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
do by Caesar as they had done by Pompey so that within a few dayes there began between Caesar and his small Army both in the City and in the Harbour where the Ships and Galleys lay the most cruel and dangerous encounters that ever Caesar met with For he was often forced to fight in his own Person both within the City whereof the enemies held the Greater part and also in the Harbour with his ships and was sometimes in so great perill and danger that he was forced to leap out of the Boat into the Water and by swimming to get to one of the Gallies at which time he held his Commentaries in one hand above Water and carry his Robe in his teeth and to swimme with the other hand But when his other Forces were come to him from Asia and other parts he at the end of nine moneths for so long these Wars lasted became Victorious as in all other his enterprises he had been and the young King Ptolomy was slaine in fight In this Warre Caesar did such exploits and behaved himself so gallantly that for the same onely he well deserved the fame and name of a brave Captain The Pride of the Aegyptians being thus tamed Caesar put to death the murtherers of Pompey and established the faire Cleopatra the Queen and Governesse of Aegypt whom during his stay there he intertained for his Friend and had a Son by her called Caesarion And when he had quitted and settled all things in Aegypt he departed thence into Asia and travelled through Syria now Soria being informed that during his troubles in Aegypt King Pharnaces the Son of that mighty King Methridates thought it a fit time whilst the Romans were embroiled in Civil Wars to recover what his Father had lost For which end having overthrown Domitius whom Caesar had sent to govern those parts and having taken by force of Armes the Provinces of Bithynia and Cappadocia expelling thence King Ariobarzanes a Friend and Subject of Rome and beginning to do the like in Armenia the lesse which King Deiotarus had subjected to the Romans Caesar I say being informed hereof went with his Army sooner than Pharnaces imagined though he expected him and had intelligence of his approach so that in few dayes they came to a Battell in which the King was soon overthrown and put to flight with great slaughter of his People yet himself escaped Caesar was very joyfull for this Victory because his of earnest desire to returne to Rome where he knew that many scandals were raised and many insolencies were committed for want of his presence He knew also that Pompeys eldest Son had seized upon a great part of Spain and had raised great forces of those which Marcus Varro had left there and of his Fathers Troops He also understood that in Africa many principal Romans who had escaped from the Battell of Pharsalia were gethered together where of M. Cato surnamed Uticensis was the chief and Scipio Pompeys Father in Law and that these went thither with the greatest part of the Ships and Galleys which belonged to Pompey and with the greatest power that they were able to leavy and that joyning with Juba King of Mauritania they had subdued all that Country and had a great Army in a readinesse to oppose him having chosen Scipio for their Generall because that Cato would not take that office upon him and for that the Name of Scipio had been so fortunate in Africa Caesar having intelligence of all these things within the space of a few dayes with great celerity and diligence recovered all that Pharnaces had usurped and chasing him out of Portus he regained all those Countries and so leaving Celius Minucius for General with two Legions to gaurd that Province pacifying the controversies and contentions in the rest and rewarding the Kings and Tetrarchs which continued firme in their Leagues and amity with the Romans without any longer aboad he departed out of Asia and in a short space arrived in Italy and so passed to Rome within little more than a year after he went thence which was a very short time for the performance of so great matters and so long a journey Presently after his comming to Rome he caused himself to be chosen Consul the third time and reforming so much as the time and his leasure would permit all disorders in Rome being troubled and not able to endure that his enemies should possesse Africk with great expedition he prepared all things necessary and from Rome took his way towards Africk commanding his Army to follow him First he went into Italy from from whence taking Ship he passed over into Africk and though neither his Navy nor his Army arrived with him trusting to the valour of those that he had with him and his own good Fortune he landed with small Forces neere to the City of Adrumentum and from thence marched to an other City called Leptis into which he was received and after some conflicts that passed his Legions being come to him and certaine other Troops of Horse and Companies of Foot he began the War which continued four moneths He first began with Petreius and Lubienus and then with Scipio and King Juba who brought to those Wars eight thousand men the one half whereof were Horse In this War were many encounters and Battels in which Caesar was in great danger but at last his good Fortune still attending him he overcame them in a great Battell wherein there were slaine of the enemies ten thousand and Caesar remained Master of the Field and in a short time after subjected all the Country to him Scipio and all the chiese Captaines with him died sundry Deaths and Juba escaping by flight from the Battell finding no place of security Asranius and he resolved to dye fighting one against the other in which combate King Juba being the stronger man slew Afranius and then commanded one of his slaves to kill him and so he died desperately Marcus Cato who was in the City of Utica hearing that Caesar was marching thitherward though he knew that he would not put him to death but rather had a desire to pardon him and to do him honour yet resolving neither to receive life nor honour from his enemy he slew himself In whose death there passed many remarkable accidents recorded by Historians Ftorus saith thus of it Cato saith he hearing of the death of his Partners he dallyed not at all but joyfully hastened his end For after he had embraced his Son and his Friends and bad them good night and then rested a while upon his bed having first perused Plato's Book of the immortality of the Soul then about the relieving of the first watch he got up drew his sword and therewith thrust himself through after which the Phisicians applied plaisters to his wounds which he indured whilst they were in the roome but then he pulled them away and the bloud following
he did accept of the Adoption For it was the Roman custome in Adoptions to interpose the authority of the Praetor which acceptance being Regisired by the Scribes from thence he presently went to Mark Anthony the Consul who behaved himself proudly towards him and scarcely admitting him into Pompeys Gardens gave him time to speak with him Octavitanus had a great mind to revenge the Death of Julius Caesar but by his Mother and Philip his Father in Law he was advised to conceal his Purpose for a time both because the Senate had approved his Death and because Mark Anthony who was principally to assist him therein did not shew himself very friendly to him Octavianus understanding that Mark Anthony had in his custody all the Treasure that was left by Julius Caesar he desired him to command it to be delivered to him therewith to pay his debts and to distrubte it as Caesar had appointed in his Will But Anthony with greater Pride than Octavianus could well bear not only refused what he demanded but reproved him for desiring it whereupon discords presently arose betwixt them and Octavianus strengthened himself with the Counsel of Cicero a great enemy to Anthony and one whose authority at that time by reason of his Wisdom and Eloquence was very great Anthony being Overseer of those things which Caesar had commanded to be done what by corrupting the Notes and changing them at his pleasure did what himself listed as if it had been the appointment of Caesan by this meanes gratifying Cities and Governours and heaping vast summes of money to himself selling not onely Fields and Tributes but freedomes and immunities even of the City of Rome and that not onely to particular Persons but to whole Provinces and of these things there were Tables hung up all over the Capitol Octavianus being nineteen years old at his own charges gathered an Army and sought the favour of the People and prepared forces against Anthony for his own and the Commonwealths safety He also stirred up the old Souldiers who by Julius Caesar had been planted in Colonies so that Anthony being afraid of him by the mediation of Friends had a conference with him in the Capitol and they were for the present reconciled but within a few dayes through the whisperings of some their enmity brake our again and Anthony not thinking himself strong enough and knowing that the Legions of Macedonia were the best Souldiers and six in number with whom also were many Archers light harnessed men and Horsemen these he sought to draw to himself who because of their neernesse might presently be brought into Italy and thereupon he caused a rumour to be spread that the Getae wasted Macedonia by their inrodes and upon that occasion he demanded an Army of the Senate saying that the Macedonian Army was raised by Caesar against the Getae before he intended the Parthian War whereupon he was chosen Generall of those Forces and he abtained a Law for the change of Provinces whereby his Brother Cains Anthony challenged Macedonia which before by lot fell to Marcus Brutus On the seventh of the Ides of October Anthony went to Brundusium there to meet foure of the Macedonian Legions whom he thought to draw to himself by money Thither also Octavianus sent his Friends with money to hire these Souldiers for himself and himself posted into Campania to engage those Souldiers which were in Colonies to take his part and first he drew to him the old Souldiers of Galatia then those of Casilinum on both sides of Capua giving to each man five hundred pence by which meanes he gat together about ten thousand men who marched with him under one Ensigne as a guard In the mean while the four Legions of Macedonia accusing Anthony for his delayes in revenging Caesurs Death without any acclamations conducted him to the Tribunal as it were to hear an account of this matter and there continued silent Anthony taking this ill upbraded them with their Ingratitude and complained that they had not brought to him some disturbers of the Peace who were sent from that malapert young man for so he called Octavian and to ingratiate himself with them he promised an hundred pence to each of them which niggardly promise was intertained with laughter which he took so ill that being returned to his Quarters in the presence of his most converous and most cruel Wife Fulvia he put to death some Centurions out of the Martian Legion When those of Caesars party that were sent to corrupt the Souldiers saw that they were more exasperated by this deed they scattered Libels about the Army wherein they disgraced Anthony and extolled the liberality of Caesar. And when some sided with Octavian and others with Anthony the Army as if it had been set to sale at an outery addicted themselves to him that would give most And because that Decius Brutus who commanded Gallia Cisalpirea now Lombardy opposed Anthony he went to besiege him in the City of Mutina now Modena which being known in Rome Cicero his authority and credit in the Senate was such that Mark Anthony was declared an enemy to the State and the new Consuls Hircius and Pansa were sem against him and with them was Octavian sent with Ensignes of a Consul and Title of a Pro-praetor having been first admitted into the Senate though so young which was done by the procurement of Cicero though he afterwards requited him ill for it Octavian with the Consuls drew neer to Mark Anthony Cicero remaining to command in chief in all matters at Rome and between the two Armies there passed many skirmishes and encounters and at last they came to a Battell wherein the Consuls and Caesar had the Victory but Hircius was slaine in the Battell and Pansa was so wounded that he died within a few dayes after and both the Armies of the slaine Consuls obeyed Caesar. By this meanes D. Brutus was freed from his siege and Anthony was forced to forsake Italy by a dishonourable flight leaving his baggage behind him In this service Octavian made marvelous proof of himself being but twenty years old performing the Office not onely of a good Captaine but also of a stout Souldier For seeing the Standart bearer sore wounded and ready to fall Octavian took from him the Eagle and bare it a great while till he had lodged it in safety Mark Anthony after the Battell gathering the remainders of his Army passed the Alps and went into France solliciting the Friendship of Lepidus who was there with an Army ever since the Death of Julius Caesar whom after some treaties he made his Friend and Octavian after the Victory obtained presently sent to the Senate to require a Triumph for his Victory as also the Counsulship for the remainder of the year in the roome of the dead Consuls with their succession in their charge and command of the Army But the answer of the Senate was not according to
he liked not of this challenge he would stay for him with his Army in the Fields of Pharsalia in the same place where Julius Caesar fought with Cneius Pompey These Messages passing between them without effect Anthony drew his Army by Land and his Navy by Sea towards Italy and Octavian imbarked his Legions at Brundusium and crossed the Sea to a place called Torma in the Province of Epire now called Romania and after some notable exploits performed the two Armies drew neer together as also did the Navies Octavians Navy consisted of two hundred and fifty Galleys but better armed and swifter then were Mark Anthonies though his were more in number And Mark Anthony being perswaded by Cleopatra who in this also was the cause of his ruine thereby to have the better meanes to fly if the Battell should be lost would needs try his Fortune in a Sea fight though his Army by Land had a great advantage over the other Anthony chose twenty two thousand out of his Army and put them aboard his Fleet and Octavian who refused not the Sea-fight made his provision also and so shipping himself in his Galleys he committed the charge of his Land Army to Taurus and Anthony left his Land Forces with Canidius and in the sight of both the Armies these two brave Captaines which the best Navies in the World took the Seas where they fought for no lesse then the Empire of the World Yet was the Fight deferred for three dayes in dispite of both parties the Seas rising so high that they could not Govern their Vessels The fourth Day they came to an encounter at a Cape called Accius in Epire not far from the place where their Land Armies stood The Battell was one of the most cruelest that ever was heard of and lasted ten hours before Octavian obtained the Victory though Mark Anthony staid not so long in the fight For Cleopatra in the greatest fury of the Battell fled away in her Galley whom seventy of her other Galleys followed and unfortunate Mark Anthony who all his life time hitherto had been a valiant and brave Captain seeing Cleopatra fly on whom he had fixed his eyes and heart shifting out of his own Galley into a lighter followed her without regard of his Armies either by Sea or Land and overtaking her went abord her Galley wherein he sailed three dayes with out either seeing or speaking with her being confounded with shame for shewing so much weaknesse and at last they arrived in the Port of Alexandria in Aegypt His Navy which he left fighting though now Headlesse and without a Captain yet continued to make gallant resistance till five thousand of them were slaine and at last they were overcome rather for want of a Commander then through any force of an enemy though Octavians light and swift Galleys were a great help to him and so he remained Conquerour and granted life and pardon to the Conquered getting into his hands three hundred of their Galleys In Anthonies Army by Land there wanted neither courage nor constancy to their Generall though he had so unworthily deserted them and therefore they continued seven dayes in their Camp ready to give Battell without accepting any composition from the enemy and they would have staid longer had not Canidius their Captaine abused his trust flying secretly from the Camp to seek Anthony whereupon the Army being destitute of a Generall yeilded to the enemy who admitted them into his own Army being nineteen Legions of Foot and twelve thousand Horse The Senators Knights and Noble men that had served Anthony many of them he fined in great summs of Money many he put to death and some he pardoned Then did Caesar sail to Athens and being pacified with the Greeks he distributed the Corne that was left in the War to the Cities that were afflicted with Famine and that were despoiled of their Money Servants and Horses And Anthony being arrived in Aegypt chose out one good Ship of good burden and fraught with store of Treasure and rich Plate of Gold and Silver and gave it to his Friends intreating them to divide it amongst them and to shift for themselves and he wrote to Theophilus the Governour of Corinth that he would provide them an hiding place till they might make their Peace with Caesar. And Caesar of the spoiles of the enemy dedicated ten Ships ' to Apollo Actius Anthony being come into Africk went into a desart place wandering up and down only accompanied with two Friends and after a while he sent to the Generall of the Army which he had formerly raised for the defence of Aegypt but he slew his messengers and said that he would not obey Anthony whereupon he had thought to have killed himself but being hindred by his Friends he went to Alexandria and after a while he built him an House in the Sea by the Isle of Pharos and there lived from the Company of all men saying That he would live the life of Timon the Man-hater because he was abused by his Friends and had experience of their ingratitude and he called this house Timonion Yet at length he left this place and went to the Pallace where he spent his time in Feasting and jollity And Cleopatra got together diverse sorts of deadly poisons of poisonsome Creatures whereof she made triall upon many condemned persons and amongst all she liked the biting of the Aspe best for it brought a sleepinesse without any contraction of the members or groaning onely causing a gentle sweating of the face and a languishing stupidity of the senses At Rome many things were decreed in honour of Caesar for this Victory at Sea First a Triumph was granted him for Cleopatra and a Triumphal Arch was erected at Brundusium and another at Rome The base of the Julian Temple was adorned with the Beakes of the Shipshe had taken There were Playes decreed to be kept every fifth year in honour of him Processions were always to be made on his Birth day and on the day wherein the newes of his Victory was first brought That the vestall Virgins the Senate with their Wives and Children should go and meet him at his returne that all the Ornaments of Anthony should be demolished and cast down that his birth day should be accounted unlucky and that none of his Famely should ever have the forename of Marcus About this time Anthony and Cleopatra sent Ambassadours to Caesar into Asia Cleopatra demanded the Kingdom of Aegypt for her Children and without Anthonies knowledge sent him a Scepter Crown and Chaire all of Gold as it were delivering her Kingdom over to him and Anthony demanded that he might live a private life at Athens if he might not continue in Aegypt Caesar accepted of Cleopatra's gifts accounting them as good Omens but he would afford no answer to Anthony and privately he promised impunity and her Kingdom to Cleopatra if she would kill Anthony They sent also