes Iugurth came to the sayd small hyll whiche descended from the pendaÌ„t of the hyll greatter ouerthwart the valey And ther toke place with his army nat togyder but dispersed abrode amonge the trees by companyes and bendes he made his frende Bomilchar capitayne and gouernour of his oliphantes and of part of his army of fotemen and infourmed hym parfitely howe he shulde behaue hymselfe and gouerne them whome he had commytted to hym bothe before the batayle and also in the batayle whan it came to the poynt But he hymselfe drewe nerer to the great hyll withall the horsmen and many of the fotemen whiche were elect and chosen men and sette them in ordre and array with moche policy and wysedome This done he hymselfe went about compassed euery company cohort and bende syngulerly and one by one warnynge and requyringe them to call to theyr myndes theyr olde strengthê nobles and victorie and there by to defende themselfe and their countrey of Numidy from the immoderate couetyse of the romayns whiche were nat content nor tatisfied with the possession of the most part of the worlde saynge fathermore that they shulde fyght but with suche as they before had auercome and subdued And howe beit they had chaunged theyr capytayne the cowardise of their hertes was nat chaunged Also he rehersed declared to theÌ„ that he had made all prouision for them whiche a captayne mygh or ought to make for his army He declared howe he had taken for them the vpper place that they were crafty in batayle and many in nombre shulde fyght with a fewe vncrafty cowardes Wherfore he desyred exhorted them whan tyme shulde come that than they wolde be redy to assayle the Romayns manly at sounde of the trumpettes for that one same day sayd he shulde outher establisshe all theyr laboures victories and besynesses or els it â–ª shulde be the heed and begynnyng of their most great myschyefe and dystruccion Moreouer through out all his army he put them in remeÌ„brance man by man of the benefites which he had done to them before for their manly dedes of chyualry as suche as for their worthynes he had rewarded with dignite money offices or other worshyp and shewed suche vnto other coÌ„men soudyours sayeng that if they wolde so demeane themselfe manly so sholde they be promoted and auanced to worshyp and ryches And thus he conforted them all euery man after his maners and coÌ„dicions some with gyftes some with promesses some with thretnynges and other lyke ways acordynge to the disposicion of their myndes and nature
Iugurth bycause he had taken suche a place to abyde in that no man coude coÌ„ueniently coÌ„tende with hym for dyfficultie therof Metellus thus knowyng aduised hymselfe of many thynges Namely he consydred that they were nat in different egall on bothe parties in executyng therof For all yf that he had the vpper hand ouer Iugurth had put hym to flyght yet lost he mo men and had more daÌ„mage in ouercomyng hym than Iugurth had whiche was ouercome For this consyderacion Metellus purposed no more to contende with hym in playne feldes nor in ordered batayle but by an other maner to execute the warre with hym from thensforthe This determyned Metellus with his hole hoost and ordynaunce went forth into the moost ryche and plentyfull places of all Numidy and there wasted and dystroyed the feldes couÌ„trey on euery syde He toke without any resystence castels and townes nat strongly defended with walles dychesse nor garnyson And brent and bete them downe to the grounde All suche as came in his way and were able to bere harnesse full growen of age or apt to batayle he slewe and ryd out of hande Thynkynge that the mo he slewe the fewer aduersaries and ennemies shulde he haue to contende agaynst hym He coÌ„maunded his soudyors to spare no robbery nor prayes but gaue althyng to hauocke among his soudyours ¶ For feare of this crueltie many of the Numidyens yelded themselfe to the romayns and gaue vnto them hostages vytayls sodyours and all other thynges necessary abundaÌ„tly Insome townes whiche were taken Metellus sette defence and garnyson where nede requyred and fortified them sufficiently This besynesse troubled the mynd of Iugurth moche more than the batayle that was foughten before to his great dammage and disconfort of his men For he lost more people by this way than by any other meane before Thus Iugurth whiche before put all his hope and trust in his flyght was nowe of necessite compelled to folowe and pursue his ennemies and he whiche coude nat defende his owne places whiche styll remayned in his possession was constrayned nowe to warre in those coostes which Metellus had wonne of hym to recouer them yf fortune wolde suffre hym Neuertheles of suche poore shyft and counsell as â—e had he toke the best which coude be taken by his aduyse in suche extreme necessite He commaunded his army for the most part to remayne styll in the same place where they were And he hymselfe with a company of horsemen whiche were bolde and chosen men ensued Metellus priuely makyng his iouneis by nyght tyme by by wayes and secrete valeis And at last sodenly of vnwaâ—s he fell vpon a part of the romayns which were dispersed a brode from the hoost in foragynge and spoylinge Many of them without armoure were slayne many taken None of them all escaped clene nor fre without dammage but outher were sâ—ayne orels sore wouÌ„ded Whan Iugurth had done this skyrmisshe anone he withdrue hymselfe and his company into the hylles and mountaynes next to them before any socours or rescous myght come from Metellus to reuenge their treason deth of the romayns ¶ Of the great ioy which was demeaned at Rome for this worthy behauour of Metellus and howe he gyded hymselfe and his army to contynue and augment this honour which he had goten ¶ The .xxxiiii. chapyter WHyle Metellus and Iugurth stryued thus togyder the one with manhode wysdome strength the other with treason craft gyle Tidynges were brought to Rome of this noble behauour of Metellus Ouer all the cite was demeaned great ioye gladnes for that Metellus behaued hymselfe gyded his army acordyng to the maner ordinauÌ„ce of olde noble capitayns of the romayns before his days And howbeit he was in place aduers contrary to hym yet had he the vpper hande of his ennemies as victorie ouer them And by his strength manhode he had in possession the couÌ„trey of his ennemies had driuen them from place to place All these thyngê coÌ„sydred they moch reioyced greatly coÌ„mended Metellus namely for that he had caused Iugurth to put his trust of helth onely in fleyng into the mouÌ„tayns wyldernesse whiche before was magnificent proude by the fear cowardyse of Aulus predecessour of Metellus Wherfore for these fortunat glorious dedes of Metellus the senatours decreed and coÌ„mauÌ„ded ouer all the cite sacrifices suffrages to be done to their ydolles The citezyns whiche before were ferefull sore troubled doutyng the vnsure chauÌ„ce incertayne fortuÌ„e of the ende of this warre demened nowe amonge them myrthe and gladnesse ouerall The honoure fame of Metellus was recouÌ„ted very noble excelleÌ„t gloryous in euery mannes mouthe Wherfore he somoche was the more dyligent and laboured more besely towarde the vyctore laboringe hastynge to finysshe the warr by all meanes wayes so it might be to his honour coÌ„fusion of Iugurth But neuertheles he was well ware from puttyng hymselfe in danger of his ennemies and was ware exchuynge oportunite of their gyle in euery place where he went He remeÌ„bred well coÌ„sydred that often after laude glorie foloweth enuy euyl wyll And therfore howe moche more noble that he was reputed the more besy dilygent he was to mentayne his fame honour in drede to lose this worthy fame which he had optayned Nor after the foresayd gyle of Iugurth he suffred nat his hoost to deuide nor to departe themselfe dysparsed one from other nor to make excourses to forage or spoyle in diuers places far dystant in sondre But whan they had nede outher of mannes meate or horsemeate all the horsemen with great coÌ„panyes of the fotemen went forthe kept them nere about suche as were sende forthe to make prouision to defende and socour them if nede shulde requyre Metellus hymselfe deuyded his hoost in two partes the one part he kept with hymselfe the other he commytted to a noble warriour of his hoost named Marius bytwene them both they dystroyd wasted the contrey on euery syde but rather with fire than with robbry or prayes Metellus Marius set their tentes in two places nat far distaÌ„t in sondre But whan any perylous or nedy besynesse was to be done with Iugurth or his coÌ„pany whiche requyred great myght than anone Metellus Marius were redy togyder but they kept themselfe thus in sonder in dyuerse places to trouble the NumidieÌ„s and increase their feare more largely in euery coâ—st to make them fle and auoyde fer abrode in compasse for fear ¶ At this season Iugurth ensued by the hylles and desert places sekyng and espyeng a conuenient season or place to make some skyrmysshe with the romayns that is to say if he coud espy any parcell of them sekyng forth fountayns of water for the army of the which was moch penury in those costes If he myght any such espy than anone wold he breke downe froÌ„ the hylles vpon them
worshyp or apparel all affrayed abasshed they fled vnto Sylla for refuge This Sylla was left by Marius in the wynteryng places to be ruler of the romayne army in his absence What tyme these embassadors thus spoyled were come to Sylla for refuge he receyued them nat fayntly as vayne vnstable ennemies as they deserued but curteysly with moch gentylnes liberalite treatynge them in al poyntes honorably By this meanes these barbariaÌ„s rude people counted and supposed that the name of couetyse whiche was imputed vnto the romayns by coÌ„men fame was but false fayned of their ennemies to distayne their honour And also for the moch liberalite of Sylla they counted hym as their special frende For yet vnto that tyme the accloyeng of gyftes gyuen for rewardes for policy falshode to ouercoÌ„e couetous or simple myndes was vnknowen vnto many No man was liberal iÌ„ gyftê but that he was thought couÌ„ted to be faythful of hert withal Thus the barbarians reputed the liberte rewardê of Sylla to be a great euident token of loue which he had to them as they demed But to our purpose the embassadours anone opened declared to Sylla the wyl coÌ„maundemeÌ„t of Bocchus their kyng gyuen to them to be excuted And also they required hym to be vnto them a frendly fauourer counsellour in their besynesse Farthermore with their wordes and spech they coÌ„mended exalted the army the trueth the greatnes excellence of their kyng and al other thyngê which they thought might auayle them to optayne benyuoleÌ„ce of the romayns After they remayned with Sylla about the space of xl dayes whiche graunted them al his helpe and socour and also in the mean space enfourmed them in what maner they shulde order their wordes whan they shulde speke with Marius and also before the senatours at Rome ¶ How Marius harde them bassadours of Bocchus sende them to Rome and how they were answered of the senatours ¶ The .lxii. chapyter IN the mean tyme Marius whiche was in assaut of the kynges towre coude nat perfourme his enterprise Wherfore he retourned againe to Cirtha anone was he certified of coÌ„myng of the imbassadours of Bocchus Wherfore he coÌ„maunded them Sylla also to come before hym and also he called togyder all the moost worthy men of his hole hoost from euery place Before them al presently he coÌ„maunded the imbassadours of Bocchus to reherse the petycion of their kyng which rehersed harde it was graunted vnto them to go Rome for the same poyntes And of Marius was truesse required in the meane tyme bytwene Bocchus and hym Sylla with many other noble meÌ„ were pleased withall A fewe other fiersly and sharply couÌ„selled otherwyse as men without pyte and ignorant of others harde fortune whiche whan it begynneth to be frowarde and contrary it tourneth euery thynge to aduersyte ¶ But whan the mauriens had obtayned of Marius al their desyre thre of them went to Rome with one named Octauyus Rufo whom Marius had assigned to conuey theÌ„ thyder This Octauyus Rufo was sende before from Rome into Affrike to Marius with wages for the soudyours The other two imbassadors of Bocchus returned home agayne to their kyng whiche of them gladly harde of the good report whiche they made of the Romayns in euery poynt and specially of the good wyl lyberalite and courtesy of Sylla ¶ But whan the other thre imbassadours were come to RoÌ„e they apered before the senatours and in the humblest wyse that they coude deuise dyd their message excusynge their kynge and confessyng that he had offended agaynst the empyre nat by his owne sekyng but by the cursed faut prouocacion and instygation of Iugurth wherof their kynge sore repented Wherfore in his behalfe at conclusyon they besought the romayns of pardon amyte and peace Than was it brefely answered to them in this maner ¶ The senatours and people of Rome is wont to remembre both the kyndnesse and benifytes of their freÌ„des and also the iniuryes of their ennemies But syth it repeÌ„teth and forthynketh Bocchus of his trespas grace and pardon of his offence is graunted vnto hym Peace and amyte shal be also graunted vnto hym hereafter whan he shal so deserue ¶ How Marius sent Sylla agayne to Bocchus at his desyre and what danger the same Sylla escaped by helpe of Volux son of kyng Bocchus ¶ The .lxiii. chapyter WHan Bocchus vnderstode al these thinges he desyred Marius by his letters to sende vnto hym Sylla to th entent that after his aduyse discression couÌ„sel might be had of the coÌ„men besynesse to bothe parties beloÌ„gyng Sylla anone was send forth with a great retynue of fotemen horsemeÌ„ with diuerse weapen stronge defeÌ„ce as archars slyngars with otherlike And to thynteÌ„t to spede their iournay more hastely they were al armed with lightest harnes which coude be ê“uided but for al the lightnes of their armour it was defeÌ„site ynough agaynst the weapyns of the mauryans for their wepyns be light in likewyse But finally whan Sylla had passed fyue dayes of his iournay sodenly Volux the son of Bocchus apered and shewed hymselfe to the romayns in the open feldes with no mo but. M. men which went scatered and dyspersed abrode neglygeÌ„tly so that they semed to Sylla and al other a greatter nombre than they were in dede Sylla and al his company feared them thinkynge them ennemies wherfore the romayns made them redy with armour and weapen to defende themselfe and to resyst their ennemies if nede shulde so requyre A lytel feare was amonge them but their hope and confort ouerpassed their feare For why they had the vpper hande before and consydred that they shulde bycker with them whome they had often ouerthrowen and ouercome before In the meane tyme the horsemen whiche were sent before of both parties to espy the trueth of the mater certified eche of them that al thyng was quyet and sure ynough as it was in dede without treason or paryl Volux in his metyng called Sylla by name and welcomed hym benyngely sayeng that he was sent from his father Bocchus to mete the sayd Sylla for his honour socour defence And so proceded they forthewarde al this day and the next day after in company togyder without feare or daunger But after that it was nyght their tentes pytched sodenly the maurian Volux came rennyng to Sylla al pale quakyng and sayd that he was infourmed of the espyes that Iugurth was nat far thens And with that prayed exhorted hym to fle away with hym priuely by nyght Sylla denyed that vtterly as fierse and bolde of courage sayeng that he feared nat a cowarde numidyan which so often had ben ouercome before And that he trusted wel ynough to the strength courage of his men and finally he gaue Volux this answere If I knewe without dout that our sure distruction were instaÌ„t and that I and myne shuld be slayne in the felde yet wold I