the Great He further ingratiated himself with the People by disbursing a great summe of his own money in mending the Appian way when he was made Overseer thereof as also for that when he was chosen an Aedile he shewed the People the pastime of three hundred and twenty couple of Sword Players and exceeded all others in the sumptuousnesse of his Feasts and sports which he made for the delight of the People which made them daily to give him new Offices by way of requitall Not long after the High Priest Metellus dyed and Isauricus and Catulus two of the chiefest men and of the greatest authority in Rome contended for the place Caesar also presented himself to the People and sued for it and Catulus fearing the event sent a great summe of money to Caesar to procure him to leave off his suite Caesar sent him word that he would disburse a greater summe than that to maintaine the suit against him and when the Day of Election came his Mother bringing him to the Doore Caesar weeping kissed her and said Mother This day thou shalt see thy Son chief Bishop of Rome or bannished from Rome and accordingly he carred it by the suffrages of the People insomuch as the Senate and Noble men were all affraid of him judging that from henceforth he would make the People do what he pleased Afterwards Caesar going into the Senate to cleere himself of some accusations that were brought against him the Senate keeping him somewhat longer than ordinary the People come to the door and called for him bidding them let him out Whereupon Cato fearing an insurraction of the Poor and needy persons who put all their hopes in Caesar moved that a frank distribution of Corne for a moneth should be made amongst them which indeed put the Commonwealth to the charge of fifty five hundred Myriades but it quenched the present danger and did happly scatter the best part of Caesars strength and that at such time when he was made Praetor and had thereby opportunity of doing much mischief Yet all the time of that Office he never attempted to make any alteration in the Common-wealth About this time Clodius was suspected of too much familiarity whith Pompeia wherefore Caesar put her away The Government of Spain being falne unto Caesar as he was Praetor his Creditors came with great importunity calling for their debts But he being unable to satisfy them went to Crassus the richest man in Rome who stood in need of Caesars boldness and courage to withstand Pompeys greatness who became his surety to his greediest Creditors for eight hundred and thirty Talents whereupon he was suffered to depart to his Province As he passed over the Alps he came to a little poor Village where his friends that did accompany him asked him merrily if there were any contending for Offices in that Town and whether there were any strife amongst the Noble-men for honour Caesar answered I cannot tell but for my part I had rather be the chiefest man here than the second person in Rome Another time in Spain reading the History of Alexander he was sorrowfull a good while after and at last burst out into weeping His Friends marvelling at it asked him what was the cause of his sorrow He answered Do you not think that I have good cause to be sorry when Alexander being no older than myself had conquered so many Nations and Countries whereas hitherto I have done nothing worthy of my self When he first came into Spain he followed his business close and in a short time had joined ten new Ensigns of Foot Souldiers unto the other twenty which he had before Then marching against the Gallicians and Lusitanians he conquered all before him as far as to the Atlantick Ocean subduing those People which before knew not the Romans for their Lords and then did as wisely take order for the establishing of Peace For he reconciled the Cities together made them Friends But especially he pacified all suits of Law betwixt Debtors and Creditors which arose by usury Ordaining that the Creditors should take yearly two parts of the revenew of their Debtors till such time as they had paid themselves and that the Debtors should have the other third part to live upon By this he won great estimation to himself and returned from his Government very wealthy his Souldiers also were full of rich spoiles The Romans had a custome that such as desired the honour of Triumph should stay without the City whereas they that sued for the Consulship must of necessity be there in Person Caesar coming home just at that time when Consuls were to be chosen he sent to request the Senate that he might be permitted to sue for the Consulship by his friends Against this Cato at first did vehemently invey alleadging that it was contrary to an express Law But when he perceived that many of the Senators being Caesar's friends favoured his request he cunningly sought all he could to prevent them whereupon Caesar resolved rather to give over his suit for the Triumph than to lose the Consulship So he came into the City and outwitted all but Cato His device was this Pompey and Crassus were the two greatest Persons in Rome and at jarr between themselves Caesar affecting to make himself greater than either of them sought to make them friends and thereby to get the power of them both For indeed they both affected his Friendship that by his help they might supplant one another And in the end by his endeavours a peace was concluded betwixt them yet being still jealous one of another and fearing to lose Caesar they both sought to gratifie him and by this means he made himself equall to either of them and that power which they two had formerly usurped was now divided between three and in the end Caesar hereby got the sole command This League being made betwixt them Caesar demanded the Consulship being brought into the Assembly for the Election betwixt these two Noble Persons and was there chosen Consul together with Calphurnius Bibulus without the contradiction of any And when he was entered into his Office he began to put forth Laws meeter for a sedicious Tribune than for a Consul because by them he preferred the division of Lands and distrubuting Corne to every Citizen Gratis and all to please the People And when the Senators opposed it he took the advantage Protesting that the Senate by their austerity drave him against his will to cleave to the People and thereupon he asked Crassus and Pompey in the open Assembly if they gave their consents to his Laws They answered yea Then he prayed them to stand by him against those that threatned to oppose him with the Sword Crassus said he would and Pompey did the like adding that he would come with his Sword and Target both against such which gave great offence to the Senate but the common People much rejoyced Caesar
scant lye in it whereupon he said to his Friends the greatest roomes are fittest for the greatest men and Beds for sick persons and so caused Oppius that was sick to lie there and himself with the rest of his Friends lay without doors The first War that Caesar made in Gaul was against the Helvetians or Swissers and the Tygurines who having set fire of their own Cities and Houses came to invade that part of Gaul which was subject to the Romans These were a very War-like and Valiant People and in all they were three hundred thousand souls whereof there were one hundred and ninety thousand fighting men yet were they overthrown by Caesar's Lieutenant at the River Arax And when the Helvetians afterwards came suddenly to set upon Caesar he made hast to get into some place of strength and there ordered his Battel against them and when one brought him his charging Horse he said when I have overcome mine enemies then I will get upon him to pursue them and so marching against them on foot he fiercely charged them The Battel continued long before he could make them fly yet had he more ado to take their Camp and to break the strength that they had made with their Carts For not onely those that were fled into it made head again but their Wives and Children also fought stoutly for their lives till they were all slain and the Battel was scarce ended by midnght Presently after above one hundred thousand of those that had escaped from this Battel were forced by Caesar to return into their own Country again and to the Townes which they had burnt and this he did lest the Germans should come over the Rhine and settle themselves in that Country being void The next War that Caesar made was in defence of the Gauls against the Germans though himself had before admitted Ariovistus their King to be received as a consederate of the Romans Notwithstanding which they were grown very unquiet Neighbours watching but an opportunity to possess themselves of the rest of Gaul Caesar perceiving that some of his Captains much feared them especially the young Gentlemen of Noble Famelies who went along with him as to some Pastimes he commanded all that were afraid to return home and not endanger themselves against their wills But for himself he said he would set upon those Barbarous People though he had left him but the tenth Legion onely Upon this the tenth Legion sent their Officers to thank him for the good opinion he had of them and all the other Legions blamed their Captaines for their backwardness and followed him cheerfully till they came within two hundred Furlongs of the enemies Camp Ariovistus his courage was well cooled when he saw Caesar so near whereas they thought that the Romans were afraid of them His Army also was in a great amaze But that which discouraged them most was the Prophesies of some foolish women who observing the terrible noise which the water in the River made advised the Germans by no means to fight and they being possessed with a supestitious fear sought to avoid the fight Yet Caesar skirmished with them every day and sometimes followed them to their Forts and little Hills where they lay whereby he so provoked them that at last they came down with great fury to fight In this Battell he overcame them and pursued them very eagerly making a great slaughter of them even to the River of Rhine filling all the fields with dead Bodies and spoiles Ariovistus himself flying speedily got over the River and escaped with some few of his men At this Battell there were slain about eighty thousand Germans After this Battel Caesar left his Army to winter amongst the Sequanes and himself thinking of the affairs of Rome returned over the Alps to a place about the River Po whilest he lay there he laboured to make Friends at Rome and when many came to visit him there he granted all their suits and sent them back some with liberal rewards and others with large promises whereby he engaged them to him During all the time of Caesar's great conquests in Gaul Pompey did not consider how Caesar conquered the Gauls with the Roman weapons and wan the Romans with the Riches of the Gauls At this time Caesar being informed that the Belgae who were the most warlike Nation of all the Gauls were all up in Armes and had raised a very great Power he presently made towards them with all possible speed and found them over-running and plundering the neighbour Countries and confederates of the Romans wherefore he gave them Battel and overthrew their chiefest Army and slew so many of them that the Lakes and Rivers were died with their bloud and filled with their dead Bodies that the Romans passed over on foot upon them After this overthrow such of them as dwelt neere the Sea yeilded themselves and from thence he conducted his Army against the Nervians the stoutest Souldiers of all the Belgae These dwelling in a Woody Country had conveyed their Wives Children and Goods into a very great Forrest remote from their enemies and being above eighty thousand fighting men they watching their opportunity set upon Caesar when his Army was out of order and little expecting them At the first charge they brake the Roman Horsemen and encompassing the seventh and twelfth Legions they slew all the Captains and had not Caesar himself with his Shield on his Arme run amongst them making a lane as he went and the tenth Legion seeing him in that danger followed him with all speed there had not a Roman escaped alive that day But looking upon Caesar's valour his men fought desperately even beyond their abilities and yet could they not make the Nervi fly but they fought it out bravely till most of them were slaine in the Field five hundred onely of them ascapeing Yet was it a bloudy Battel to the Romans for that of four hundred Gentlemen and Counsellers of Rome there were but three saved The Senate of Rome made great signes of joy for these Victories by sacrifizing to the Gods Playes c. and as Caesars fame was encreased hereby so he wan upon the Peoples love And alwayes when his affaires would permit he used to Winter by the River Po to give direction about his affaires at Rome And truly not only such as sued for Offices at Rome obtained them by Caesars money and therefore imployed all their power to promote his interest but the chiefest also of the Nobility went to Luke unto him insomuch as at one time there have been seen before his Gates one hundred and twenty Sergeants carrying Rods and Axes before the Magistrates that have waited upon him and two hundred Senators besides Here they held a Councell wherein it was agreed that Pompey and Crassus should again be chosen Consuls for the year following and that Caesar should have more money delivered him to pay his Army and that his
Lepidus he sent to Rome as Prefect thereof and Mark Anthony he made Governour of all Italy And resolving to leave Licinius Crassus in France with his acustomed celerity he went on his journey finding no resistance neither in Italy nor France till he came to Marcelleis which held for Pompey This City he besieged and to avoid losse of time left Decius Brutus and Caius Trebonius with sufficient Forces who endured much in the siege himself hasted into Spain where being expected Afranius and Petreius attended him with four Roman Legions and the aid of their Friends between whom and Caesar the War continued for some while chiefly about the City of Lerida At first Caesar was in great danger and much distressed chiefly for wans of Victuals as also for that the Winter was come on which troubled him with the swelling of Rivers before and after which there passed many great skirmishes between the two Armies And Caesar watching his opportunities at last brought his adversaries to such distresse that they perished with hunger and were forced to come to a composition which was that the Legions should have liberty to go whither they pleased and so part of them took pay of Caesar the rest departed and Petreius and Afcanius went to Pompey This War being ended and the Spring come Caesar that he might leave no enemy behind him marched into the Province of Betica now Andaluzia with part of his forces commanding the rest to march whither he had appointed and there to stay for him because Marcus Varro held that Province for Pompey against Caesar with one good Legion But he not daring to oppose Caesar delivered up the Legion to him together with that Country and all was pacified there From thence Caesar went to Cordova where he called a Parliament of all the States of that Province in which he highly commended them and those of Sivil for taking his part and so marching forward he came to the Isle of Cadez where having gotten Ships in readinesse he left Quintus Cassius with four Legians in that Province and so embarking he went to Taragona commanding his Legions to march by Land thither where having settled his affairs he advanced with his Army towards Narbona and from thence to Marcelleis which now yeilded to him having endured many calamities during the Seige Caesar respecting the antiquity and same of this City would not destroy it nor the Inhabitants but leaving a strong Garrison in it he ordered his Legions to march for Italy and himself with a sufficient guard and some of his Friends took passage by Sea to Rome Though all things succeeded thus well with Caesar yet some of his Captaines had ill sucesse For Caius Antonius whom he left with Dolabella for to command his Navy was overthrown and taken Prisoner in the Gulph of Venice by Octavius Lieutenant to Pompey In which overthrow this was very remarkable Anthony was faign to put his men into long Boates for want of Ships which were taken by a Strategem as in a toil by the Pompeians with Ropes under the Water One of them which had in it a Thousand valiant young men being thus ensnared was assaulted by the enemies whole Army against which they defended themselves bravely from morning till night and in the end being oppressed with the multitude by the perswasion of Valteius their Collonel they all slew one another rather than they would fall into the enemies hand Dolabella was likewise overthrowne neere to the Island of Coreyra now Corfu and Curius who went with his two Legions into Africk though at first he had good successe yet afterwards he was overthrown and most of his men slaine by Jaba King of Mauritania Pompeys Friend Caesar being come to Rome and made Dictator new Consuls were chosen whereof he being one layed aside his Dictatorship and provided Praetors for the Provinces as himself pleased He sent Mracus Lepidus into Spain Aulus Albinus into Sicily Sextus Peduceius into Sardinia and Decius Brutus into France and taking such further order as he thought good he departed from Rome in December towards Brundusium whither he commanded all his Forces to march there to take passage for Macedonia where he knew that Pompey staid with his Army who all that whole year that Caesar spent in his journey to Spain busied himself to provide a Navy wherein to return into Italy and in gathering Treasure and levying Souldiers having made an exceeding great provision of all things For there came unto him Ships money and men from sundry Kingdomes and Provinces both of Asia and Greece as from Syria Pontus Bithynia Cilicia Phoeniciae Caeppadocia Pomphilia Armenia Minor Aegypt Greece Thessaly Boeotia Achaia Epirus Athens Lacedemonia the Isles of Creet and Rhodes and from many other Countries There came also to his aid King Deiotarus and Aribarzanes of all which together with those which he brought with him from Italy he compounded a very great Army by Land and a very great Fleet of Ships and Gallyes by Sea It being now the depth of Winter Pompey presuming it improbable if not impossible for Caesar to passe the Seas to him having also intelligence that Caesar was in Rome he disposed of his Army to their Winter Quarters in Macedonia and Thessaly and himself retired farther from the Sea commanding his Sea-Captaines of whom Marcus Bibulus was chiefe to guard the Sea coast But Caesar knowing that in the speedy execution consisted his greatest hopes of Victory and that occasion once lost could hardly be recovered he departed from Rome and came to Brundusium though all his Legions were not as yet come to him There he embarked seven of his best Legions in such ships as were ready sending a Command to the rest which were comming to hasten to Brundusium whither he would send for them with all possible speed And so departing he crossed the Seas with a prosperous gale of Wind and the third day after arrived upon the coast of Macedonia before Pompey had any intelligence of his embarking There he safely landing his men in dispite of Pompeys Captaines and commanded his Ships and Galleys presently to returne to Brundusium to fetch the rest of his Army Presently after his first landing he seized upon the Cities of Appallonia and Erico driving from thence Lucius Torquatus and Lucius Straberius who held them for Pompey Pompey hearing of Caesars arrivall sent for his Troops which were neerest hand with all speed possible with whom he marched towards Dirrachium where his Victuals ammunition and other provisions for the War lay lest Caesar should go and surprise them which indeed he attempted but in vaine the situation of the place makeing it inexpugnable Pompey being come their Camps were lodged within a few furlongs each of other where he passed many adventurous skirmishes and also some Treaties of Peace offered by Caesar but rejected by Pompey so confident he was of his own power In the interim Caesar dayly expected the
comming of the other Legions who staying longer than he expected he resolved in person with three Confident servants secretly to embarke himself in a Brigandine and to passe that streight of the Sea and to fetch them hoping to performe the same without the knowledge of any And accordingly passing down the River to the Sea he found it so troublesome and tempestious that the Master of his Brigandine not knowing whom he carried durst not adventure forth but would have returned Then Caesar discovering his face said Perge audactèr Caesarem enim fers fortunam Caesaris Beare up bravely and boldly against the Winds and Waves for thou carriest Caesar and all his Fortunes The Master herewith encouraged strove all that possibly he could to proceed in his voyage but the force of the Tempest was so great and the Wind so contrary that do what possibly they could they were driven back again When Caesars Army heard of these passages they much wondred grieved and were troubled at it Commending him more for his Valour than for his Wifedome But within few days after M. Anthony arrived with four of those Legions which were left behind in Italy presently returning the Ships back for the rest Anthony after some adventures joyned with Caesars Army neer to Dirrachium where we lately left him Frequent skirmishes still continued between the two Armies and many were slain on both sides and one day the skirmish was so hot supplies being sent from both sides that it almost came to a just Battel wherein Caesars men were so beaten that they fled before the enemies and could not be made to stand by any intreaties or menaces till they were come into their Camp which they had strongly fortified yet many durst not trust to that but fled out of it But Pompey either because he imagined their flight to be faigned to draw him into an Ambush or because he thought there needed no more to be done and that Caesar could no more resist him he neglected to prosecute his Victory causing a retrate to be sounded without assaulting Caesars Camp which probably he might have taken and made an end of the War that day Whereupon Caesar said to his Friends Truly this day had ended the War if our enemies had had a Captain that had known how to overcome At this time Caesar lost a great number of his men amongst whom were four hundred Roman Knights ten Tribunes or Collonels and thirty two Centurions or Captaines and his enemies took for from him thirty two Ensignes Upon this Victory Pompey sent newes thereof to diverse parts of the World holding himself for an absolute Conquerour Caesar much blamed some of his Captaines and Ensigne bearers for their cowardize and his Army were so grieved and ashamed that they much importuned him to lead them forth again to Battell But he thought it not fit so soon to lead them forth against a Victorious Army He therefore sent his fick and wounded men to the City of Apolonia and departed by night with as great silence as could be from the place where he was and marched towards Thessaly intending there to refresh and encourage his Army and to draw his enemies farther from the Sea coast where their chiefe strength lay and where their Camp was well fortified and victualled or at least he intended to attempt the overthrow of Scipio who as he heard was comming to joyne with Pompey Pompey finding Caesar was departed followed him for some few dayes and then taking Councel what to do he resolved to leave a sufficient Navy to guard the Seas and with the rest to returne into Italy and to seize upon it together with France and Spain and afterwards to go against Caesar But the Romane Lords that were with him and the importunity of his unskilfull Captains and Souldiers forced him to alter his determination and presently to pursue Caesar who made an Alt in the fields of Pharsalia which are in Thessaly making his retreat with so much prudence and in so good order that upon all occasions that were offered he ever had the better till at length seeing his men full of resolution and courage he resolved no longer to defer the Fight Concerning which Battell the ordering and event of it the flight of Pompey into Egypt and how basely and barbarously he was murthered there see it before in the Life of Pompey the Great Julius Caesar having obtained this great and glorious victory used therein his accustomed Clemency not suffering any Roman either to be slain or hurt after the Battell was ended but pardoned all those that were either taken in the Fight or found in the Camp amongst whom was Marcus Tullius Cicero After which being informed which way Pompey was fled he pursued him with the lightest and swiftest of his Army and in the way subduing all the Cities he at last came to the Sea side where he gathered together all the Ships and Gallies that possibly he could together with those whom Cassius had brought he therein shipped as many of his men as they could contain and passed into the lesser Asia where being advertised that Pompey had been in Cyprus he presumed that he was gone into Egypt wherefore he steered the same course taking with him two Legions of old Souldiers onely When he arrived at Alexandria he understood that Pompey presuming upon the many benefits and good entertainment which the Father of this King Ptolomy had received in his House had sent to this Ptolomy to harbour and assist him which accordingly the King promised Pompey comming upon his safe conduct in a small Boat was by the false Kings commandement basely murthered thinking thereby to win the favour of Caesar. He understood likewise that Cornelia the Wife of Pompey and his Son Sextus Pompeyus were fled from thence in the same ship wherein they came Caesar being landed and received into the City they brought him for a present the Head of the Great Pompey but he turned away and would not see it and when they brought him Pompeys Ring with his Seal of Armes he wept considering the end and successe of the great adventures and properties of Pompey who with such honour and fame had Triumphed three times and been so many times Consul in Rome and had obtained so many Victories abroad When Caesar was landed in Aegypt he found the Country imbroyled in Civill Wars there being great discord between young King Ptolomy and his Sister Cleopatra about the division and Inheritance of that Kingdome wherein Julius Caesar as being a Roman Consul took upon him to be an Arbitrator For which cause or because their guilty consciences accused them for the treacherous murther of Pompey Fotinus the Enuuch who had contrived the said murther and Achillas who had been the actor of it fearing that Caesar inclined to favour Cleopatra sent for the Kings Army that lay neere the City consisting of twenty thousand good Souldiers purposing to
notwithstanding many were discontented yet some for love others for fear and out of dissimulation both Senate and People yea all in generall gave him Names preheminences and Titles of Honour such as never had been given to any other man before him neither ought to have been accepted by him and many were the more offended because they knew that he affected and desired them They gave him the name of Emperour Father Restorer and Preserver of his Country They made him perpetuall Dictator and Consul for ten years and perpetuall Censor of their manners His Statue was erected and set up amongst the Kings of Rome and a Chair and Throne of Ivory was set up for him in the Temple and in the Senate House and an high Throne in the Theater and in the place where the Senators did use to sit His Pictures and Statues were set up in the Temples and in all publick places Some Titles they gave him and he accepted of which were pecular to the Gods The moneth formerly callad Quintile they called Julius after his name They also built and consecreated Temples to him as they did to Jupiter and the other Gods and gave him certaine Honours which they held proper for their Gods and did him many other honours exceeding all measure Julius Caesar enjoying such honour and power so that he had no equall no second in the World with whom he might contend it seemed that he would contend with himself and attempt something wherein he might excell himself For he was not contented with all the Victories which he had obtained neither to have fought fifty severall Battels in all which he was Victorious save in that one at Dirrachium against Pompey neither to have slaine in the Wars and Battels which he fought a Million ninety and odd thousands of men besides those which were slaine in the Civil Wars But being of a most haughty mind he sought to do greater matters if greater could be For first he resolved to passe into the East there to conquer and subdue the fierce Nations of the Parthians and to revenge the death of Marcus Crassus and from thence to passe through Hyrcania and other Countries till he should come to the Caspian Sea and so through all the parts of Scythia Asiatica and passing the River Tanais to returne through Scythia into Europe and in his retreat to come into Germany and other Countries bordering thereupon conquering and subjecting all to the Roman Empire For which end he presently caused to be levied in severall places ten thausand Horsemen and sixteen Legious of chosen Footmen and appointing the time wherein he intended to begin his journey he commanded them to repaire to their Rendevouz He sought also not onely to subdue all Nations but to correct and reforme even nature it self For he purposed to have made an Island of Peloponesus now called Morea by cutting the neck of land between the Egaean and the Jonian Seas He purposed also to have altered the courses of the River Tiber and Anian and to have made there new channels capable of bearing great Ships He ordered the digging down and levelling many high Hils and Mountaines in Italy and to dry up and dreine great Lakes and Marishes therein He corrected the computation of the year reforming it according to the course of the Sun and brought it into that order wherein it now is He did the like about the course of the Moon and her conjunctions and oppositions to the Sun and this was attributed to him for Tyranny by those that hated him Many others things Caesar did which were very remarkable in reforming the Laws customes and Offices He reedified the ruined City of Carthage in Africk and sent thither Colonies and Roman Citizens to Inhabit it the like he did by Corinth But all these works with his high conceits and undertakings were prevented by his unexpected and immature Death which within a few Dayes after ensued A few men and those unarmed bereft him of his Life whom no former forces could resist For five moneths only he lived as Soveraign Lord in Peace when those in whom he reposed greatest trust conspired his Death Some say that Caesars was counselled to have a Guard about him alwayes to which he answered that he would have none for that he had rather die once then live continually in feare They which conspired his death were stirred up thereto either out of hatred to his Person or desire of Liberty accounting him for a Tyrant or out of suspition that he would have made himself a King a thing in the highest degree hatefull to the Romans and lastly because he begun to contemne others For he used to say that the Commonwealth was but a voice and name without a Body or Substance and that Sylla was a Fool for resigning his perpetuall Dictatorship All the whole Senate comming one Day to the Temple of Venus where he was he sat still and rose not up as formerly he used to do His Friends also and Favourites began to report that in the Books of the Sybils which in Rome were had in great Veneration it was written that the Parthians could never be overcome but by a man that should have the Title of a King and therefore he laboured that Caesar should take upon him that Title before his Parthian War and though he seemed to be displeased at it yet they suspected the contrary and their suspition was encreased for that whereas the Tribunes of the People had caused a man to be imprisoned who had set a Crown upon the Head of one of Caesars Statues he was so encensed against the Tribunes that did it that he deposed them from their Office And not long after when Mark Anthony who was his great fovourite and that year his fellow Consul being at some publick Games came to Caesar and put a Crown upon his Head though he threw it down yet they all imagined that Mark Anthony would not have presumed to have done it without his good liking and that he did it but to prove the People how they would like it these and such like passages gave them occasion to desire and designe his Death They were also further encouraged hereunto for that in sundry publick places certain writings were set up which did intice and animate them to conspire against him as upon the Statue of Brutus who in ancient times did chase the Kings out of Rome were written these words Would to God thou wert now living Brutus And upon the Image of Marcus Brutus who then was Praetor and descended from the former Brutus were these words Thou sleepest long Brutus Truly thou art not Brutus And again Thou art dead Brutus Would to God thou wert living Thou art unworthy of the succession from the Brute Surely thou art not descended from the good Brutus and such like other writings were set upon these Statues So as for these and such like reasons there were seventy of the most eminent
men in Rome that conspired to murther Caesar of which the principle were Decius Marcus Brutus Caius Cassius Gaius Casca Attilius Cimber Servius Galba Quintus Ligarius Marcus Spurius c. who after diverse consultations concluded to kill him upon the Ides of March which was the fifteenth day of that moneth in the Temple where the Senators were to sit that day Yet Brutus was held to be Caesars Son and had received great honours and many favours from him This conspiracy was kept so secret notwithstanding the great number of them that there was not any one found that discovered the same But there were so many signes and Prodigies and to himself there happened so many forewarnings that without knowing any cause all men were of opinion that Caesars Death was neere at hand Spurina also who was his Southsayer forewarned him to look to himself till the Ides of March were past for that his Life was in great danger And Caesars own Wife intreated him upon her knees that he would not that day go to the Senate For shee had dreamed that he lay dead in her lap These and such like warnings prevailed so far with him that he was about to send to Mark Anthony to make his excuse and to put off the Senate to another day But what God hath determined must come to passe and therefore Brutus being present advised him by no meanes to discover any such fear and so he resolved to go Caesar made small account of Death and said That as for himself he had won power and fame and glory enough and that at no time he could die with greater honour And some discoursing the night before he was slaine what Death was best Even that qouth he which is sudden and least prepensed The fifteenth of March being come he went from his House in a Litter towards the Senate and as he passed along the street there was a Petition delivered to him wherein was set down in writing all that was concluded in this conspiracy and he which gave it prayed him to read it presently which he began to doe but there came so many to speake to him that he could make no farther progresse and this Paper was found in his hand when he was dead As he passed on he met with Spurina the Southsayer and pleasantly jesting he said to him Dost thou not know Spurina that the Ides of March are come Yea answered Spurina and I know that they are not yet past When he came to the Temple where the Senators met he alighted from his Litter and went in and having first done Sacrifice according to the custome which all that saw persaged to be fatall and infortunate he sat him down in his Chair and Brutus Albinus entertaining Mark Anthony at the door with discourse one of the Conspirators whose name was Celer came to Caesar under a pretence to intreat him to release a Brother of his from Banishment and presently all the rest of the conspirators drew neere to his Chair which when Caesar saw thinking that they had all come for the same purpose he said unto them what force is this and at that instant one of them whose name was Casca beginning they all drew their poyniards and Swords which they had privately under their Gowns and began to wound him The first blow he received Casca gave him in the throat At which Caesar said aloude What dost thou Traitor Casca and wresting the Poyniard out of his hand he arose and stabbed Casca through the Arme and being about to strike him again he was prevented by the many wounds which the others gave him wilest with great force and courage he leaped from one side to the other to defend himself But when he saw Marcus Brutus with his drawn Sword in his hand wherewith he had already wounded him in the Thigh he was much amazed and said in the Greek Tongue Why how now Son Brutus And thou also And having so said seeing so many weapons bent against him and that no body came to his rescue he remembred to keep the honour of his person with his right hand he covered his Head with part of his Robe and with his left hand girt himself and setled his cloathes about him and being so covered he fell down to the ground having received three and twenty wounds and it happened that his fall was at the foot of the seat on which Pompeys Statue stood So in this manner died one of the most Mighty Worthy Valient Wise and most successfull Princes and Captaines that ever was in the World For his excellencies abilities invincible mind incomparable courage the Battels which he fought and Victories which he obtained The Provinces Kings and Nations which he subdued His Counsels Policies and Stratagems and bold attempts his Magnanimity clemency and bounty both to the conquered and Conquerors the great designes which he had proposed to himself a little before he was slaine being all well weighed and considered it will plainly appear that in none of those things aforesaid nor in any other that may be said of him there hath been any Heathen King or Captain that ever excelled him And setting apart his ambition and desire of rule he was onely noted and blamed for being too much given to women Caesar was thus slaine in the fifty sixth year of his age a little more than four years after the Death of Pompey in the seven hundred and tenth year after the building of Rome and about fourty and two years before the Incarnation of our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Caesar left behind him neither Son nor Daughter legitimate at the time of his Death For though he had been four severall times married yet he had but one only Daughter named Julia that was married to Pompey and dyed before him Wherefore by his last Will he adopted for his Son and made his Heire in the Dodrant that is in nine parts of twelve of his goods his Nephew Octavius Caesar after wards called Octavianus Augustus who was the Son of Acia his neece and of Octavius Praetor of Macedonia which Octavius at this time was by the commandment of his Uncle in the City of Apollonia in the Province of Epirus where he applied himself to his studies staying for him there thence to go with him to the Parthian War being now about seventeen years of age Caesar being thus slaine the newes of it ran presently all over the City and the tumult therein was so great that no man knew what to doe or say All Offices ceased the Temples were all shut up and every man was amazed Caesars Friends were affraid of those that slew him and they as much feared his Friends Brutas Cassius and the other Conspirators and others that joyned with them seeing the great tumult durst not go to their Houses nor prosecute their other designs for fear of Mark Anthony and Lepidus whereof the one was Consul and the other Generall of the
Horsemen but presently from thence they went to seize upon the Capitol crying by the way as they went Liberty Liberty and imploring the favour and assistance of the People The rest of that day and all the next night Mark Anthony and Lepidus who took Caesars part were in Armes and there passed sundry massages and treaties between them and the Conspirators At last it was agreed that the Senate should sit whither Brutus and Cassius came M. Anthonies Sons by the perswasion of Cicero a great lover of Liberty remaining as Hostages for them In the Senate they Treated of Peace and concord and that all that was past should be buried in perpetuall oblivion whereunto Anthony who was Consul and the whole Senate agreed and the Provinces being divided there was algreat liklihood of Peace For the Senate approved and commended the murther and the People dissembled their thoughts For on the one side the authority of Brutus and Cassius and the name of Liberty seemed to give them some content and on the other side the hainousnesse of the fact and the love they bare to Caesar did move and excite them to hate the murtherers and so all was quiet for the present But Mark Anthony who affected the Tyranny took every oportunity to incense the People against them and Caesars Testament being opened wherein besides the adopting of his Nehpew Octavius and making him his Heire besides other bequests he bequeathed to the People of Rome certaine Gardens and Lands neere to the River of Tiber and to every Citizen of Rome a certaine summe of money to be devided amongst them which being known much encreased their love to Caesar and made his death more grievous to them Caesars Funerall being agreed upon his Body was burnt with great solemnity in the Field of Mars and Mark Anthony made the Funerall Oration in his Praise and took the Robe wherein Caesar was slaine being all bloudy and shewed it to the People using such speeches as provoaked them both to wrath aud commiseration so as before the Funerall solemnity was fully finished they all departed in great fury taking Brands in their hands from the fire wherein Caesar was burned and went to burnethe Houses of Brutus and Cassius and if they could have found them and the rest of the Conspirators they would certainly have slaine them and in their fury they unadvisedly slew Elius Cinna by mistaking him for Cornelius Cinna who was one of the Conspirators This tumult put Brutus and Cassius and their confederates into such feate that they all fled from Rome into severall parts and though the Senate having appeased the tumult inflicted punishment upon some of the seditions and had already committed some of them to Prison yet Brutus and Cassius durst not return to Rome but after a while went into Greece to Govern those Provinces which Caesar in his Life time had allotted unto them which were Macedonia to Brutus and Syria to Cassius And truly this was very remarkable that within the space of three years all the Conspirators dyed and not one of them of a naturall death Caesar in his fifth and last Consulship made an Edict that thanks should be ruturned to Hyrcanus the High-Priest and Prince of the Jewes and to the Nation of the Jewes for their affection to himself and the People of Rome And decreed also that the said Hyrcanus should have the City of Jerusalem and repair the Walls of it which Pompey had beaten down and should Govern it as he pleased himself He also granted to the Jewes that every second year there should an abatement be made out of their rents and that they should be free from Impositions and Tributes His Name of Caesar was so honourable that all his successors to this present day have assumed it into their Title and esteem it an honour to be called Caesars FINIS THE LIFE DEATH OF OCTAVIANUS AUGUSTUS In whose Raign our LORD CHRIST was born _ 〈◊〉 Caesar who was afterwards called Octavianus Augustus was by the Fathers side descended of the Antient Family of the Octavij which was of great account in Rome even from the time of Tarquin their King By the Mothers side he was descended from the Regall Line His Mother was Accia the Daughter of Accius Balbus and Julia the Sister of Julius Caesar which Accia was married to the Father of Octavius He was born in the year of the Consulship of Cicero and Caius Antonius He was but four years old when his Father dyed and at twelve years old he made an Oration at the Funerall of his Grandmother Julia. When his Uncle Julius Caesar was Warring in Spain against the Sons of Pompey Octavius though he was but young followed him thither through many and great dangers and when that War was ended Julius Caesar intending to take him with him to the Parthian War sent him before to the City of Apollonia where he plyed his Book very diligently and on a time having a minde to see Theogenes a learned Astronomer he calculated his Nativity and promised him great matters which made Octavius conceive great hopes of himself and in memory thereof he caused certain Medals to be coined and would often boast of what Theogenes had told him Octavius in the sixth moneth after he went to Apollonia having intelligence from his Mother of the Death of his Uncle Julius Caesar he hasted out of Epirus to Brundusium where he was received by the Army that went to meet him as the adopted Son of Caesar and without any further delay he assumed the name of Caesar and took upon him to be his Heire and that so much the rather because he had brought with him good store of money and great forces that were sent him by his Uncle and so at Brundusium adopting himself into the Julian Family he called himself Caius Julius Caesar Octavius To this very Name as though he had been his true Son there came great store of partly of his Friends partly of freed men slaves and Souldiers by whom being more strengthened and imboldned by the multitude of them that flocked to him and by the authority of the Caesarian name which with the common People was in great reputation he took his journey towards Rome with a great traine which daily increased like a Floud On the fourteenth Kalends of May he entered into Naples where he gave Cicero a visit From thence as he was going to Rome there met him a vast company of his Friends and as he entered the City the Globe of the Sun seemed to compasse his Head round like unto a Bow as it were putting a Crown upon his Head who afterward was to be so great a man and at night calling together his Friends he commanded them to be ready the next morning with good store of followers to meet him in the Market-place which was done accordingly and he going to Caius the City Praetor and Brother to Anthony he told him that
carried to the Sea side as a pack of stuff where he embarked and sailed into Sicily Coponius was saved by his Wife who lent her Body to Anthony for one night to save him whom she preferred before her honour But the Wife of Septimius having shamefully given her Body to one of Anthonies Familiars caused her Husband to be put into the number of the Poscripts that she might the more freely continue her Adulteries and her Husband was slaine by her meanes Q. Vettius Salussus was hidden in a very secret place but acquainting his Wife with it she betrayed him to the murtherers Fulvius was discovered by one of his slaves and his Concubine though he had made her free and given her goods wherewithall to maintaine her self P. Naso was betraid by his slave enfranchised with whom he had been too familiar but he revenged himself upon his slave whom he killed and then held forth his neck to the cut throats L. Lucceius had put into the hands of two of his Freedmen as much as would have relieved him in his Banishment but they ran away with all whereupon he delivered himself to the murtherers Haterius who had hid himself in a very secret place was sold and betrayed by his slave and killed Cassius Varus who was betrayed by a slave made free had his Head struck off Caius Plotius was hiden by his slaves but being given to Perfumes the sent thereof discovered him yet when the Souldiers could not find him they cruelly tormented his Servants to make them confesse where he was which yet they would not do But the Master pitting his faithfull servants came out of his secret place and delivered himself to the murtherers Appius Claudius changed his Gown with his slave who in that habit presented himself to the murtherers and was slain by them instead of his Master Another slave of Menius did the like for he went into his Masters Litter and offered his neck to the murtherers who cut off his Head and so his Master escaped into Sicily The slave of Urbinus Panopio hearing that the murtherers were comming to his Masters House took off his Gown and his Ring and gave him his own apparrel and put him out at a back doore then he went up and lay upon his Masters Bed where he boldly attended them that killed him for Panopio The slave of Antius Restio though his Master had soundly beaten him a few dayes before for some knavish tricks yet to save his Master meeting an old man by the way he struck off his Head and shewing that with his whippings to the murtherers he made them believe that thus he had revenged himself of his Master with whom he shortly after fled into Sicily The slaves of Martius Censorinus kept their Master secretly till he had oportunity to escape into Sicily to Sextus Pompeius Q. Oppius an honourable old man being very neere taking was rescued by his Son who conveying him out of Rome carried him upon his shoulders and sent him into Sicily where all the poor distressed Romans were courteously intertained by S. Pompeius who sent forth Ships and Galleys to lie upon the coast of Italy ready to receive all them that fled to him doubly rewarding those that saved any that was Proscribed He gave also honourable Offices to all that had been Consuls and comforting the rest with singular courtesie Many others fled into Macedonia to Brutus and Cassius others into Africk to Cornificius Statius Samnis an honourable Senator being about eighty years old that those Theeves might have no part of his Goods he gave them for a prey to whomsoever would take them then setting his House on fire he burnt himself in it Aponius having been long concealed by his slave grew weary of that confinement came out into the Market-place and yeilded his neck to the murtherers Cestius being in the like condition caused his slaves to make a great fire threw himself into it and died Sulpitus Rufus who had been Consul was murthred because he would not sell an Isle of his to Fulvia also Ampius Balbus was slaine because he would not give her a pleasant place of his M. Anthony put into the number of Proscripts a Senator called Nonius Struma onely to get from him an Emerod esteemed worth fifty Thousand Crowns but Nonius found a meanes to escape with his Emerod to the great grief of Anthony Some valiantly defended themselves as Atteius Capito who killed many Souldiers who came rudely running upon him but being at last oppressed with multitudes he was slaine Vetulinus assisted by his Son valiantly repulsed the murtherers but at last was slaine Sicilias Coranas hoping to escape put himself amongst the Mourners that followed a dead Corpse but being discovered was slaine The Triumviri caused the goods of the Proscripts to be sold by the Drum at such prizes as the Souldiers pleased yet most part of them was spoiled and given away They promised also to Widdowes their Joyntures and to Sons the tenth part of their Fathers Patrimony and to Daughters the twentieth part but few or none had any benefit by this promise yea on the contrary they sacked many of them that demanded these rights They exacted great summes of money in Rome and all over Italy and to encourage the Souldiers they gave them unmeasurable gifts and granted them daily new pillage The Legions they Wintered in the richest Cities upon free Quarter To be short men by fear and custome were so inured to slavery that they became more slaves than the Tyrants would have had them These three men having done what they would in Rome and knowing that Brutus and Cassius had a very great Army in Greece who called themselves the Deliverers of their Country saying that they would go and and set Rome at liberty from oppression Cassius having overthrown and slaine Dolabella in Syria and being informed that by the assistance of their Friends they had gotten together eighteen Legions hereupon Mark Anthony and Octavian resolved to go against them with the greatest Army that they could possibly make of old Souldiers and that Lepidus should stay to guard Rome and accordingly they departed and arrived in Greece and marching on they drew neer to the place where Brutus and Cassius were encamped which was in Macedonia in the Philippick Fields Before they came to joyn Battell there were sundry Prodigies for fowles of prey hovered about the Camp of Brutus as if it had been their own already and as they marched out to Battell a Blackmoore met them which they accounted an ill Omen Brutus being alone in his Tent at night a man sad and gastly appeared to him and being asked what he was he answered I am they evill Genius and so vanished But on the contrary Birds and Beasts promised good successe to Caesar These Armies lying so neere together had frequent skirmishes and at last came to a Battell where the Victory was strangely divided
a second Ambassage to Caesar and Cleopatra promised him a huge masse of money and Anthony minded him of the former friendship and alliance that was between them and what acts they had done together he delivered also to him Terullius a Senator and one of Caesars murtherers whom he put to death he proffered also to kill himself to obtaine security for Cleopatra yet Caesar would give him no answer Anthony and Cleopatra hereupon prepare for War and Caesar at last marched against them and sent Cornelius Gallus before with four Legions who suddenly seized up Paraetonium the prime City of Aegypt toward Lybia Anthony being informed hereof marched towards Paraetonium hoping to draw Gallus his Souldiers to owne him but when on the contrary he had received great losse both by Sea and Land he returned to Alexandria Presently after Caesar took Pelusium by the Treachery of Cleopatra who caused Selucus the Governour to deliver it up to him hoping to draw his love to her yet did she disown it to Anthony Cleopatra had storehouses and Monuments admirable both for sumptuousnesse and higth which she had built by the Temple of Isis and thither she had brought the most precious things of all her Royall Treasure as Gold Silver Emeralds Pearles Ebony Ivory and Cinnamon as also store of Lamps and Flax whereupon Caesar fearing that she would set fire of them whereby he should loose such Treasures he to preven despaire gave her hopes of favour whilst he marched to wards the City and she privately forbad the Citizens of Alexandria to sally out against him whereas openly she seemed to encourage them to oppose him Caesar being come before the City Anthony fallied out and fought valiantly with him and routed his Horse and drave them to the very Camp of which at his returne he boasted to Cleopatra and she to reward him gave him an Headpeice Armour all of Gold The next Day Anthony dispersed tickets amongst Caesars Souldiers promising them fifteen hundred Drachmaes a piece if thy would come over to him These Caesar read to his Souldiers rendering Anthony more hatefull to them thereby and they being exceeding angry that their fidelity was tempted fought so valiantly at the next encounter that Anthony was driven back out of the Field After this Anthony challenged Caesar to a single Duel who answered That Anthony had many wayes to die He therefore considering that he could not die any way more honourably than in Battell resolved to set upon Caesar both by Sea and Land Many Prodigies fore-ran the bondage of Aegypt In some places it rained bloud Armies appeared in the Aier A huge Draggon was seen amongst the Aegyptians which hissed horribly A Comet appeared and the Images of the Dead The Statues seemed to mourne and Apis lowing heavily shed some teares On the Kalends of August Anthony early in the morning went down to the Haven to order his Fleet. But Cleopatra caused them to revolt from him and to joyn with Caesars Fleet Whilst Anthony beheld this he was also forsaken by all his Horsemen who revolted to Caesar and his Foot were heaten back into the City whereupon he cryed out that he was betrayed by Cleopatra She fearing his anger fled to her Monument with one Eunuch and two Maids and sent Anthony word that she was dead This he believing desired his faithfull servant Erotes according to his former promise to kill him Erotes drew out his Sword as if he would do it but Anthonies back being towards him he slew himself who falling at his feet Anthony said Noble Erotes thou hast taught me what to do but couldst not endure to do it thy selfe So taking the Sword he thrust it into his Belly yet after a while the bloud stopping he desired those about him to dispatch him but they all fled which caused a great tumult Cleopatra from the top of the Monument perceiving it for the Gate was so made that being shut it could not be again opened she sent her Secretary to bring him into the Monument to her Anthony was carried to the foot of the Monument and being tyed in a Pulley was with great paines drawn up by Cleopatra and her two Maids It was a sad sight to see him thus drawn up besmeared with bloud and ready to give up the Ghost When he came to the top he stretched forth his hands to Cleopatra who receiving him in laid him on a bed tareing her head tire breast and face with her own hands so that she was all gore bloud He laboured to comfort her and advised her to look to her affaires and to save her life if she could do it without dishonour and that amongst all Caesars Friends she should most trust Proculeius and so gave up the Ghost In the mean time Dercetaeus one of Anthonies Guard stole his bloudy Sword and ran away with it to Caesar telling him what had happened Caesar then going into the inmost roome of his Tent much bewailed Anthony his Kinsman and Colleague and who had been his companion in many Battels and in the Government of the Empire Then sending for Proculeius he commanded him by all meanes if it were possible to save Cleopatra alive fearing to loose her Treasures and that she might adorne his Triumph Procuieius and one Epaphroditus coming to the Monument laboured to perswade Cleopotra to come forth and at last by a wile Proculeius seized upon her yet granted her some dayes to embalme Anthonies Body after which they brought her into the Pallace diminishing nothing either of her wonted traine or honour that so she might do no mischief to her self Caesar having Conquered Alexandria ascended into a Tribunal and calling the Citizens before him who for fear fel upon their knees he told them that he freely pardoned them for their great God Serapis his sake He also pardoned the rest of the Aegyptians being unwilling to put so many men to death which formerly had done so good service for the Romans Of those that favoured Anthony some he put to death and others he pardoned either of his own good will or at the intercession of Friends And whereas Anthony had with him many Children of Kings some as Hostages others upon false accusations some of them Caesar sent home others he joyned together in marriage and some he kept by him Comming to view the Tomb of Alexander the Great which as Strabo reporteth was of Glasse Caesar put a Crown upon it and strewed flowers over it and worshipped it and being asked whether he would see the Bodies of the Ptolomies he answered That he would see a King not the dead Neither would he go to see their God Apis saying that he used to worship Gods not Oxen. Many great Kings and Captains desired to bury the Body of Anthony but Caesar would not take it from Cleopatra who buried it splendidly and Magnificently and Caesar suffered her to take what Treasures she would for his Funerals Cleopatra through her
shut for some Nations of the Germans rebelled so that it was again opened These were the Inhabitants of Noricum now Bavaria and the Pannonia's now Austria and Hungary and the two Missia's now Bulgary and Servia as also Illyricum now Sclavonia and the Province of Dacia now Transylvania and Walachia and some others though at severall times Against these Augustus sent his Generals and Armies amongst which were his Sons in Law the Sons of Livia Tiberius Nero who succeeded him in the Empire and his Brother Drusus Nero of whom Livia was with child when Octavian married her and these two Brothers though the War lasted somewhat long vanquished those Nations and obtained great Victories in Germany and the confines thereof especially Tiberius who in three years space subdued the Pannonia's Illyricum and Dalmatia for which Victories he afterwards entered into Rome in an Ovation Triumph with great Pomp and honour Marcus Crassus also overcame and put to flight the Missians a People who had never seen the Romans before And when they were ready to give Battell they said Tell us who you are that seek to molest and disquiet us We are said they Romans the Lords of Nations whereupon they replyed It shall be so if you overcome us which fell out accordingly But Augustus obtained not these Victories without some crosses For in these Wars dyed his Son in Law Drusus who was highly esteemed for his Noble acts and grear Victories for the losse of whom both Augustus and Livia were much afflicted But yet his griefe was greater for the mishap which befell Quintilius Varro who was Generall of three Legions in Germany and being carelesse was surprized by the Almans and himself his Legions and all his Auxiliaries were slaine and two Standards with the Emperiall Eagles taken for which he was so immoderately grieved that he knocked his Head against the Wall and cryed out unadvisedly Quintilius Varro Give me my Legions again For certaine moneths also he suffered the haire of his Head and Beard to grow carlesly And the very day of this unhappy accident he did every year observe mournfully with sorrow and lamentation Of his Son in Law Drusus there remained two Sons Germanicus and Claudius which he had by Antonia Augustus his Neece and Daughter of his Sister Octavia and Mark Anthony of which Claudius was Emperour And Germanicus married Agrippina the Daughter of Julia Augustus his Daughter by whom he had Caius Caligula who also was afterwards Emperour Augustus after many notable Victories compelled his enemies at length to sue for Peace whereupon again he commanded the Temple of Janus to be shut up and from thenceforth all things succeeded prosperonsly with him The Subjects of the Empire were now very obedient to him and all other sent their Ambassadours seeking his favour and Friendship The Indians in the remotest parts of the East and the Scythians that inhabited the North and the Parthians an untamed People sent their Ambassadours to him giving security to keep the Peace and restoring to him the Standards and Eagles which were taken when Marcus Crassus was slaine There came also Kings who were Friends and Subjects to the Roman Empire to do him Homage laying aside their Ensignes and Royall Robes and many of them built Cities to his Name and for his honour calling them Caesaria So did Herod the Great in Palestine King Juba in Mauritania and others The World being thus at Peace and quietnesse forty and two years being expired since that Augustus after the Death of Julius Caesar came to Rome in the time of this generall Peace was the Prince of Peace our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ borne in Bethlem of the Virgin Mary Herod being King of Judaea placed there by the Romans of whose blessed Life and bitter Death as also of the order of his Ministery and Miracles see his Life published by me Anno Christi 1664. At which time their came forth a command from Caesar Augustus that all the Roman World should be taxed which taxing was first made when Cyrenius was Governour of Syria Luck 2. 1. Out of which a little Book was made by Augustus in which all the publick Riches were contained as also how many Citizens and Allies in Armes what Navies How many Kingdomes and Provinces what Tribute and Customs there were what necessary charges and Pensions went out Shortly after Augustus was called Lord by the People but he did not only refuse that Title but forbad it by a publick Edict Augustus enjoying so great prosperity was yet nothing altered in his qualities and behaviour as often it happens in other Princes but rather became more mild just and affable more courteous liberall and temperate He established very good Laws and orders for the reformation of abuses and evill customes He erected both within and without Rome many stately and sumptuous Edifices which made him to boast concerning Rome Latericiam inveni Marmoream reliqui I found it built with Brick and left it built with Marble He bestowed great gifts and favours upon all sorts of People He delighted the People with Feasts and Playes of sundry kinds going himself in person to honour them He sent Colonies into sundry parts and Provinces He made excellent good Orders for the Governours and Government of the whole Empire The like he did also for the Wars and Martial Discipline He shewed himself loving and sociable to his Friends and Familiars whom he honoured and loved much Some conspiracies against him which were discovered he punished without rigour being more prone to pardon than to punish Of murmurings and defamatory Libels he never desired to know the Authours but answered them with gravity giving satisfaction and purging himself from those things which were charged upon him He was much addicted to and affected with learning and himself was very learned and eloquent and compiled some notable Books He much honoured and rewarded wise and learned men yet he escaped not the tainture of some vices growing through humaine frailty and his great liberty especially he was much given to Women though in his diet apparel and ornaments he was very sparing and modest He gave himself also excessively to play at Dice and other Games then in use Thus though in many things he was very happy yet besides his troubles and dangers he was very unhappy in his Children and Successours For by his four Wives to whom he was married he had only one Daughter called Julia by his third Wife Scribonia and she proved exceeding Wanton and unchast yea she left nothing undone in luxury and lust which was possible for a woman to do or suffer accounting every thing lawfull that pleased her Yea she came to that heigth of laciviousnesse that she kept her feasting even in the Courts of Justice abusing those very places with lascivious acts in which her Father had made Laws against Adulterers Hereupon her Father was so enraged that he could not contain his anger within his
to oblige Pompey more to him gave him his Daughter Julia in marriage who was made sure before to Servilius Caepio promising him in her stead Pompeys Daughter who also was made sure unto Faustus the Son of Sylla And shortly after Caesar himself married Calphurnia the Daughter of Piso whom he caused to succeed him in the Consulship Cato then cryed out and called the Gods to witnesse that it was a shamefull thing that they should make such havock in the Commonwealth by such horrible Bawdy matches hereby dividing amongst themselves the Government of Provinces and great Armies And Bibulus perceiving that he did but contend in vaine Caesar being too potent for him and that his Life was in danger for opposing these Laws he kept his House all the rest of his Consulship Pompey having married Julia he filled the Market-place with Souldiers and by open force authorised the Lawes which Caesar had made in favour of the People He procured also that Caesar had both the Gauls and all Illyria with four Legions granted him for five years and when Cato stood up to speak against it Caesar bad his Officers to lay hold on him and carry him to Prison thinking that he would have appealed to the Tribunes but Cato said no more but went his way And Caesar seeing that not only the Nobility but the Commons also were offended at it out of respect to Cato's virtues he secretly prayed one of the Tribunes that he would take Cato from his Officers which was done accordingly Many of the Senators refused to be present in the Senate under him but left the City because they could not endure his doings whereupon one Considius an old man told him that the Senators durst not meet because of his Souldiers Why then said Caesar dost not thou also keep home out of the same fear Because said he My age takes away my fear from me for having so short a time to live I care not to prolong it further Caesar preferred Clodius a base fellow to be Tribune who sought the Office for no other end but to destroy Cicero who had discovered his Villanies and Caesar would not go to his Province till he had set them two together by the ears and driven Cicero out of Italy Yet did he deserve the name of as brave a Generall as any that went before him if we consider the hard Countries where he made Wars His gaining of so many Countries which he adjoyned to the Empire of Rome The multitude and power of the enemies whom he overcame The rudenesse and Valour of the men with whom he had to doe whose manners yet he mollified and civilized His courtesy and clemency to those whom he overcame His great bounty and liberallity to those that served under him As also if we consider the number of Battels that he fought and the multitude of enemies that were slaine by him For in lesse then ten years he took by assault above eight hundered Townes He conquered three hundred Nations and having at several times above thirty hundred thousand Souldiers against him he slew a Million of them and took as many more Prisoners He was so intirely beloved of his Souldiers that to doe him service and to advance his honour they were invincible As appeares by the example of Acilius who in a Sea-fight before the City of Marseiles boarding one of the enemies Ships had his right hand cut off and yet he ran upon his enemies thrusting them in their faces with his Target on his left hand and so prevailed that he took their Ship One Cassius Scava also in a fight before the City of Dyrrachium having an eye put out with an Arrow his shoulder striken through with a Dart and his thigh with another having received thirty Arrows upon his Shield called to his enemies as if he would yeild to them but when two of them came running to him he cut off one of their armes by the shoulder and wounded the other in the face and made them give back till he was fetched off by some of his fellowes In Brittan also when some of his Captaines were driven into a bog full of mire and dirt the enemies fiercely assaulting them there Caesar viewing the Battel he saw a private Souldier thrust in amongst the Captaines where he fought so valiantly that at length he forced the Barbarous People to fly and thereby saved the Captaines who otherwise had perished there And then this Souldier being the hindmost of all the Captaines marched through the bog sometimes swiming and sometimes on foot till he gat to the farther side onely he lost his Target Caesar wondring at his valour ran and imbraced him But the poor Souldier hanging down his head with teares in his eyes fell at Caesars feet begging pardon for leaving his Target behind him In Africk also Scipio having taken one of Caesars Ships slew all that were in it save Petronius a Treasurer to whome he profered life But Petronius answered him that Caesars Souldiers used to give others their lives and not to have their lives given them and thereupon slew himself with his own Sword Now Caesar bred this courage in them by rewarding them bountifully and honouring them He also gave them a good example by adventuring himself upon manifest dangers and putting his Body to extreame paines when there was occasion which filled them with admiration As for his costitution he was lean white and soft skin'd and often troubled with the Head-ach and sometimes with the falling sicknesse yet yeilded he not to his sicknesse but rather took paines as a Medicine to cure it travelling continually living soberly and commonly lying abroad in the Fields Most nights he slept in his Coach and in the dayes travelled up and down to see Cities Castles and strong holds He had alwayes a Secretary with him in his Coach who writ as they went by the way and a Souldier behind him that carryed his Sword He made such speed when he had gotten his Office at Rome that in eight dayes he came to the River of Rhone He was an excellent Rider from his youth for holding his hands behind him he would run his Horse upon the spurre In his Wars in Gaul or France he used to exercise himself in inditing Letters by the way wherein he was so nimble that he imployed two Secretaries or more at one time He made very little account of his Diet Supping one night in Millane with his Friend Valerius Leo there was served at Table some Sperage with perfumed oile instead of Sallet oile he eat it and found no fault blaming his Friends who were offended at the mistake saying that if they liked it not they should have let it alone and that it was not good manners hereby to shame their Friend At another time in his journey he was forced by soul weather to shelter himself in a poor Cottage that had but one Cabbin and that so narrow that one could