That such as were in debt should be cleered of all their debts and that the landes also should be diuided into equall partes so that from the valley of Pallena vnto mount Taugetus and vnto the citie of MALEA and SELASIA there should be foure thowsand fiue hundred partes and without those boundes there should be in all the rest fifteene thowsand partes the which should be distributed vnto their neighbours meete to cary weapon and the rest vnto the natural SPARTANS The number of them should be replenished with their neigbours and straungers in like manner which should be very well brought vp and be able men besides to serue the common wealth all the which afterwards should be diuided into fifteene companies of the which some should receiue two hundred others foure hundred men should liue according to the olde auncient institucion obserued by their auncestors This lawe being preferred vnto the Senate the Senators grewe to diuers opinions apon it Whereuppon Lysander him selfe assembled the great counsell of all the people and there spake vnto them him selfe and Mandroclidas and Agesilaus also praying them not to suffer the honor of SPARTA to be troden vnder foote for the vanitie of a fewe but that they would remember the auncient oracles of the goddes warning them to beware of auarice as of the plague and destruction of the common wealth and of the late oracle also brought vnto them from the temple of Pasiphaé The temple and oracle of Pasiphaé was famous at the citie of THALAMES and some say that Pasiphaé was one of the Daughters of Atlas which was gotten with child by Iupiter was deliuered of a sonne called Hammon Other thinke that it was Cassandra one of king Priamus Daughters that died there which was surnamed Pasiphaé bicause she gaue all the aunswers oracles of things to come But Phylarchus writeth that Daphné the Daughter of Amycla flying from Apollo that would haue rauished her was turned into a lawrell tree and honored by Apollo with the gift of prophecie So they said that this oracle of the god commaunded them that the SPARTANS should againe returne vnto their former auncient equalitie stablished first by Lycurgus lawe When euery man els had spoken king Agis rising vp briefly speaking vnto the people sayd that he would bestowe great contributions for the reformation of this common wealth which he was desirous to restore againe For first of all he would make common all his errable and pasture he had and besides that he would adde to six hundred talents in ready money and so much should his mother grandmother kinsemen and friendes all the which were the richest and wealthiest in SPARTA When the people heard what he sayd they maruelled much at the noble minde of this younge king and were very glad of it saying that for three hundred yeares space together the citie of SPARTA had not so worthy a king as he But Leonidas contrarily assayed with all his power he could to resist him thinking with him selfe that if king Agis purpose tooke place he should also be compelled to doe as he did and yet he should haue no thankes but king Agis bicause that all the SPARTANS indifferently should be compelled to make their goods in common but the honor should be his onely that first beganne it So he asked Agis whether he thought Lycurgus had bene a good and iust man or not Agis aunswered that he had bene Then replyed Leonidas did you euer see that he had taken away and abolished any detts or had receyued straungers into the number of the Citizens of SPARTA Who contrarily thought his common wealth vnperfect if all straungers were not banished the citie Agis agayne aunswered him that he maruelled not that Leonidas beeing brought vp in a straung contry and also maryed there in a noble mans house he should be ignorant of Lycurgus lawes who banishing gold and siluer out of his citie did therewithall exile dette and lending And for straungers he hated them that woulde not conforme them selues vnto the manners and facions of life which he instituted and those they were which he banished not for any ill will he bare vnto their persons but bicause he feared their manners of life least that mingling them with the Citizens they should make them runne after vanitie and couetousnes to be riche For otherwise Terpander Thales and Pherecydes which were all straungers were maruelously reuerenced and honored in SPARTA in olde tyme bicause they did singe in their writings the selfe same thinges which Lycurgus had established in his lawes And thou thy selfe also doest commend Ecprepes being one of the Ephores bicause he did cut with a hatchet the two stringes which Phrynis the Musitian had added vnto the Citheme more then the seuen common stringes and those also which did the like vnto Timotheus and yet thou reprouest me bicause I goe about to roote out all excesse and pride out of SPARTA as though those men did not farre of preuent that these superfluous stringes of the musicke delighting the Citizens mindes too much with their songes should not cause them fall vnto such trade and manner of life as should make the citie at discord with it selfe After this contencion the common people did sticke vnto king Agis and the riche men followed Leonidas praying and perswading him not to forsake them and further they did so intreate the Senators in whom consisteth the chiefe authority to determine and disgest all matters before they be propownded vnto the people that they ouerthrew the law by the onely voice of one man more Wherefore Lysander who was yet in office attempted to accuse Leonidas by an auncient lawe forbidding that none of the race of Hercules should mary with any straung woman nor beget children of her and sayde further that no man vpon payne of death should dwell anywhere but in SPARTA When he had instructed others to obiect these thinges agaynst Leonidas her with other of his colleagues obserued a signe in the element the ceremony wherof was in this sorte Euery nynenth yeare the Ephori chusing a bright night without moone-light did sit downe in some open place and beheld the starres in the element to see if they saw any starre shoote from one place to another if they did then they accused their kinges that they had offended the goddes and did depriue them of their kingdom vntill some oracle came from DELPHES or Olympus to restore them againe Lysander then declaring that he had seene a starre flie in the element did therefore accuse king Leonidas and brought forth witnesses against him how he had maried a woman of ASIA the which one of king Seleucus Lieuetenants had giuen him in mariage that he had two children by her afterwards being forsaken of his wife that refused him he returned againe into his contry against his will so had possessed the kingdom for lacke of lawful heire So following his accusation in this manner
most at his happe that he should goe into SYRIA and it appeared plainely that he thought it was the happiest turne that euer came to him for he would euer be talking of the iorney were he in neuer so great or straunge company Furthermore being among his frendes and familiars he would geue out such fonde boastes of it as no young man could haue made greater vauntes which was cleane contrary to his yeres and nature hauing liued all his life time as modestly and with as small ostentacion as any man liuing But then forgetting him selfe too much had such fond conceites in his heade as he not only hoped after the conquest of SYRIA and of the PARTHIANS but flattered him selfe that the world should see all that Lucullus had done against king Tigranes and Pompey against king Mithridates were but trifles as a man would say to that he intended For he looked to conquer the BACTRIANS the INDIANS and the great Occean sea toward the East though in the decree passed by the people there was no mention made of any warres against the PARTHIANS Nowe euery man sawe Crassus ambition and greedy desire of honor insomuch as Caesar selfe wrote vnto Crassus out of GAVLE commending his noble intent and forwardnes and wished him to goe thorow therewith But Atteius one of the Tribunes being bent against Crassus to withstand his departure hauing diuers other confederats with him to further his purpose who much misliked that any man of a brauery and lustines should make warre with any nation or people that had no way offended the ROMANES but were their frends and confederates Crassus fearing this conspiracy prayed Pompey to assist and accompany him out of the city bicause he was of great authority and much reuerenced of the people as it appeared then For though multitudes of people were gathered together of purpose to let Crassus of his departure and to crie out apon him yet when they saw Pompey goe before him with a pleasant smyling countenaunce they quieted them selues and made a lane for them suffering them to passe on and sayd nothing This notwithstanding Atteius the Tribune stepped before them and commaunded Crassus he should not departe the city with great protestations if he did the contrary But perceiuing Crassus still held on his way notwithstanding he commaunded them one of the officers to lay hold of him to arrest him howbeit the other Tribunes would not suffer the officer to doe it So the sergeaunt dismissed Crassus Then Atteius running towards the gate of the city got a chafingdish with coles set it in the middest of the streete When Crassus came against it he cast in certaine perfumes and made sprinckelinges ouer it pronouncing horrible curses and calling apon terrible and straunge names of goddes The ROMANES say that those manner of curses are very auncient but yet very secret and of so great force as he that is once cursed with that curse can neuer escape it nor he that vseth it doth ouer prosper after it And therefore fewe men doe vse it and neuer but apon vrgent occasion But then they much reproued Atteius for vsing of these dreadfull ceremonies and extreame curses which were much hurtefull to the common wealth although he for his contries sake had thus cursed Crassus Crassus settinge forward notwithstandinge sayled on and arriued at BRVNDVSIVM when winter stormes had not left the seas and he had lost many of his shippes howbeit he landed his army and marched through the contry of GALATIA There he found king Deiotarus a very old man and yet building a new city and to taunte him pretily sayd vnto him What O king beginne you to builde now in the afternone To whom the king of the GALATIANS againe smiling made aunswere And truely Syr Captaine you goe not very earely me thinkes to make warre with the PARTHIANS For in deede Crassus was three score and vpward and yet his face made him seeme elder then he was But to our story againe Crassus being comen into the contry had as good lucke as he looked for for he easily built a bridge apon the riuer of Euphrates and passed his armie ouer it without any let or trouble So entring into MESOPOTAMIA receiued many cities that of good will yeelded them selues vnto him Howbeit there was one city called ZENODOTIA whereof Appolonius was tyran where Crassus lost a hundred of his men thereupon he brought his whole armie thither tooke it by force sacked their goodes and sold the prisoners by the drumme The GREEKES called this citie ZENODOTIA and for winning of the same Crassus suffered his men to call him Imperator to say soueraigne Captaine which turned to his shame and reproach and made him to be thought of a base minde as one that had small hope to attaine to great thinges making such reconing of so small a trifle Thus when he had bestowed seuen thowsand of his footemen in garrison in those cities that had yeelded vnto him and about a thowsand horsmen he returned backe to winter in SYRIA Thither came his sonne Publius Crassus to him out of GAVLE from Iulius Caesar who had geuen him such honors as Generalles of ROME did vse to geue to valliant souldiers for reward of their good seruice and brought vnto his fathers thowsand men of armes all choise men This me thinkes was the greatest fault Crassus committed in all his enterprise of that warre For when he should presently haue gone on still and entred into BABYLON and SELEVCIA cities that were euer enemies vnto the PARTHIANS he tracted time gaue them leasure to prepare to encounter his force when he should come against them Againe they found great fault with him for spending of his time when he lay in SYRIA seeming rather to leade a merchauntes life than a chiefetaines For he neuer saw his army nor trained them out to any marshall exercise but fell to counting the reuenue of the cities and was many dayes busily occupied weying of the gold and siluer in the temple of the goddesse Hierapolis And worse then that he sent to the people princes and cities about him to furnishe him with a certaine number of men of warre and then he would discharge them for a summe of money All these things made him to be both ill spoken of despised of euery body The first token of his ill lucke that happened to him came from this goddesse Hierapolis whom some suppose to be Venus other say Iuno and others that she is the mother and chiefe cause that giueth beginning of moisture to euery thing that commeth forth and hath a being and taught men the original cause also of euery good thing For as Crassus the father sonne both were comming out of the temple Crassus the younger fell first on his face and the father afterwardes apon his sonne Likewise as he was gatheringe his garrisons together callinge them out of the cities into the fielde
Leonidas incontinently with a great number of souldiers that were straungers beset the prison round about The Ephores weÌ„t into the prison sent vnto some of the Senate to come vnto them whom they knew to be of their mind then they coÌ„maunded Agis â—â— if it had bene iudicially to giue accompt of the alteracion he had made in the coÌ„mon wealth The younge man laughed at their hypocrisie But Amphares told him that it was no laughing sport that he should pay for his folly Then another of the Ephores seeming to deale more fauorably with him to shew him a way how he might escape the condeÌ„nation for his fault asked him if he had not bene intised vnto it by Agesilaus and Lysander Agis aunswered that no man compelled him but that he onely did it to follow the steppes of the auncient Lycurgus to bring the common wealth vnto the former estate of his graue ordinaunce institution Then the same Senator asked him againe if he did not repent him of that he had done The younge man boldly aunswered him that he would neuer repent him of so wise and vertuous an enterprise though he ventred his life for it Then they condemned him to death and commaunded the Sergeants to cary him into the Decade which was a place in the prison where they were strangled that were condemned to dye Demochares perceiuing the Sergeaunts durst not lay hold of him likewise that the souldiers which were straungers did abhorre to commit such a fact contrary to the law of God and man to lay violent hands vpon the person of a king he threatned reuiled them and dragged Agis perforce into that place called the Decade Now the rumor ranne straight through the citie that king Agis was taken a multitude of people were at the prison dores with lights torches Thither came also king Agis mother grandmother shreeking out praying that the king of SPARTA might yet be heard and iudged by the people For this cause they hastned his death the sooner and were afraid besides least the people in the night would take him out of their hands by force if there came any more people thither Thus king Agis being led to his death spied a SergeauÌ„t lamenting weeping for him vnto whom he said good fellowe I pray thee weepe not for me for I am honester man then they that so shamefully put me to death with those words he willingly put his head into the halter Amphares then going out of the prison into the street found Agesistraetae there king Agis mother who straight fel downe at his feete but he taking her vp againe in old famillier manner as being her very friend told her that they should doe king Agis no hurt that she might if she would goe see him Then she prayed that they would also let her mother in with her Amphares sayde with a good will and so put them both into the prison house and made the dores be shut after them But when they were within he first gaue Archidamia vnto the Sergeaunts to be put to death who was a maruelous olde woman and had liued more honorably vnto that age then any Lady or Matrone beside her in the citie She being executed he commaunded Agesistraetae also to come in Who whe she sawe the bodye of her dead sonne layed on the ground her mother also hanging on the gallowes she did her selfe helpe the hangman to plucke her downe and layed her body by her sonnes Then hauing couered her in decent manner she layed her downe on the ground by the corps of her sonne Agis and kissing his cheeke sayd out alas my sonne thy great modestie goodnes and clemencie brought thee and vs vnto this deathe Then Amphares peeping in at the dore to see what was done hearing what she sayde came in withall in a greate rage and sayde I perceyue thou hast also beene of counsell with thy sonne and sithe it is so thou shalt also followe him Then she rising likewise to be strangled sayd the goddes graunt yet that this may profit SPARTA This horrible murther beeing blowen abroad in the citie and the three dead bodies also brought out of prison the feare though it were great amongest the people could not keepe them back from apparant show of griefe and manifest hate against Leonidas and Amphares thinking that there was neuer a more wicked and crueller fact committed in SPARTA since the DORIANS came to dwell in PELOPONNESVS For the very enemies them selues in bartell would not willingly lay hands vpon the kings of LACEDAEMON but did forbeare as much as they could possible both for feare reuerence they bare vnto their maiestie For in many great battels coÌ„flicts which the LACEDAEMONIANS had against the GRAECIANS there was neuer any king of LACEDAEMON slain before Philips time but CleoÌ„brotus only who was slain with a dart at the battell of LEVCTRES Some write also that the MESSENIANS hold opinioÌ„ that their Aristomenes slue king Theopompus howbeit the LACEDAEMONIANS sayde that he was but hurt not slayne But hereof there are diuers opinions but it is certain that Agis was the first king whom the Ephores euer put to death for that he had layd a plat of a noble deuise and worthy of SPARTA being of that age when men doe easily pardon them that offend and was rather to be accused of his friendes and enemies bicause he had saued Leonidas life had trusted other men as the best natured younge man that could be Now Agis hauing suffered in this sort Leonidas was not quicke enough to take Archidamus his brother also for he fled presently Yet he brought Agis wife out of her house by force with a litle boy she had by him and maried her vnto his sonne Cleomenes who was yet vnder age to marye fearing least this younge Ladye should be bestowed els where beeing in deede a great heire and of a riche house and the Daughter of Gylippus called by her name Agiatis besides that she was the fayrest woman at that tyme in all GRAECE and the vertuousest and best condicioned Wherefore for diuers respects she praied she might not be forced to it But now being at length maried vnto Cleomenes she euer hated Leonidas to the death and yet was a good and louing wife vnto her young husband Who immediatly after he was maried vnto her fell greatly in fancy with her and for compassions sake as it seemed he thanked her for the loue she bare vnto her first husband and for the louing remembraunce she had of him insomuch as he him selfe many times would fall in talke of it and would be inquisitiue how thinges had passed taking great pleasure to heare of Agis wise counsell and purpose For Cleomenes was as desirous of honor and had as noble a minde as Agis and was borne also to temperancie and moderation of life as Agis in like manner was howbeit
day by chaunce walking vpon the sandes he sawe Nicagoras landing out of his shippe being newly arriued and knowing him he curteously welcomed him and asked what wind had brought him into AEGYPT Nicagoras gently saluting him againe tolde him that he had brought the king excellent horse of seruice Cleomenes smiling told him thou haddest bene better haue brought him some curtisans daunsers for they would haue pleased the king better Nicagoras faintly laughed at his aunswer but within few dayes after he did put him in remembraunce of the land he sold him and prayed him then that he would helpe him to money telling him that he would not haue prest him for it but that he had susteyned losse by marchandise Cleomenes aunswered him that all his pension was spent he had of the king Nicagoras being offended with this aunswer he went and told Sosibius of the mocke Cleomenes gaue the king Sosibius was glad of this occasion but yet desiring further matter to make the king offended with Cleomenes he perswaded Nicagoras to write a letter to the king agaynst Cleomenes as though he had conspired to take the citie of CYRENA if the king had giuen him shippes money and men of warre When Nicagoras had written this letter he tooke shippe and hoysed sayle Foure dayes after his departure Sosibius brought his letter to the king as though he had but newly receiued it The king apon sight of it was so offended with Cleomenes that he gaue present order he should be shut vp in a great house where he should haue his ordinary dyet allowed him howbeit that he should keepe his house This grieued Cleomenes much but yet he was worse affraid of that which was to come by this occasion Ptolomy the sonne of Chrysermus one of the kings familliers who had oftentimes before bene very conuersant and famillier with Cleomenes and did franckly talke together in all matters Cleomenes one daye sent for him to praye him to come vnto him Ptolomy came at his request and familliarly discoursing together went about to disswade him from all the suspicions he had and excused the king also for that he had done vnto him so taking his leaue he left him not thinking that Cleomenes followed him as he did to the gate where he sharply tooke vp the souldiers saying that they were very negligent and careles in looking to such a fearefull beast as he was so ill to be taken if he once scaped their handes Cleomenes heard what he sayd and went into his lodging againe Ptolomy knowing nothing that he was behind him and reported the very wordes againe vnto his friendes Then all the SPARTANS conuerting their good hope into anger determined to be reuenged of the iniurie Ptolomy had done them and to dye like noble SPARTANS not tarying til they should be brought to the shambles like fat weathers to be sold and killed For it would be a great shame and dishonor vnto Cleomenes hauing refused to make peace with Antigonus a noble Prince and warrier to tary the kinges pleasure till he had left his dronckennes and daunsing and then to come and put him to death They beeing fully resolued hereof as you haue heard king Ptolomy by chaunce went vnto the citie of CANOBVS first they gaue out in ALEXANDRIA that the king minded to set Cleomenes at libertie Then Cleomenes friendes obseruing the custom of the kings of AEGYPT when they ment to set a prisoner at libertie which was to send the prisoners meate and presents before to their supper did send vnto him such manner of presents so deceiued the souldiers that had the keeping of him saying that they brought those presents from the king For Cleomenes him selfe did sacrifice vnto the goddes and sent vnto the souldiers that kept him parte of those presents that were sent vnto him and supping with his friendes that night made mery with them euery man being crowned with garlands Some say that he made the more haste to execute his enterprise sooner then he would haue done by meanes of one of his men that was priuye vnto his conspiracie who went euery night to lye with a woman he kept and therefore was affraid lest he would bewray them Cleomenes about noone perceiuing the souldiers had takē in their cuppes and that they were a sleepe he put on his coate and vnripping it on the right shoulder went out of the house with his sword drawen in his hand accompanied with his friends following him in that sort which were thirty in all Amongest them there was one called Hippotas who being lame went very liuely out with them at the first but when he saw they went faier and softly bicause of him he prayed them to kil him bicause they should not hinder their enterprise for a lame man that could doe them no seruice Notwithstanding by chaunce they met with a townes man a horsebacke that came hard by their dore whome they pluckt from his horse and cast Hippotas vppon him and then ranne through the citie and cryed to the people libertie libertie Now the people had no other corage in them but onely commended Cleomenes and wondred at his valiantnes but otherwise to follow him or to further his enterprise not a man of them had any hart in them Thus running vp and downe the towne they met with Ptolomy the same whome we sayde before was the sonne of Chrysermus as he came out of the Court Whereuppon three of them setting on him slue him presently There was also another Ptolomy that was gouernor and Lieuetenant of the citie of ALEXANDRIA who hearing a rumor of this sturre came vnto them in his coche They went and met him and first hauing driuen away his garde and souldiers that went before him they pluckt him out of his coche and slue him also After that they went towards the castell with intent to set all the prisoners there at libertie to take their part Howbeit the gaylers that kept them had so strongly locked vp the prison dores that Cleomenes was repulsed and put by his purpose Thus wandring vp and downe the citie no man neither came to ioyne with him nor to resist him for euery man fled for feare of him Wherefore at length being weary with going vp and downe he turned him to his friends and sayd vnto them it is no maruell though women commaund such a cowardly people that flye in this sort from their libertie Thereuppon he prayed them all to dye like men and like those that were brought vp with him and that were worthy of the fame of his so noble deedes Then the first man that made him selfe be slayne was Hippotas who dyed of a wound one of the younge men of his company gaue him with a sword at his request After him euery man slue them selues one after another without any feare at all sauing Panteas who was the first man that entred the citie of MEGALIPOLIS He was a faier younge man and had bene
very well brought vp in the LACONIAN discipline and better then any man of his yeares Cleomenes did loue him dearely and commaunded him that when he should see he were dead and all the rest also that then he should kill him selfe last of all Now they all being layed on the ground he searched them one after another with the poynt of his sword to see if there were any of them yet left aliue and when he had pricked Cleomenes on the heele amongest others and saw that he did yet knit his browes he kissed him sate downe by him Then perceiuing that he had yelded vp the ghost imbracing him when he was dead he also slue him selfe and fell vpon him Thus Cleomenes hauing raigned king of SPARTA sixteene yeares being the same manner of man we haue described him to be he ended his dayes in this sort as ye heare Now his death being presently bruted through the citie Cratesiclea his mother though otherwise she had a noble minde did notwithstanding a litle forget her greatnes through thextreame sorow she felt for the death of her sonne and so imbracing Cleomenes sonnes she fell to bitter lamentacion But the eldest of his sonnes no man mistrusting any such matter found meanes to get out of her handes running vp to the toppe of the house cast him selfe headlong downe to the ground that his head was all broken and splitted yet died not but was taken vp crying and angry with them that they would not suffer him to dye This newes being brought to king Ptolomy he commaunded they should first flea Cleomenes and then hange vp his body and also that they should put his children his mother and all her women wayting on her to death among the which was Panteas wife one of the fayrest and curteousest women in her tyme They had not beene longe maried before when these mischieues lighted apon them at what tyme their loue was then in greatest force Her parents then would not let her depart and imbarke with her husband but had locked her vp and kept her at home by force Howbeit shortly after she found the meanes to get her a horse some money and stale away in the night and gallopped towards the hauen of Taenarus where finding a shippe ready bound for AEGYPT she imbarked and went to seeke her husband with whome she gladly and louingly ledde her life forsaking her owne contry to liue in a straunge Realme Now when the Sergeaunts came to take Cratesiclea to put her to death Panteas wife led her by the arme carying vp her traine and did comfort her although Cratesiclea otherwise was not affraid to dye but onely asked this fauor that she might dye before her litle children This notwithstanding when they came to the place of execution the hangman first slue her children before her eyes and then her selfe afterwards who in such great griefe and sorowe sayd no more but thus Alas my poore children what is become of you And Panteas wife also being a mighty tall woman girding her clothes to her tooke vp the slayne bodies one after another and wrapped them vp in such things as she could get speaking neuer a word nor shewing any signe or token of griefe and in fine hauing prepared her self to dye and plucked of her attyre her selfe without suffering any other to come neare her or to see her but the hangman that was appoynted to stryke of her head In this sorte she dyed as constantly as the stowtest man liuing could haue done and had so couered her body that no man needed after her death to touche her so carefull was she to her ende to keepe her honestie which she had alwayes kept in her life and in her death was mindefull of her honor wherewith she decked her body in her life tyme Thus these LACEDAEMON Ladies playing their partes in this pitifull tragedie contending at the time of death euen with the corage of the slayne SPARTANS their contrymen which of them should dye most constantly left a manifest proofe and testimonie that fortune hath no power ouer fortitude and corage Shortly after those that were appoynted to keepe the body of king Cleomenes that hong vpon the crosse they spied a great Serpent wreathed about his head that couered all his face insomuch as no rauening fowle durst come neare him to eate of it whereuppon the king fell into a supersticious feare being affrayd that he had offended the goddes Hereuppon the Ladyes in his Court began to make many sacrifices of purification for the cleering of this sinne perswading them selues that they had put a man to death beloued of the gods and that he had something more in him then a man The ALEXANDRINIANS thereuppon went to the place of execution and made their prayers vnto Cleomenes as vnto a demy god calling him the sonne of the goddes Vntill that the learned men brought them from that error declaring vnto them that like as of oxen being dead and rotten there breede bees and of horse also come waspes of asses likewise bitels euen so mens bodies when the marie melteth and gathereth together doe bringe forth Serpents The which comming to the knowledge of the auncients in olde tyme of all other beastes they did consecrate the Dragon to Kinges and Princes as proper vnto man. The end of the life of Agis and Cleomenes TIBERIVS AND CAIVS GRACCHI NOW that we haue declared vnto you the historie of the liues of these two GRAECIANS Agis and Cleomenes aforesayd we must also write the historie of two ROMANES the which is no lesse lamentable for the troubles and calamities that chaunced vnto Tiberius and Caius both of them the sonnes of Tiberius Gracchus He hauing bene twise Consul and once Censor and hauing had the honor of two triumphs had notwithstanding more honor and fame onely for his valiantnes for the which he was thought worthy to marye with Cornelia the daughter of Scipio who ouercame Hanniball after the death of his father though while he liued he was neuer his friend but rather his enemy It is reported that Tiberius on a tyme found two snakes in his bed and that the Soothsayers and wysards hauing considered the signification thereof did forbid him to kill them both and also to let them both escape but one onely assuring him that if he killed the male he should not liue long after and if he killed the female that then his wife Cornelia shoulde dye Tiberius then louing his wife dearely thinking it meeter for him also that he being the elder of both and she yet a younge woman should dye before her he slue the male and let the female escape howbeit he dyed soone after leauing twelue children aliue all of them begotten of Cornelia Cornelia after the death of her husband taking vpon her the rule of her house and children led such a chast life was so good to her children and of so noble a minde that euery man
the modestie of your nature vvas not desirous of Souereintie though you haue alvvayes indeuored to deserue it by your honorable conuersation by reason vvhereof you have bene thought so much the vvorthier of it as you have bene founde the further of from all ambition And therefore I do novv reioice in your vertue my fortune if it be so great as to cause you to administer that thing vvith iustice vvhich you haue obtained by desert For othervvise I am sure you haue put your selfe in hazard of great daungers and me in perill of slaunderous tongues bicause Rome can not avvay vvith a vvicked Emperour and the common voyce of the people is alvvaies vvont to cast the faultes of the schollers in the teeth of their schoolemaisters as for example Seneca is railed vpon by slaunderous tonges for the faultes of his scholler Nero the scapes of Quintilians young schollers are imputed to Quintilian him selfe and Socrates is blamed for being too myld to his bearers But as for you there is hope you shall doe all things vvell enough so you keepe you as you are If you first set your selfe in order and then dispose all other things according to vertue all things shall fall out according to your desire I haue set you dovvne the meanes in vvriting vvhich you must observe for the vvell gouerning of your common vveale and haue shevved you of hovv great force your behauiour may be in that behalfe If you thinke good to follovv those thinges you haue Plutarke for the directer and guider of your life if not I protest vnto you by this Epistle that your falling into daunger to the ouerthrovv of the Empire is not by the doctrine of Plutarke This Epistle vvitnesseth plainly that he vvas the schoolemaister of Traian vvhich thing seemeth so be auovved by this vvriting of Suidas Plutarke being borne in the citie of Chaeronea in Boeotia vvas in the time of the Emperour Traian and somvvhat affore But Traian honored him vvith the dignitie of Consulship and commaunded the officers and Magistrates that vvere throughout all the contrie of Illyria that they should not do any thing vvithout his counsell and authoritie So doth Suidas vvrite of him And I am of opinion that Traian being so vvise an Emperour vvould neuer haue done him so great honor if he had not thought him selfe greatly beholding to him for some speciall cause But the thing that maketh me most to beleue it true is that the same goodnesse and iustice appeared to be naturally imprinted in most of Traians sayings and doings vvhereof the paterne and movvld as a man might terme it is cast and set dovvne in Plutarkes Moralls so as men may perceiue expressely that the one could vvell skill to performe rightly that vvhich the other had taught vvisely For Dion vvriteth that among other honors vvhich the Senate of Rome gaue by decree vnto Traian they gaue him the title of the Good Emperour And Eutropius reporteth that euen vnto his time vvhen a nevv Emperour came to be receiued of the Senate among the cries of good hansell and the vvishes of good lucke that vvere made vnto him one vvas happier be thou than Augustus and better than Traian Hovvsoeuer the case stoode it is very certaine that Plutarke dedicated the collection of his Apothegmes vnto him But vvhen he had liued a long time at Rome and vvas come home againe to his ovvne house he fell to vvriting of this excellent vvorke of Liues vvhich he calleth Parallelon as much to say as a cupling or matching together bicause he matcheth a Grecian vvith a Romane setting dovvne their liues ech after other and comparing them together as he founde any likenesse of nature condicions or aduentures betvvext them and examining vvhat the one of them had better or vvorser greater or lesser than the other vvhich things he doth vvith so goodly and graue discourse euery vvhere taken out of the deepest most hidden secrets of morall and naturall Philosophie vvith so sage precepts and frutefull instructions vvith so effectuall commendation of vertue and detestation of vice vvith so many goodly allegacions of other authors vvith so many fit comparisons vvith so many high inuentions that the booke may better be called by the name of the Treasorie of all rare and perfect learning than by any other name Also it is sayd that Theadorus Gaza a Grecian of singular learning and a vvorthie of the auncient Greece being asked on a time by his familiar frendes vvhich savv him so earnestly giuen to his studie that he forgate all other things vvhat author he had leuerest to thoose if he vvere at that poynt that he must needes choose some one to holde him to alone did aunsvvere that he vvould choose Plutarke bicause that if they vvere all put together there vvas no one both so profitable and so pleasaunt to read as be Sofuss Senecio to vvhom he dedicateth his vvorke vvas a Senator of Rome as vvitnesseth Dion vvho vvriteth that the three persons vvhom Traian most loued and honored vvere Sosius Parma and Celsus insomuch that he caused images of them to be set vp True it is that he vvrote the liues of many other men vvhich the spitefulnes of time hath bereft vs of among vvhich he himselfe maketh mention of the liues of Scipio Africanus Metellus Namedicus And I haue red a litle Epistle of a sonne of his vvhose name is not expressed copied out of an olde copie in the Librarie of S. Marke in White vvherein he vvriteth to a frende of his a register of all the bookes that his father made and there among the cupples of liues he setteth dovvne liues of Scipio and Epaminondas and lastly the liues of Augustus Caesar of Tiberius of Caligula of Clandius of Nero of Galba of Vitellius and of Otho But hauing vsed all the diligence that I could in serching the chiefe Libraries of Venice and Rome I could neuer find them out Onely I drevv out certaine diuersities of readinges and many corrections by conferring the old vvritten copies vvith the printed bookes vvhich haue stoode are in great stead to the vnderstanding of many hardplaces and there are a great number of them vvhich I haue restoâ—ed by coniecture by the iudgement helpe of such men of this age as are of greatest knovvledge in humane learning Yet for all this there remaine some places vnamended hovvbeit very fevve bicause some likes vvere vvanting in the originall copies vvhereof to my seeming it vvas better for me to vvitnesse the vvant by marking it vvith some starre than to gesse at it vvith all aduenture or to adde any thing to it Novv finally if I haue ouershot my selfe in any thing as it is verie easie to do in so hard and long a vvorke specially to a man of so small abilitie as I am I beseeche the Readers to vvouchsafe for my discharge to admit the excuse vvhich the Poet Horace giueth me vvhere he sayth A man may well be ouerseene In workes that long
that Theseus also should enioye it after his death Whereupon they determined to make warre with them both and diuiding them selues into two partes the one came openly in armes with their father marching directly towardes the cittie the other laye close in ambushe in the village GARGETTVS meaning to geue charge vpon them in two places at one instant Nowe they brought with them an Heraulde borne in the towne of AGNVS called Leos who bewrayed vnto Theseus the secret and deuise of all their enterprise Theseus vpon this intelligence went forth and dyd set on those that laye in ambushe and put them all to the sworde The other which were in Pallas companie vnderstanding thereof dyd breake and disparse them selues incontinently And this is the cause as some saye why those of Pallena doe neuer make affinitie nor mariadge with those of AGNVS at this daye And that in their towne when any proclamation is made they neuer speake these wordes which are cryed euery where els through out the whole countrye of ATTICA Aconete Leos which is as muche to saye as Hearken O people they doe so extreamely hate this worde Leos for that it was the Herauldes name which wrought them that treason This done Theseus who woulde not liue idelly at home and doe nothing but desirous there withall to gratifie the people went his waye to fight with the bull of Marathon the which dyd great mischieues to the inhabitants of the countrye of TETRAPOLIS And hauing taken him aliue brought him through the citie of ATHENS to be seene of all the inhabitants Afterwardes he dyd sacrifice him vnto Apollo Delphias Nowe concerning Hecale who was reported to haue lodged him and to haue geuen him good enterteinment it is not altogether vntrue For in the olde time those townes and villages thereaboutes dyd assemble together and made a common sacrifice which they called Hecalesion in the honour of Iupiter Hecalian where they honoured this olde woman calling her by a diminutiue name Hecalena bicause that when she receyued Theseus into her house being then but very younge she made muche of him and called him by many prety made names as olde folkes are wont to call younge children And forasmuche as she had made a vowe to Iupiter to make him a solemne sacrifice if Theseus returned safe from the enterprise he went about and that she dyed before his returne in recompence of the good chere she had made him she had that honour done vnto her by Theseuscommaundement as Philochorus hathe written of it Shortely after this exployte there came certaine of King Minos ambassadours out of CRETA to aske tribute being nowe the thirde time it was demaunded which the ATHENIANS payed for this cause Androgeus the eldest sonne of king Minos was slayne by treason within the countrye of ATTICA for which cause Minos pursuing the reuenge of his death made very whotte and sharpe warres vpon the ATHENIANS and dyd them greate hurte But besides all this the goddes dyd sharpely punishe and scourge all the countrye aswell with barrennes and famine as also with plague and other mischieues euen to the drying vp of their riuers The ATHENIANS perceyuing these sore troubles and plagues ranne to the oracle of Apollo who aunswered them that they shoulde appease Minos and when they had made their peace with him that then the wrathe of the goddes woulde cease against them and their troubles should haue an ende Whereupon the ATHENIANS sent immediately vnto him and intreated him for peace which he graunted them with condition that they should be bounde to sende him yerely into CRETA seuen younge boyes and as many younge gyrles Nowe thus farre all the Historiographers doe very well agree but in the reste not And they which seeme furdest of from the trothe doe declare that when these yonge boyes were deliuered in CRETA they caused them to be deuowred by the Minotaure within the Laberinthe or els that they were shut within this Laberinthe wandring vp and downe and coulde finde no place to gett out vntill suche time as they dyed euen famished for hunger And this Minotaure as Euripides the Poet sayeth was A corps combynd vvhich monstrous might be deemd A Boye a Bull both man and beast it seemd But Philochorus writeth that the CRETANS doe not confesse that but saye that this Laberinthe was a gayle or prisone in the which they had no other hurre sauing that they which were kept there vnder locke and keye coulde not flye not starte awaye and that Minos had in the memorye of his sonne Androgeus instituted games and playes of prise where he gaue vnto them that wanne the victorie those younge children of ATHENS the which in the meane time notwithstanding were carefully kept and looked vnto in the prisone of the Laberinthe and that at the first games that were kept one of the Kings captaines called Taurus who was in best creditt with his master wanne the prise This Taurus was a churlishe and naughtie natured man of condition and very harde and cruell to these children of ATHENS And to verifie the same the philosopher Aristotle him selfe speaking of the common wealth of the BOTTIEIANS declareth very well that he neuer thought that Minos dyd at any time cause the children of ATHENS to be put to death but sayeth that they poorely toyled in CRETA euen to crooked age earning their liuing by true and painefull seruice For it is written that the CRETANS to satisfie an olde vowe of theirs which they had made of auncient time sent somtimes the first borne of their children vnto Apollo in the cittie of DELPHAS and that amongest them they also mingled those which were descended of the auncient prisoners of ATHENS and they went with them But bicause they coulde not liue there they directed their iorney first into ITALIE where for a time they remained in the realme of PVGLIA and afterwardes from thence went into the confines of THRACIA where they had this name of BOTTIEIANS In memory whereof the daughters of the BOTTIEIANS in a solemne sacrifice they make doe vse to singe the foote of this songe Lett vs to ATHENS goe But thereby we maye see howe perilous a thing it is to fall in displeasure and enmitie with a cittie which can speake well and where learning and eloquence dothe florishe For euer sence that time Minos was allwayes blased and disgraced through out all the Theaters of ATHENS The testimonie of Hesiodus who calleth him the most worthie King dothe nothing helpe him at all nor the prayse of Homer who nameth him Iupiters famillier friende bicause the tragicall Poets gott the vpper hande in disgracing him notwithstanding all these And vpon their stages where all the tragedies were played they still gaue forth many ill fauored wordes and fowle speaches of him as against a man that had bene most cruell and vnnaturall Yet most men thincke that Minos was the King which established the lawes and Radamanthus
the election of the number of the three hundred Who departing home to his house mery and iocond as might be sayed It did him good to see there were three hundred founde better in the cittie than him selfe Pisistratidas also being sent ambassadour with certen other to the lieutenants of the king of PERSIA the PERSIAN lordes asked him if they came of their owne desire or whether they were sent from the whole state if we obtaine sayed he it is from the state if we be denied then we come of our selues And Argileonida the mother of Brasidas asked some that went to visite her after they were returned home to LACEDAEMON from their iorney to AMPHIPOLIS if her sonne died like a man and a worthy SPARTAN And they straight did commend him highely saying there was not left in all LACEDAEMON suche a valliant man She replied vnto them Saye not so my friends I praye you for Brasidas was in dede a valliant man but the country of LACONIA hath many moe yet vallianter than he was Now touching their Senate Lycurgus was the first that erected it among them The first that were thereof were Lycurgus chief ayders assisters of that erection as we haue declared before but afterwards he ordeined that when any of those first should happen to dye they should choose in his place the most honest reported man in the cittie so he were three score yere olde and aboue This was the noblest glorie that could be among men when a man bare the bell and prise not that he was swiftest among the swift nor strongest amongest the strong but that he among the honest was honestest He had the reward of his vertue as for libertie to speake soueraine authoritie to gouerne and princely power ouer the common weale the honour the life and the goodes of the whole cittizens howbeit the election was made after this sorte The people first assembled in the marketplace where there were some appointed and shut vp thereabout in a house from whēce they could neither see nor be seene of those that were assembled but onely they might heare the noyse which they made there For the people by their crye and showte did declare whom they did choose and whom they did refuse of the competitours as they vsed to shewe their liking by the like crye in other things The competitours were not brought in and presented all together but one after another in order as by lot did fall out He on whom the lot fell passed through the middest of the assemblie of the people and sayed neuer a worde The people straight that liked made a crye or showte alowde The men appointed which were locked vp had bookes or tables in which they wrote and noted the greatnes of the crye and showte the people made as euery competitour passed by not knowing nor seing who he was These hidden men did onely set downe in their bookes the first the second the thirde and so many more as by showtes and cryes they perceyued dyd passe thus through the assemblie They noted also in their said bookes which of these had the greatest crye and showte of people at their passing thorough and him they came and declared to be Senatour chosen Then he wearing a garland of flowers on his head went to all the temples of the goddes in the cittie to geue thankes hauing a great traine of young men following and praysing of his vertues There went also with him a maruelous company of women singing songes of his prayse and howe blessed he was that he had liued so vertuously Then euery one of his kinne prepared a bancket for him at home at their houses and as he entred the house they sayed vnto him The cittie honoreth thee vvith this bancket That done he repayred afterwards to the ordinarie place of their eating where he dyd in all things as he was accustomed sauing he was serued nowe at his table with a double allowance whereof he reserued the one After supper all his kinsewomen stoode in the entrie of the hall where they had eaten so he called her whom he loued best and gaue her his allowaunce he had saued and sayed to her This was geuen me in token I was this daye rewarded for my vertue and euen so I geue it thee for a like token of rewarde for thy vertue Then was she brought home by all the women there to her house euen in like sorte as he was by the men Touching burialles Lycurgus made a wise order For first of all to cut of all superstition of burying places he commaunded they should burie their dead within the cittie that their graues should be round about their temples that young persones might haue them allwayes in their eyes not be affrayed to see a deadbodye as if to touche a corse or to passe by their graues it should defile a man Then did he forbid them to burie any thing with the corse and willed they should only lappe it vp in a redde clothe with oliue leaues It was not lawfull to graue the name of any dead bodye vpon his graue but only of suche a man as died in the warres or of some holy woman professed into their temples Furthermore the time appointed to mourne in was very shorte For it lasted not but a eleuen dayes and on the twelft daye they must doe sacrifice to Proserpina and so leaue of their mourning To conclude he left nothing idle or vnworking in his citizens for to all necessarie things which men can not lacke Lycurgus ioyned euer a certaine emulation of men As to desire vertue and to contemne vice and furnished his cittie with many good preceptes and examples emong which his cittizens being still borne and bred vp and hauing the same in euery place before their eyes where they went they came to passe in time to be framed after the very patterne and moulde of vertue it selfe For this cause he did not suffer any to trauell out of the countrie or to goe abroad as he would without speciall licence for feare least those which trauelled abroad for their pleasure should bring home straunge facions and manners and a corrupt disordered life which by litle and litle might get waye and bring an alteration and chaunge of the whole state Furthermore he kept out of SPARTA all straungers except those which had necessarie busines there or were come thither for some profit to the countrie not that he was affrayed they should learne some thing whereby to loue vertue or that they should desire to followe his facion and manner of gouernment as Thucydides was but rather fearing they should teache his citizens some naughty manners or some ill fauored vice For it must needes be that straungers bring euerstraunge and newe deuises with them which newe deuises bring with them also newe opinions and newe opinions beget newe affections and mindes that many times are repugnant to the lawe and to the forme of the
them neither haue they done any vnseemely thing but haue passed the rest of their life like wise constant and vertuous men For it is not loue but weaknes which breedeth these extreme sorowes and exceeding feare in men that are not exercised nor acquainted to fight against fortune with reason And this is the cause that plucketh from them the pleasure of that they loue and desire by reason of the continuall trouble feare and griefe they feele by thincking howe in time they maye be depriued of it Nowe we must not arme our selues with pouertie against the griefe of losse of goodes neither with lacke of affeâ—tion against the losse of our friendes neither with wante of mariage against the death of children but we must be armed with reason against misfortunes Thus haue we sufficiently enlarged this matter The ATHENIANS hauing nowe susteined a long and troublesome warre against the MEGARIANS for the possession of the I le of SALAMINA were in the ende wearie of it and made proclamation straightly commaunding vpon payne of death that no man should presume to preferre any more to the counsaill of the cittie the title or question of the possession of the I le of SALAMINA Solon could not beare this open shame and seeing the most parte of the lustiest youthes desirous still of warre though their tongues were tyed for feare of the proclamation he fayned him selfe to be out of his wittes and caused it to be geuen out that Solon was become a foole and secretly he had made certaine lamentable verses which he had cunned without booke to singe abroade the cittie So one daye he ranne sodainly out of his house with a garland on his head and gotte him to the market place where the people straight swarmed like bees about him and getting him vp vpon the stone where all proclamations are vsually made out he singeth these Elegies he had made which beganne after this sorte I here present my selfe an Heraulde in this case vvhich come from Salamina lande that noble vvorthy place My minde in pelting prose shall neuer be exprest But songe in verse Heroycall for so I thincke it best This Elegie is intituled SALAMINA and conteineth a hundred verses which are excellently well written And these being songe openly by Solon at that time his friendes incontinently praysed them beyond measure and specially Pisistratus and they went about persuading the people that were present to credit that he spake Hereupon the matter was so handled amongest them that by and by the proclamation was reuoked and they beganne to followe the warres with greater furie then before appointing Solon to be generall in the same But the common tale and reporte is that he went by sea with Pisistratus vnto the temple of Venus surnamed Coliade where he founde all the women at a solemne feast and sacrifice which they made of custome to the goddesse He taking occasion thereby sent from thence a trusty man of his owne vnto the MEGARIANS which then had SALAMINA whom he instructed to fayne him selfe a reuolted traytour that he came of purpose to tell them that if they would but goe with him they might take all the chief ladyes and gentle women of ATHENS on a sodaine The MEGARIANS easely beleeued him and shipped forthwith certaine souldiers to goe with him But when Solon perceyued the shippe vnder sayle comming from SALAMINA he commaunded the women to departe and in steade of them he put lusty beardles springalles into their apparell and gaue them litle shorte daggers to conuey vnder their clothes commaunding them to playe daunce together vpon the sea side vntill their enemies were landed and their shippe at anker and so it came to passe For the MEGARIANS being deceyued by that they sawe a farre of as sonne as euer they came to the shore side dyd lande in heapes one in anothers necke euen for greedines to take these women but not a man of them escaped for they were slayne euery mothers sonne This stratageame being finely handled to good effect the ATHENIANS tooke sea straight and costed ouer to the I le of SALAMINA which they tooke vpon the sodaine and wanne it without much resistaunce Other saye that it was not taken after this sorte but that Apollo Delphicus gaue Solon first such an oracle Thou shalt first vvinne by vovves and sacrifice the helpe of lordes an demy goddes full bright of vvhose dead bones the dust engraued lies in vvesterne soyle Asopia that hight By order of this oracle he one night passed ouer to SALAMINA dyd sacrifice to Periphemus to Cichris demy goddes of the countrie Which done the ATHENIANS deliuered him fiue hundred men who willingly offered them selues the cittie made an accorde with them that if they tooke the I le of SALAMINA they should beare greatest authoritie in the common weale Solon imbarked his souldiers into diuers fisher botes and appointed a galliot of thirtie owers to come after him he ankred hard by the cittie of SALAMINA vnder the pointe which looketh towards the I le of NEGREPONT The MEGARIANS which were within SALAMINA hauing by chaunce heard some inckling of it but yet knew nothing of certaintie ranne presently in hurly burley to arme them and manned out a shippe to descrie what it was But they fondly comming within daunger were taken by Solon who clapped the MEGARIANS vnder hatches fast bounde and in their roomes put aborde in their shippe the choycest souldiers he had of the ATHENIANS commaunding them to set their course direct vpon the cittie and to keepe them selues as close out of sight as could be And he him self with all the rest of his souldiers landed presently and marched to encounter with the MEGARIANS which were come out into the fielde Now whilest they were fighting together Solons men whom he had sent in the MEGARIANS shippe entred the hauen wanne the towne This is certainly true testified by that which is shewed yet at this daye For to keepe a memoriall hereof a shippe of ATHENS arriueth quietly at the first by by those that are in the shippe make a great showte and a man armed leaping out of the shippe ronneth showting towardes the rocke called Sciradion which is as they come from the firme lande and hard by the same is the temple of Mars which Solon built there after he had ouercome the MEGARIANS in battell from whence he sent backe againe those prisoners that he had taken which were saued from the slaughter of the battell without any ransome paying Neuertheles the MEGARIANS were sharpely bent still to recouer SALAMINA again Much hurte being done suffered on both sides both parts in the ende made the LACEDAEMONIANS iudges of the quarrell But vpon iudgement geuen common reporte is that Homers authoritie dyd Solon good seruice bicause he did adde these verses to the number of shippes which are in the Iliades of Homer which he rehearsed before the iudges as if they
great foughten battell wherein he lost his sonne that was slaine by Brutus in fighting together hande to hande went to the citie of CLVSIVM vnto king Claras Porsena the mightiest prince that raigned at that time in all ITALIE and was both noble and a curteous prince Porsena promised him ayde first of all sent to ROME to summone the cittizens to receiue their King againe But the ROMAINES refusing the summones he sent forthwith an Heraulde to proclaime open warres against them and to tell them where and when he would meete them and then marched thitherwardes immediatly with a great armie Publicola nowe being absent was chosen Consul the second time and Titus Lucretius with him When he was returned home againe to ROME bicause he would exceede king Porsena in greatnes of minde he begāne to buyld a cittie called SIGLIVRIA euen when the King with all his armie was not farre frō ROME hauing walled it about to his maruelous charge he sent thither seuen hundred cittizens to dwell there to shewe that he made litle accompt of this warre Howbeit Porsena at his coming dyd geue suche a lustie assault to the mount Ianiculum that they draue out the souldiers which kept the same who flying towards ROME were pursued so harde with the enemies that with them they had entered the towne had not Publicola made a saly out to resist them Who beganne a hotte skirmishe harde by the riuer of Tyber there sought to haue stayed the enemies to follow any further which being the greater number dyd ouerlaye the ROMAINES dyd hurte Publicola very sore in this skirmishe so as he was caried away into the cittie in his souldiers armes And euē so was the other Cōsul Lucretius hurte in like case which so discoraged frayed the ROMAINES that they all tooke thē to their legges fled towards the cittie The enemies pursued them at their heeles as farre as the wodden bridge so that the cittie was in maruelous hazarde of taking vpon the sodaine But Horatius Cocles Herminius and Lucretius two other of the chiefest noble young men of the cittie stood with them to the defence of the bridge made head against the enemie This Horatius was surnamed Cocles as much to saye as one eye bicause he had lost one of them in the warres Howbeit other writers saye it was bicause of his flat nose which was so soncke into his head that they sawe nothing to parte his eyes but that the eye browes dyd meete together by reason whereof the people thinking to surname him Cyclops by corruption of the tōgue they called him as they saye Cocles But howsoeuer it was this Horatius Cocles had the courage to shew his face against the enemie to kepe the bridge vntill such time as they had cut broken it vp behind him When he saw they had done that armed as he was hurte in the hippe with a pike of the THVSCANS he leaped into the riuer of Tyber and saued him selfe by swimming vnto the other side Publicola woundring at this manly acte of his persuaded the ROMAINES straight euery one according to his abilitie to giue him so much as he spent in a daye afterwards also he caused the common treasury to geue him as much lande as he could compasse about with his plowe in a daye Furthermore he made his image of brasse to be set vp in the temple of Vulcane comforting by this honour his wounded hippe whereof he was lame euer after Nowe whilest king Porsena was hottely bent very straightly to besiege ROME there beganne a famine among the ROMAINES to encrease the daunger there came a newe armie out of THVSCANE which ouerranne burnt and made waste all the territorie of ROME Whereupon Publicola being chosen Consul then the third time thought he should neede to doe no more to resist Porsena brauely but to be quiet only to looke well to the safe keeping of the cittie Howbeit spying his oportunity he secretly stole out of ROME with a power did set vpon the THVSCANS that destroyed the countrie about ouerthrew slue of them fiue thousand men As for the historie of Mutius many doe diuersely reporte it but I will write it in such sorte as I thincke shall best agree with the trothe This Mutius was a worthie man in all respects but specially for the warres He deuising howe he might come to kill king Porsena disguised him selfe in THVSCANS apparell and speaking Thuscan very perfectly went into his campe and came to the Kings chayer in the which he gaue audience and not knowing him perfectly he durst not aske which was he least he should be discouered but drue his sworde at aduenture slewe him whom he tooke to be king Vpon that they layed holde on him examined him And a panne full of fire being brought for the King that entēded to doe sacrifice vnto the goddes Mutius held out his right hand ouer the fire and boldly looking the King full in his face whilest the flesh of his hand dyd frye of he neuer chaunged hewe nor contenaunce the King woundering to see so straunge a sight called to them to withdraw the fire and he him selfe dyd deliver him his sworde againe Mutius tooke it of him with his lost hand whereupon they saye afterwardes he had geuen him the surname of Scaeuola as much to saye as left handed and told him in taking of it Thou couldest not Porsena for feare haue ouercomed me but nowe through curtesy thou hast wonne me Therefore for goodwill I will reueale that vnto thee which no force nor extremitie could haue make me vtter There are three hundred ROMAINES dispersed through thy campe all which are prepared with like mindes to followe that I haue begonne only gaping for oportunitie to put it in practise The lot sell on me to be the first to breake the Ise of this enterprise yet I am not sorie my hande sayled to kill so worthie a man that deserueth rather to be a friend then an enemie vnto the ROMAINES Porsena hearing this did beleeue it euer after he gaue the more willing eare to those that treated with him of peace not so much in my opinion for that he feared the three hundred lying in waite to kill him as for the admiration of the ROMAINES noble minde and great corage All other writers call this man Matius Scaeuola howbeit Athenodorus surnamed Sandon in a booke he wrote vnto Octauia Augustus sister sayeth that he was also called Opsig onus But Publicola taking king Porsena not to be so daūgerous and enemie to ROME as he should be a profitable friēd allie to the same let him understand that he was cōtēted to make him iudge of the controuersie between them Tarquine Whom he dyd many times prouoke to come haue his cause heard before king Porsena where he would iustifie to his face that he was the naughtiest most wicked
power at sea they should not only defende them selues from the barbarous people but moreouer be able to cōmaund all GRECE Hereupon he made them good mariners passing sea men as Plato sayeth where before they were stowte valliant souldiers by lande This gaue his enemies occasion to cast it in his teethe afterwards that he had taken away from the ATHENIANS the pike the target had brought them to the bāke the ower so he got the vpper hand of Miltiades Who inueyed against him in that as Stesimbrotus writeth Now after he had thus his will by bringing this sea seruice to passe whether thereby he dyd ouerthrow the iustice of the comō weale or not I leaue that to the philosopers to dispute But that the preseruation of all GRECE stoode at that time vpō the sea that the gallyes only were the cause of setting vp ATHENS againe Xerxes him self is a sufficient witnes besides other proofes that might be brought thereof For his armie by lāde being yet whole vnset on when he saw his armie by sea broken dispersed souncke he fled straight vpon it confessing as it were that he was nowe to weake to deale any more with the GREECIANS left Mardonius his lieutenant in GREECE of purpose in my opinion rather to let that the GREECIANS should not followe him then for any hope he had to ouercome thē Some write of Themistocles that he was a very good husband for his own profit carefull to looke to his things for he dyd spende liberally loued ofte to make sacrifices honorably to receyue entertaine straūgers wherefore he had good reason to be carefull to get to defraye his charges Other to the cōtrary blame him much that he was to nere miserable for some saye he would sell presents of meate that were geuen him He dyd aske one Philides on a time which had a brede of mares a colte of gifte who denying him flatly he was so angrie that he threatned him ere it were long he would make his house the horse of wodde with the which TROIA was taken Meaning couertly to let him vnderstande that he would shortly set strife quarrel betwext him his nearest kinsemen familliar friends It is true that he was the most ambitious man of the world For when he was but a yoūg man scantly knowen he earnestly intreated one Epicles borne at HERMIONNA an excellent player of the citherne counted at that time the conningest man in all ATHENS at the instrument that he would come reache his arte at his house and all was no more but that many people being desirous to heare him playe should aske for his house come thitherto him And one yere when he went vnto the feast assembly of the playes Olympicall he would nedes keepe open house for all commers haue his tents richely furnished a great traine of seruants all other furniture only to contende with Cimon This maruelously spighted the GREECIANS who thought Themistocles expences fit for Cimons countenance abilitie bicause he was a young gentleman and of a noble house but for him that was but a new come man would beare a greater porte then either became his calling or abilitie they thought it not only vnallowable in him but meere presumption vaine glorie Another time he defrayed the whole charges of a tragedie which was played openly being set out therein to haue wonne the prise the ATHENIANS being maruelous desirous of the honour in such playes he caused this victorie of his to be painted in a table which he did dedicate set vp in a temple with this inscription Themistocles Phrearian defrayed the charges Phrynitus made it Adimantus vvas chief ruler Yet notwithstāding he was well taken of the common people partly bicause he would speake to euery citizen by his name no man telling him their names and partly also bicause he shewed him self an vpright iudge in priuate mens causes As one daye he aunswered the poet Simonides borne in CHIO who dyd request an vnreasonable matter at his hands at that time when he was gouernour of the cittie Thou couldest be no good poet Simonides if thou diddest singe against the rules of musike neither my self a good gouernour of a citie if I should doe any thing against the lawe And mocking the same Simonides another time he told him he was but a foole to speake ill of the CORINTHIANS considering they were lords of so great strong a cittie Likewise he was not wise to make him self to be drawen being so deformed ill fauored But being growne in credit hauing wōne the fauour of the people he was such an enemy to Aristides that in the end he made him to be expulsed banished ATHENS for 5. yeres Whē newes were brought that the king of PERSIA was onwardes on his iorney coming downe to make warres vpon the GREECIANS the ATHENIANS cōsulted whom they should make their generall And it is reported that all their cōmon counsellers which were wont to speake in matters fearing the daunger dyd drawe backe saue an orator called Epicydes Euphemides sonne very eloquent in speache but somwhat womanishe fainte harted gredie of money offred him self to sue for this charge had some hope to obteine it Wherefore Themistocles fearing all would not be well if it fell to this man to be generall of the armie he bought out Epicydes ambitiō with ready money so made him let fall his sute It fell out Themistocles was greatly comēded about that was done to the interpreter that came with the king of PERSIAES ambassadours demaunded the empire of the GREECIANS both by sea lande that they should acknowledge obedience to the king For he caused him to be taken put to death by a comon cōsent for vsing the Greeke tongue in the seruice cōmaundement of the barbarous people It was a notable thing also that at his motion Arthmius born at ZELEA was noted of infamie both he his children all his posteritie after him bicause he brought gold frō the king of PERSIA to corrupt winne the GREECIANS But the greatest worthiest acte he did in those parts was this that he pacified all ciuill warres among the GREECIANS persuading the citties to leaue of their quarrels vntill the warres were done in the which they saye Chileus Arcadian did helpe him more then any other man He being now chosen generall of the ATHENIANS wēt about presently to imbarke his cittizens into gallyes declaring to them they should leaue their cittie goe mete with the barbarous King by sea so farre frō the coast of GREECE as they could but the people did not thincke that good Wherefore he led great numbers of souldiers by lande into the countrie of TEMPES with the LACEDAEMONIANS to keepe the passage entrie into THESSALIE against the barbarous people which countrie stoode yet sownde
sent three hundred of their lusty youthes to accompany him and conducte him out of their countrie They saye at the next feastes and assembly of the playes Olympicall that were made after this victorie when Themistocles was once come into the showe place where these games were played the people looked no more on them that fought but all cast their eyes on him shewing him to the straungers which knewe him not with their fingers and by clapping of their handes dyd witnesse howe much they esteemed him Whereat he him selfe tooke so great delite that he confessed to his familiar friends he then dyd reape the fruite and benefit of his sundry and painefull seruices he had taken in hande for the preseruation of GREECE so ambitious was he of nature couetous of honour as we maye easely perceyue by certen of his dedes and notable sayings they haue noted of him For being chosen admirall of ATHENS he neuer dispatched any causes priuate or publicke howsoeuer they fell out vntill the very daye of his departure and taking shippe and all bicause that men seeing him ryd much busines at once and to speake with so many persones together they should esteeme him to be the notabler man of the greater authoritie Another time he walked vpon the sandes by the sea side beholding the dead bodies of the barbarous people which the sea had cast vp vpon the shore and seing some of them that had on still their chaynes of golde and bracelets he passed by on his waye but shewed them yet to his familiar friende that followed him and sayed vnto him take thou those for thou art not Themistocles And vnto one Antiphates who in his youth had bene a goodly young boye and at the time dyd scornefully behaue him selfe vnto him making no reckoning of him and now that he sawe him in authoritie came to see him he sayed O my young sonne and friend we are both euen at one time but to late growen wise He sayed the ATHENIANS dyd not esteeme of him in time of peace but when any storme of warres were towardes and they stoode in any daunger they ranne to him then as they ronne to the shadowe of a plane tree vpon any sodaine raine and after fayer weather come againe they cut awaye then the braunches and bowghes thereof There was a man borne in the I le of SERIPHA who being fallen out with him dyd cast him in the teethe that it was not for his worthines but for the noble cittie wherein he was borne that he had wonne such glorie Thou sayest true sayed he but neither should I euer haue wonne any great honour if I had bene a SERIPHIAN nor thou also if thou haddest bene an ATHENIAN An other time one of the captaines of the cittie hauing done good seruice vnto the common weale made boast before Themistocles and compared his seruice equall with his Themistocles to aunswer him tolde him a prety tale That the working daye brawled on a time with the holy daye repining against her that he laboured for his liuing continually and howe she dyd nothing but fill her bellie and spende that they had gotten Thou hast reason sayed the holy daye But if I had not bene before thee thou haddest not bene here nowe And so if I had not bene then where had you my masters bene nowe His owne sonne was a litle to sawsie with his mother and with him also bearing him self ouer boldely of her good will by meanes of her cockering of him Whereupō being merely disposed he would saye that his sonne could doe more then any mā in all GRECE For sayeth he the ATHENIANS commaunde the GRAECIANS I commaunde the ATHENIANS my wife commaundeth me and my sonne commaundeth her Moreouer bicause he would be singular by him selfe aboue all other men hauing a pece of lande he would sell he willed the crier to proclaime open sale of it in the market place and with all he should adde vnto the sale that his lande laye by a good neighbour An other time two men being suters to his daughter he preferred the honester before the richer saying he had rather haue to his sonne in lawe a man that lacked goodes then goodes to lacke a man These were Themistocles pleasaunt conceites and aunswers But after he had done all these things we haue spoken of before he tooke in hande to buylde againe the cittie and walles of ATHENS and dyd corrupt the officers of LACEDAEMONIA with money to the end they should not hinder his purpose as Theopompus writeth Or as all other saye when he had deceyued them by this subtiltie he went vnto SPARTA as ambassadour sent thither of purpose vpon the complaintes of the LACEDAEMONIANS for that the ATHENIANS dyd inclose their cittie againe with walles who were accused vnto the counsaill of SPARTA by an orator called Poliarchus who was sent thither from the AEGINETES of purpose to prosecute this matter against the ATHENIANS Themistocles stowtely denied it to them and prayed them for better vnderstanding of the trothe they would sende some of their men thither to see it This was but a fetche only to winne by this delaye the ATHENIANS so muche more time to rayse vp their walles and that the ATHENIANS should keepe as ostages for suertie of his persone those they should send to ATHENS to bring backe the reporte thereof and so it fell out For the LACEDAEMONIANS being informed of the trothe as it was dyd him no hurte but dissembling the misliking they had to be thus abused by him sent him awaye safe and sounde Afterwardes he made them also mende and fortifie the hauen of PIRAEA hauing considered the situation of the place and all to incline the cittie to the sea Wherein he dyd directly contrary to all the counsell of the auncient kings of ATHENS who seeking as they saye to withdrawe their people from the sea and to accustome them to liue vpon the lande by planting sowing and plowing their groundes dyd deuise and geue out abroade the fable they tell of the goddesse Pallas And that is this how she contending with Neptune about the patronage of the country of ATHENS brought forth and shewed to the iudges the olyue tree by meanes whereof she preuayled and obteined the preheminence Euen so Themistocles dyd not ioyne the hauen of PIRAEA vnto the cittie of ATHENS as the comicall poet Aristophanes sayeth but rather ioyned the cittie vnto the hauen PIRAEA and the lande vnto the sea By this meanes he made the people strong against the nobilitie and brought the communaltie to waxe bolder then they were before by reason the rule and authoritie fell into the handes of saylers mariners pilottes shippemasters and such kinde of seafaring men so as the pulpet where all the oracles were made stoode in the market place of PNYX and dyd looke towardes the sea But the thirtie tyrannes that came in afterwardes dyd remoue it and turne it towardes the lande holding opinion
were maruelously offended with him he dyd what he could to comforte them and put them in harte againe but all was in vaine he could not pacifie them For by the most parte of voyces they depriued him of his charge of generall and condemned him in a maruelous great fine summe of money the which those that tell the least doe write that it was the summe of fifteene talentes and those that say more speake of fiftie talentes The accuser subscribed in this condemnation was Cleon as Idomeneus or Simmias saye or as Theophrastus writeth yet Heraclides Ponticus sayeth one Lacratidas Nowe his common grieues were sone blowen ouer for the people dyd easely let fall their displeasures towardes him as the waspe leaueth her stinge behinde her with them she hath stong But his owne priuate affayers and household causes were in very ill case both for that the plague had taken awaye many of his friendes and kinsemen from him as also for that he and his house had continued a long time in disgrace For Xanthippus Pericles sonne heire being a man of a very ill disposition and nature and hauing maried a young woman very prodigall and lauishe of expence the daughter of Isander sonne of Epilycus he grudged much at his fathers hardnes who scantly gaue him money and but litle at a time Whereupon he sent on a time to one of his fathers friendes in Pericles name to praye him to lend him some money who sent it vnto him But afterwardes when he came to demaunde it againe Pericles dyd not only refuse to paye it him but further he put him in sute But this made the young man Xanthippus so angrie with his father that he spake very ill of him in euery place where he came and in mockery reported howe his father spent his time when he was at home and the talke he had with the Sophisters and the master rethoritians For a mischaunce fortuning on a time at the game of throwing the darte who should throwe best that he that threwe dyd vnfortunately kill one Epitimius a THESSALIAN Xanthippus went pratling vp and downe the towne that his father Pericles was a whole daye disputing with Protagoras the Rethoritian to knowe which of the three by lawe and reason should be condemned for this murther The darte he that threwe the darte or the deuiser of that game Moreouer Stesimbrotus writeth that the brute that ranne abroade through the cittie howe Pericles dyd keepe his wife was sowen abroade by Xanthippus him selfe But so it is this quarrell hate betwext the father and the sonne continued without reconciliation vnto the death For Xanthippus dyed in the great plague and Pericles owne sister also moreouer he lost at that time by the plague the more parte of all his friends and kinsefolkes and those specially that dyd him greatest pleasure in gouerning of the state But all this dyd neuer pull down his contenaunce nor any thing abate the greatnes of his minde what misfortunes soeuer he had susteined Neither sawe they him weepe at any time nor mourne at the funeralles of any of his kinsemen or friendes but at the death of Paralus his younger and lawfull begotten sonne for the losse of him alone dyd only melt his harte Yet he dyd striue to showe his naturall constancie and to keepe his accustomed modestie But as he would haue put a garland of flowers vpon his head sorowe dyd so pierce his harte when he sawe his face that then he burst out in teares and cryed a mayne which they neuer sawe him doe before all the dayes of his life Furthermore the people hauing proued other captaines and gouernours and finding by experience that there was no one of them of iudgement and authoritie sufficient for so great a charge In the ende of them selues they called him againe to the pulpit for orations to heate their counsells and to the state of a captaine also to take charge of the state But at that time he kept him selfe close in his house as one bewayling his late grieuous losse and sorowe Howbeit Alcibiades and other his familiar friendes persuaded him to shewe him selfe vnto the people who dyd excuse them selues vnto him for their ingratitude towardes him Pericles then taking the gouernment againe vpon him the first matter he entred into was that he prayed them to reuoke the statute he had made for base borne children fearing least his lawfull heires would fayle and so his house and name should fall to the grounde But as for that lawe thus it stoode Pericles when he was in his best authoritie caused a lawe to be made that they only should be compted cittizens of ATHENS which were naturall ATHENIANS borne by father and mother Not long time after it fortuned that the king of EGYPT hauing sent a gifte vnto the people of ATHENS of forty thousand bushells of corne to be distributed among the cittizens there many by occasion of this lawe were accused to be base borne and specially men of the baser sorte of people which were not knowen before or at the least had no reckoning made of them and so some of them were falsely and wrongfully condemned Whereupon so it sell out that there were no lesse then fiue thousand of them conuicted and solde for slaues and they that remained as free men and were iudged to be naturall cittizens amownted to the number of fourteene thousand and fortie persones Now this was much misliked of the people that a lawe enacted and that had bene of suche force should by the selfe maker and deuiser of the same be againe reuoked and called in Howbeit Pericles late calamitie that fortuned to his house dyd breake the peoples hardened hartes against him Who thincking these sorowes smarte to be punishment enough vnto him for his former pryde and iudging that by goddes diuine iustice and permission this plague and losse fell vpon him and that his request also was tollerable they suffered him to enrolle his base borne sonne in the register of the lawfull cittizens of his familie geuing him his owne name Pericles It is the self same Pericles who after he had ouercome the PELOPONNESIANS in a great battell by sea neere vnto the Iles ARGINVSES was put to death by sentence of the people with the other captaines his companiōs Now was Pericles at that time infected with the plague but not so vehemently as other were rather more temperatly by long space of time with many alterations and chaunges that dyd by litle and litle decaye and consume the strength of his bodie and ouercame his sences and noble minde Therefore Theophrastus in his moralles declareth in a place where he disputeth whether mens manners doe chaunge with their misfortunes and whether corporall troubles and afflictions doe so alter men that they forget vertue and abandon reason that Pericles in this sicknes shewed a friende of his that came to see him I cannot tell what a
haue absolute power ouer the people Fabius at his first comming bicause he would shewe the maiestie and dignitie of his office and that euery man should be the more obedient and readie at his commaundement when he went abroade he had foure and twentie sergeants before him carying the bundells of roddes and axes And when one of the Consulls came to him he sent a sergeant to commaund his bundell of roddes that were caried before him to be put downe and all other tokens of dignitie to be layed a side and that he should come and speake with him as a priuate man And first to make a good foundation and to beginne with the seruice of the goddes he delcared vnto the people that the losse they had receyued came through the rashenes and willfull negligence of their captaine who made no reckoning of the goddes nor religion and not through any defaulte and cowardlines of the souldiers And for this cause he dyd persuade them not to be afrayed of their enemies but to appease the wrath of the goddes and to serue and honour them Not that he made them hereby superstitious but dyd confirme their valiancy with true religion and godlines and besides dyd vtterly take awaye and aswage their feare of their enemies by geuing them certaine hope and assuraunce of the ayde of the goddes Then were the holy bookes of the Sibylles prophesies perused which are kept very secret and therein they founde certaine auncient prophecies and oracles which spake of the present misfortunes of the time But what were conteined therein it is not lawfull to be vttered to any persone Afterwards the Dictator before the open assembly of the people made a solemne vowe vnto the goddes that he would sacrifice all the profits and fruites that should fall the next yere of sheepe of sowes of milche kyne and of goates in all the mountaines champion countrie riuers or meadowes of ITALIE And he would celebrate playes of musike shewe other fightes in the honour of the goddes and would bestowe vpon the same the summe of three hundred three thirtie Sestercians three hundred three thirtie Romaine pence a third parte ouer All which summe reduced into Graecian money amownteth to foure score three thousand fiue hundred and foure score and three siluer drachmas two obolos Now it were a hard thing to tell the reason why he doth mention this summe so precisely and why he dyd deuide it by three vnles it were to extolle the power of the number of three bicause it is a perfect number by the nature and is the first of the odde numbers which is the beginning of diuers numbers and conteineth in it self the first differences and the first elements and principles of all the numbers vnited and ioyned together So Fabius hauing brought the people to hope and trust to haue the ayde and fauour of the goddes made them in the ende the better disposed to liue well afterwardes Then Fabius hoping after victorie and that the goddes would send good lucke and prosperitie vnto men through their valliantnes and wisdome dyd straight set forwards vnto Hannibal not as minded to fight with him but fully resolued to weare out his strength and power by delayes and tract of time and to increase his pouertie by the long spending of his owne money and to consume the small number of his people with the great number of his souldiers Fabius camped allwayes in the strong and highe places of the mountaines out of all daunger of his enemies horsemen and coasted still after the enemie so that when Hannibal stayed in any place Fabius also stayed if Hannibal remoued he followed him straight and would be allwayes neere him but neuer forsooke the hilles neither would he come so neere him as that he should be inforced to fight against his will. Yet allwayes he followed the enemie at his tayle and made him euer afeard of him thincking still that he sought to get the vantage to geue the charge vpon him Thus by delaying and prolonging the time in this sorte he became disliked of euery bodye For euery man both in his owne campe and abroade spake very ill of him openly and as for his enemies they tooke him for no better then a rancke coward Hannibal only excepted But he perceyuing his great reache and policie and foreseeing the manner of fight sawe there was no remedy but by playne force or slight to bring him to the fight for otherwise his delaye would ouerthrowe the CARTHAGINIANS when they should not come to handy strokes with him wherein only consisted all their hope and strength and in the meane time his souldiers should fall away and dye and his money was scante and him selfe should growe the weaker Thereupon Hannibal beganne to bethinke him and deuise all the stratageames and policies of warre he could imagine and like a cunning wrestler to seeke out all the trickes he could to geue his aduersarie the falle For sodainely he would goe and geue alarom to his campe by and by againe he would retire Another time he would remoue his campe from one place to another and geue him some aduantage to see if he could plucke his lingring deuise out of his head and yet to hazard nothing But as for Fabius he continued still resolute in his first determination that delaye of fight was the best waye so to ouerthrowe him Howbeit Minutius generall of his horsemen dyd trouble him muche For he being earnestly bent to fight without discretion and brauing of a lustie corage crept into opinion with the souldiers by his whotte furie and desire to fight Which wrought muche in them and so sturred vp their corages that they mocked Fabius altogether and called him Hanniballs schoolemaster and contrariwise they commended Minutius for a valliant captaine and worthie ROMAINE This made Minutius looke highe and haue a prowde opinion of him selfe mocking Fabius bicause he euer lodged on the hilles with saying the Dictator would make them goodly sportes to see their enemies waste and burne ITALY before their face Moreouer he asked Fabius friendes whether he would in the ende lodge his campe in the skye that he dyd clyme vp so highe vpon mountaines mistrusting the earthe or els that he was so affrayed his enemies would finde him out that he went to hyde him selfe in the clowdes Fabius friendes made reporte of these ieastes and aduised him rather to hazard battel then to beare suche reproachefull wordes as were spoken of him But Fabius aunswered them If I should yeld to that you counsell me I should shewe my selfe a greater coward then I am taken for now by leauing my determination for feare of their mockes and spightfull wordes For it is no shame for a man to stand fearefull and iealous of the welfare and safetie of his countrie but otherwise to be afeard of the wagging of euery strawe or to regard euery common prating it is not the parte of a
plainely discerne all the ROMAINES campe and sawe howe they dyd range their men in order of battell Nowe one Giscon a man of like state and nobilitie as him selfe being with him at that time tolde him that the enemies seemed a farre of to be a maruelous number But Hannibal rubbing his forehead aunswered him Yea sayed he but there is another thing more to be wondered at then you thinke of Giscon Giscon straight asked him What mary sayeth he this that of all the great number of souldiers you see yonder there is not a man of them called Giscon as you are This mery aunswer deliuered contrarie to their expectation that were with him looking for some great waightie matter made them all laughe a good So downe the hill they came laughing alowde and tolde this prety leaste to all they met as they rode which straight from one to another ranne ouer all the campe in so much as Hannibal him selfe could not holde from laughing The CARTHAGINIAN souldiers perceyuing this beganne to be of a good corage imagining that their generall would not be so merylie disposed as to fall a laughing being so neere daunger if he had not perceyued him selfe a great deale to be the stronger and that he had good cause also to make no reckoning of his enemies Furthermore he shewed two policies of a skilfull captaine in the battell The first was the situation of the place where he put his men in order of battell so as they had the winde on their backes which raging like a burning lightning raised a sharpe dust out of the open sandy valley and passing ouer the CARTHAGINIANS squadron blewe full in the ROMAINES faces with such a violence that they were compelled to turne their faces to trouble their owne rankes The seconde policie was the forme and order of his battell For he placed on either side of his winges the best and valliantest souldiers he had in all his armie and dyd fill vp the middest of his battell with the worste of his men which he made like a pointe and was farder out by a great deale then the two winges of the fronte of his battell So he commaunded those of the winges that when the ROMAINES had broken his first fronte and followed those that gaue backe whereby the middest of his battell should leaue an hollowe place and the enemies should come in still increasing within the compasse of the two winges that then they should set vpon them on both sides and charge their flanks immediatly and so inclose them in behind And this was cause of a greater slaughter For when the midle battell beganne to geue backe and to receyue the ROMAINES within it who pursued the other very whotly Hannibals battell chaunged her forme where at the beginning it was like a pointe it became nowe in the middest like a cressant or halfe moone Then the captaines of the chosen bandes that laye out in both the winges made their men to turne some on the left hand and some on the right and charged the ROMAINES on the flankes and behinde where they were all naked so they killed all those that could not saue them selues by flying before they were enuironned They saye also that there fell out another mischief by misfortune vnto the horsemen of the ROMAINES and by this occasion The horse of Paulus AEmilius the Consul being hurte dyd throwe his master on the grounde whereupon those that were next him dyd light from their horse backs to helpe him The residue of the horsemen that were a great waye behinde him seeing them light thought they had bene all commaunded to light hereupon euery man forsooke their horse and fought it out a foote Hannibal when he sawe that sayed yea marie I had rather haue them so then deliuered me bounde hande and foote But for those matters the historiographers doe dilate more at large Furthermore of the two Cōsuls Varro saued him selfe by his horse with a fewe following him within the cittie of VENVSA Paulus being in the middest of the throng of all the armie his bodie full of arrowes that stucke fast in his woundes and his harte sore loden with grieuous sorowe and anguishe to see the ouerthrowe of his men was set downe by a rocke looking for some of his enemies to come and ryd him out of his payne But fewe could knowe him his head and face was of such a gore bloude insomuch as his friends and seruants also passed by him and knewe him not And there was but one young gentleman of a noble house of the Patricians called Cornelius Lentulus that knewe him who dyd his best endeuour to saue him For he lighted a foote presently brought him his horse praying him to get vp vpon him to proue if he could saue him selfe for the necessitie of his countrie which nowe more then euer had neede of a good and wise captaine But he refused the gentlemans offer and his intreatie and compelled him to take his horse backe againe though the teares ranne downe his chekes for pittie and raising him selfe vp to take him by the hande he sayed vnto him I pray you tell Fabius Maximus from me and witnesse with me that Paulus AEmilius euen to his last hower hath followed his counsaill and dyd neuer swarue from the promise he made him but that first he was forced to it by Varro and afterwardes by Hannibal When he had deliuered these wordes he bad Lentulus farewell and ronning againe into the furie of the slaughter there he dyed among his slaine companions It is thought there were slaine at this battell fiftie thousand ROMAINES foure thousand taken prisoners and other tenne thousand that were taken prisoners in two campes after the battell When this noble victorie was gotten Hannibals friendes gaue him counsaill to followe his good fortune and to enter ROME after the scattered number that fled thither so as within fewe dayes following he might suppe in their capitoll A man cannot easely gesse what was the cause that stayed him that he went not vnles it was as I thinke some good fortune or fauorable God toward the ROMAINES that withstoode him and made him afeard and glad to retire Whereupon they saye that one Barca a CARTHAGINIAN in his anger sayed to Hannibal Syr you haue the waye to ouercome but you cannot vse victorie Notwithstanding this victorie made a maruelous chaunge for him For hereupon all ITALY in manner came in to submit them selues to him where before he had no towne at cōmaundemēt nor any storehouse or porte through all ITALIE yea he did maruelous hardly with much a doe vittell his armie with that he could daylie robbe spoyle hauing no certē place to retire vnto nor groūded hope to entertain these warres but kept the field with his armie remouing from place to place as they had bene a great number of murderers theeues together For the most parte of the coūtrie dyd yeld immediatly vnto
them three hundred seuen and thirtie thousand foure hundred and two and fiftie men and Marcus AEmylius Lepidus named president of the Senate who had that honour foure times before and dyd put of the counsell three Senatours that were but meane men And the like meane and moderation he his companion Martius Philippus kept vpon viewe and muster taken of the ROMAINE horsemen And after he had ordered and disposed the greatest matters of his charge and office he fell sicke of a disease that at the beginning seemed very daungerous but in the ende there was no other daunger sauing that it was a lingring disease and hard to cure So following the counsell of phisitians who willed him to goe to a cittie in ITALY called VELIA he tooke sea and went thither and continued there a long time dwelling in pleasaunt houses vpon the sea side quietly and out of all noyse But during this time of his absence the ROMAINES wished for him many a time and ofte And when they were gathered together in the Theaters to see the playes and sportes they cried out diuers times for him whereby they shewed that they had a great desire to see him againe Time being come about when they vsed to make a solemne yerely sacrifice and AEmylius finding him selfe also in good perfect health he returned againe to ROME where he made the sacrifice with the other priestes all the people of ROME gathering about him reioycing muche to see him The next daye after he made another particular sacrifice to geue thankes vnto the goddes for recouerie of his healthe After the sacrifice was ended he went home to his house sate him downe to dinner he sodainly fell into a rauing without any perseuerance of sicknes spied in him before or any chaunge or alteration in him and his wittes went from him in suche sorte that he dyed within three dayes after lacking no necessarie thing that an earthly man could haue to make him happy in this world For he was euen honoured at his funeralles and his vertue was adorned with many goodly glorious ornaments neither with gold siluer nor iuorie nor with other suche sumptuousnes or magnificence of apparell but with the loue and good will of the people all of them confessing his vertue and well doing and this dyd not only his naturall country men performe in memorie of him but his very enemies also For all those that met in ROME by chaunce at that time that were either come out of SPAYNE from GENVA or out of MACEDON all those that were young and strong dyd willingly put them selues vnder the coffin where his bodie laye to helpe to carie him to the churche and the olde men followed his bodie to accompany the same calling AEmylius the benefactour sauiour and father of their countrie For he dyd not only intreate them gently and graciously whom he had subdued but all his life time he was euer ready to pleasure them and to set forwardes their causes euen as they had bene his confederates very friends and neere kinsemen The inuentorie of all his goodes after his death dyd scant amownte vnto the summe of three hundred three score and tenne thousand siluer Drachmes which his two sonnes dyd inherite But Scipio being the younger left all his right vnto his elder brother Fabius bicause he was adopted into a very riche house which was the house of the great Scipio Africanus Suche they saye was Paulus AEmylius conditions and life The ende of Paulus AEmylius life THE LIFE OF Timoleon BEFORE Timoleon was sent into SICILE thus stoode the state of the SYRACVSANS After that Dion had driuen out the tyranne Dionysius he him selfe after was slaine immediatly by treason and those that ayded him to restore the SYRACVSANS to their libertie fell out and were at dissention among them selues By reason whereof the cittie of SYRACVSA chaunging continually newe tyrannes was so troubled and turmoiled with all sorte of euills that it was left in manner desolate and without inhabitants The rest of SICILE in like case was vtterly destroyed and no citties in manner left standing by reason of the long warres and those fewe that remained were most inhabited of forreine souldiers straungers a company of lose men gathered together that tooke paye of no prince nor cittie all the dominions of the same being easely vsurped and as easie to chaunge their lorde In so muche Dionysius the tyranne tenne yeres after Dion had driuen him out of SICILE hauing gathered a certen number of souldiers together againe and through their helpe driuen out Niseus that raigned at that time in SYRACVSA he recouered the Realme againe and made him selfe king So if he was straungely expulsed by a small power out of the greatest Kingdome that euer was in the worlde likewise he more straungely recouered it againe being banished and very poore making him selfe King ouer them who before had driuen him out Thus were the inhabitants of the cittie compelled to serue this tyranne who besides that of his owne nature he was neuer curteous nor ciuill he was now growen to be farre more dogged and cruell by reason of the extreme miserie and misfortune he had endured But the noblest cittizens repaired vnto Icetes who at that time as lorde ruled the cittie of the LEONTINES and they chose him for their generall in these warres not for that he was any thing better then the open tyrannes but bicause they had no other to repaire vnto at that time they trusted him best for that he was borne as them selues within the cittie of SYRACVSA bicause also he had men of warre about him to make head against this tyranne But in the meane time the CARTHAGINIANS came downe into SICILE with a great armie and inuaded the countrie The SYRACVSANS being afrayed of them determined to send ambassadours into GRAECE vnto the CORINTHIANS to praye ayde of them against the barbarous people hauing better hope of them then of any other of the GRAECIANS And that not altogether bicause they were lineally descended from them and that they had receyued in times past many pleasures at their handes but also for that they knewe that CORINTHE was a cittie that in all ages and times dyd euer loue libertie and hate tyrannes and that had allwayes made their greatest warres not for ambition of Kingdomes nor of couetous desire to conquer and rule but only to defend and mainteine the libertie of the GRAECIANS But Icetes in another contrarie sorte he tooke apon him to be generall with a minde to make him selfe king of SYRACVSA For he had secretly practised with the CARTHAGINIANS and openly notwithstanding in words he commended the counsell and determination of the SYRACVSANS and sent ambassadours from him selfe also with theirs vnto PELOPONNESVS not that he was desirous any ayde should come from them to SYRACVSA but bicause he hoped if the CORINTHIANS refused to send them ayde as it was very likely they would
to wrath he neither regarded his persone nor the intent of his iorney but runninge farre before his men he cried with a lowde voyce to the tyran and chalenged the combat of him The tyran woulde not abide him nor come out to fight with him but fled and hid him selfe amongest his souldiers But for his souldiers the first that thought to set apon Pelopidas were slaine by him and many left dead in the fielde The residue standing stowtly to it and close together did passe his curaces through with their long pykes and thrust him into the brest The THESSALIANS seeinge him thus sore handled and distressed for pities sake came runninge from the toppe of those hilles to the place where Pelopidas was to helpe him But euen as they came he fell downe deade before them Then did they together with their horsemen so fiercely sette apon them that they made the whole battell of the enemies to flye and followinge them in chase a great waye from that place they couered the valley with deade bodies for they slue aboue three thowsande men It is no maruell if the THEBANS that were at Pelopidas death tooke it very heauilie and lamented bitterly callinge him their father their sauiour and maister as one that hadde taught them the worthiest thinges that might be learned of any But the THESSALIANS and other frendes and confederates also of the citie of THEBES besides their excedinge in setting out their common proclamations and edictes in prayse of his memorie and doing him all the honor that could be due to the most rare and excellent persone that euer was they did yet more shewe their loue and affection towardes him by their passinge great sorowe and mourning they made for him For it is sayed that they that were at the battell did not put of their armor nor vnbridle their horses nor woulde dresse their woundes hearinge tell of his death before they went first and sawe his body not yet colde with fightinge laying great heapes of the enemies spoyles about it as if he coulde haue tolde what they had done nor before they hadde clipped of their owne heares and the heare of their horses in token of sorowe And many of them also when they were come into their tentes and pauilions woulde neither haue fier eate nor drinke and all the campe was full of sorowe and mourninge as if they hadde not wonne a notable victorie but hadde beene ouerthrowen and made subiect by the tyranne Afterwardes when the newes of his deathe was spread through all the contrie the Magistrates of euerie cittie through which Pelopidas bodie was conueyed went to receaue it verie honorablie accompanied with all the younge menne Priestes and children caryinge tokens and crownes of triumphe and other ornamentes of golde And when his funerall daye came that his bodie shoulde be caried to be buried the oldest and noblest persones of the THESSALIANS went to the THEBANS and prayed them that they might haue the buryinge of him and one amonge them beinge the mowthe of the reste spake in this manner to the THEBANS My Lordes of THEBES our good beloued frendes and confederates we onely craue this good turne at your handes wherin you shal much honor vs in our great calamity somwhat also cōfort vs For we shall neuer more accōpany Pelopidas aliue nor requite his honorable deserts to vs that he shal euer know them But if it please you to let vs handle his body with our handes and that we may bury him and set forth his obsequies we will imagine then at the least that you doe thinke that which we our selues do certainly beleue that we THESSALIANS not you THEBANS haue receiued the greatest losse of both For you haue lost in deede a worthy Captaine and we haue not only receaued that like losse with you but the hope also of recoueringe of our liberty For how dare we againe sende to you for an other Captaine when we can not redeliuer you Pelopidas The THEBANS hearing their peticion graunted their desire and in mine opinion no funeralles could be done with greater pompe and honor then the THESSALIANS performed his being men that recken not dignity magnificence pompe to consist in ornaments of Iuory nor of purple As Philistus doth set it out who praiseth to the moone the buryinge of Dionysius the tyran of SYRACVSA which was the ende of his tyranny as a sumptuous conclusion of a stately tragedy And Alexander the great at the death of Ephestion did not only clippe his horse heares mules but plucked downe also the battellments of the wals of the city bicause it shoulde appeare that the very walles them selues did mourne for his death shewinge that deformitie in steede of their former beawtie But all such thinges are done only by force and compulsion apon the Lordes commaundementes which doe but raise vp enuy against their memorie for whom they are done and hatred of them that are against their willes constrained to do the thing they misliked are no iust proofes of honor nor good will but rather vaine showes of barbarous pompe and pride in him that disposeth his authority and plenty of goodes in trifling toyes not to be desired Where contrariwise it plainely appeareth that a priuate man dying in a foreine contry by reason should be accompted most happy of all other creatures that hauing neither his wife kinne nor his children by him he should be conueyed to his funerals accompanied with such multitudes of crowned people and number of cities enuying one an other who should most honor the funerals as being vnrequested least of all compelled For saith Esope the death of a happy man is not greuous but most blessed seeing it bringeth all good mens doinges to happines and leaueth fortune to her fickle chaunge and sportinge pleasure But in my iudgement a LACEDAEMONIAN spake better when he sayd to Diagoras an old man that had him selfe in old time gotten victory in the games Olympicall had sene besides his own childrē his childrens childrē both sonnes daughters crowned with victories also in the self same games O Diagoras die presently els thou shalt neuer come to heauen But these victories of the Olympicall Pythian games whosoeuer should put thē al together are not to be cōpared with one of the battels only that Pelopidas hath foughten wonne hauing spent the most parte of his time in great calling and dignity lastly ended the same beinge gouernor of BOEOTIA the third time which was the highest office of state in all his contry when he had distroied the tyrans that kept the THEBANS in bondage and was also slaine himselfe valiantly fighting for the recouery of the THESSALIANS liberty But as Pelopidas death was greuous to the THEBANS frends confederats so fell it out very profitable for them For the THEBANS hearinge of Pelopidas death did not delay reuenge but sent an army forthwith of seuen thowsande footemen and seuen
house was rich and wealthy he bringeth foorth these proofes First that he was one yeare mayer or prouost of ATHENS whom they called Arcâ—on Eponymos bicause the yeare tooke the name of him that hadde it yearely And they say he came to it by drawing of the beane according to the auncient vse of the ATHENIANS and their wonted manner of makinge their election of the said office In which election none were admitted to drawe the beane but such as were highest set in their subsidie bookes according to the value rate of their goodes whom they called at ATHENS Pentacosiomedimnes as you would say those that might dispend fiue hundred bushels of wheate by the yere and vpwards Secondly he alleageth he was banished by the Ostracismon which banisheth the nobilitie and great rich men onely whom the common people enuie bicause of their greatnesse and neuer dealeth with poore men The third and last reason he makes is that he left of his gift three footed stooles in the temple of Bacchus which those do commonly offer vp as haue won the victory in comedies tragedies or other such like pastimes wherof they them selues had borne the charge And those threefooted stooles remaine there yet which they say were geuen by Aristides and haue this inscription vppon them The tribe of Antiochides wanne the victorie Aristides defrayed the charges of the games and Archestratus the Poet taught them to playe his comedies This last reason though it seeme likeliest of them all yet is it the weakest of the rest For Epaminondas whome euery man knoweth was poore euen from his birth and alwayes liued in great pouertie and Plato the Philosopher tooke apon him to defraye the charges of games that were of no small expence the one hauing borne the charges of flute players at THEBES and the other the dawnce of the children which dawnced in a rounde at ATHENS towards the furnishing of which charges Dion the SYRACVSAN gaue Plato money and Pelopidas also gaue Epaminondas money Now this is not spoken that vertuous men should alwayes refuse the gifts of their frends and that they might not in some sorte accept their frendes curtesie offered them but bicause they should thinke it vncomely and dishonorable for them to take any thing to enrich them selues or to spare and hourde vp Howebeit where there is any honorable act to be done or any publike show to be made not tending to their priuate benefit in such a case they should not refuse their frendes louing offer and goodwill towardes them And where Demetrius saith the three footed stoole was offered vp in the temple of Bacchus Panaetius declareth plainely that Demetrius was deceaued by the semblance of the name For since the time of the warres of the MEDES vnto the beginninge of the warre of PELOPONNESVS in all the registers and recordes kept of the defrayers of the charges of common playes there were founde but two men bearinge name of Aristides that obteined victory neither of them both was sonne vnto Lysimachus whom we wryte of at this present For the one is expresly named the sonne of Xenophilus and the other was long after the same Aristides we now speake of as appeareth easily by the wrytinge and orthographiâ— which is according to the grammer rules we haue vsed in GREECE euer since Euclides time Moreouer it is easie to be knowen by the name of the Poet Archestratus that is adioyned to it For there is no man that maketh mencion of a Poet of this name in all the warres of the MEDES but in the time of the warres of PELOPONNESVS many doe put him in for an author and maker of rymes and songes that were song in common daunces Yet for all Panaetius obiections the matter is to be better looked into and considered of But for the Ostracisinon banishment it is true that such as were great men in estimacion aboue the common people either in fame nobility or eloquence they onely were subiect vnto this banishment For Damon himselfe beinge Pericles schoolemaister was banished onely bicause the common people thought him to wise Moreouer Idomeneus wryteth that Aristides was their prouost for a yeare not by lot of beanes but by voyces of the ATHENIANS that chose him And if he were prouost since the iorney of PLATEES as Demetrius wryteth it is likely enough that they didde him this honor for his great vertue and notable seruice which other were wont to obteine for their riches But his Demetrius doth not only defende Aristides but also Socrates pouerty as if it were a fowle vyce and reproche to be poore For he wryteth that he had not only a house of his owne but also three score and ten Minas at vsery which Criton gaue him interest for But now to our story againe Aristides was Clisthenes very frend he that restored the gouernment at ATHENS after the expulsion of the thirty tyrannes and did reuerence Lycurgus the Lawmaker of the LACEDAEMONIANS for his lawes aboue all the men in his time and therefore he euer fauored the state of Aristocratia that is where the noble men rule and haue the souerainty Howbeit he euer had Themistocles Neocles sonne his continuall aduersary as takinge parte with the contrary and defending the popular state of gouernment Some say that being schollers and brought vp together they were euer contrary one to an other in all their actions and doinges where it in sporte or in matters of earnest and euer after men beganne to see the naturall inclination of them both by their contrary affections For Themistocles was quicke nimble aduenturous and subtill and would venter on any thing apon light occasion Aristides contrariwise was very quiet temperate constant and maruelous well stayed who woulde for no respect be drawen away from equity and iustice neither would lye flatter nor abuse any body though it were but in sporte Notwithstanding Aristus of Câ—â—O wryteth that their malice beganne first of light loue and that it grewe to greatnesse by processe of time betwene them for sayeth he both the one and the other of them fell in loue with Stesileus borne in the I le of CEOS This fond light loue of theirs fell not easily from them not the enuy they conceiued one against an other but continued against eche other in matters of state such was their malice towardes one an other In which calling Themistocles sought the way to winne frendes by whose meanes he came to great preferment in shorte time and had made him selfe very strong by them Therefore when a frende of his tolde him one day he was worthy to gouerne the city of ATHENS and were very fitte for it if he were indifferent and not partiall The goddes forbid quod he I should euer occupie the place of a gouernour where my frendes shoulde not finde more fauor then straungers that doe me no pleasure But Aristides taking an other course by him selfe would not stande apon his frendes
Thus they continued a longe space the one cryinge the other lystning yet could they not vnderstand one an other til at the last one of the company bethought him selfe to pill of a peece of the barke of an oke vpon that he wrote with the tongue of a buckle the hard fortune and necessity of the childe Which he tyed to a stone to geue it weight and so threw it ouer to the other side of the riuer other say that he did pricke the barke through with the point of a dart which he cast ouer The contrymen on the otherside of the riuer hauinge red what was wrytten and vnderstanding thereby the present daunger the childe was in felled downe trees in all the hast they could possibly bounde them together and so passed ouer the riuer And it fortune that the first man of them that passed ouer and tooke the child was called Achilles the residue of the contrymen passed ouer also and tooke the other that came with the childe and conueyed them ouer as they came first to hand And thus hauing escaped their haÌ„ds by easie iorneys they came at the length vnto Glaucias king of ILLYRIA whom they found in his house sitting by his wife and layed downe the childe in the middest of the flower before him The king hereuppon stayed a long time without vttering any one word waying with him selfe what was best to be done bicause of the feare he had of Cassander a mortall enemy of AEacides In the meane time the childe Pyrrus creeping of all foure tooke hold of the kinges gowne and scrawled vp by that and so got vp on his feete against the kings knees At the first the king laughed to see the childe but after it pitied him againe bicause the child seemed like an humble suter that came to seeke sanctuary in his armes Other say that Pyrrus came not to Glaucias but vnto the alter of the familiar gods alongest the which he got vp on his feete and embraced it with both his hands Which Glaucias imagining to be done by gods prouidence presently deliuered the childe to his wife gaue her the charge of him and willed her to see him brought vp with his owne Shortely after his enemies sent to demaunde the childe of him and moreouer Cassander caused two hundred talents to be offered him to deliuer the childe Pyrrus into his handes Howebeit Glaucias would neuer graunt thereunto but contrarily when Pyrrus was comen to twelue yeares olde brought him into his contry of EPIRVS with an army and stablished him king of the realme againe Pyrrus had a great maiesty in his countenaunce but yet in deede more fearefull then frendly He had also no teeth in his vpper iawe that stoode distinctly one from an other but one whole bone through out his gomme marked a litle at the top only with certaine riftes in the place where the teeth should be deuided Men helde opinion also that he did heale them that were sicke of the splene by sacrificinge a white cocke and touchinge the place of the splene on the left side of them that were sicke softely with his right foote they lying on their backes and there was not so poore nor simple a man that craued this remedy of him but he gaue it him and tooke the cocke he sacrificed for reward of the remedy which pleased him very well They say also that the great toe of his right foote had some secrete vertue in it For when he was dead and that they had burnt all partes of his body and consumed it to ashes his great toe was whole and had no hurt at all But of that we will wryte more hereafter Now when he was seuenteene yeares of age thinking him selfe sure enough of his kingdome it chaunced him to make a iorney into ILLYRIA where he maried one of Glaucias daughters with whom he had bene brought vp But this backe was no sooner turned but the MOLOSSIANS rebelled againe against him draue out his frends seruaunts and destroyed all his goods and yelded themselues vnto his aduersary Neoptolemus King Pyrrus hauing thus lost his kingdom seeing himself forsaken on all sides went to Demetrius Antigonus sonne that had maried his sister Deidamia who in her young age was assured to Alexander the sonne of Alexander the great and of Roxane and was called his wife But when all that race was brought to wicked ende Demetrius then maried her being come to full and able age And in that great battell which was striken neere to the citie of HIPSVS where all the kinges fought together Pyrrus being then but a young man and with Demetrius put them all to flight that fought with him and was worthely reputed for the valliantest prince amongest them all Furthermore when Demetrius was ouercome and had lost the battell Pyrrus neuer forsooke him but faithfully did keepe for him the cities of GREECE which he put into his hands And afterwards when peace was concluded betwixt Demetrius and Ptolomie Pyrrus was sent an ostage for Demetrius into the realme of AEGIPTE where he made Ptolomie know both in huntinge and in other exercises of his persone that he was very strong harde and able to endure any labor Furthermore perceiuing that Berenice amongest all king Ptolomies wiues was best beloued and esteemed of her husbande both for her vertue and wisedome he beganne to entertaine and honor her aboue all the rest For he was a man that could tell how to humble him selfe towardes the great by whom he might winne benefit and knewe also how to creepe into their credit and in like manner was he a great scorner and despiser of such as were his inferiors Moreouer for that he was found maruelous honorable and of fayer condicion he was preferred before all other young princes to be the husbande of Antigona the daughter of Queene Berenice whom she had by Philip before she was maried vnto Ptolomie From thenceforth growing through the allyance of that mariage more and more into estimacion and fauor by meanes of his wife Antigona who shewed her selfe very vertuous and louing towardes him he found meanes in the ende to get both men and money to returne againe into the realme of EPIRVS and to conquer it so was he then very well receiued of the people and the better for the malice they bare to Neoptolemus bicause he deâ—â— both hardly and cruelly with them That notwithstandinge Pyrrus fearinge least Neoptolemus would repaire vnto some of the other kings to seeke ayde against him thought good to make peace with him Whereupon it was agreed betwene them that they should both together be kinges of EPIRVS But in processe of time some of their men secretly made strife againe betwene them and set them at defyance one with an other and the chiefest cause as it is sayed that angered Pyrrus most grew apon this The kinges of EPIRVS had an auncient custome of great antiquity after
him not being aware passed by the house And it is reported that Marius him selfe conueyed Sylla safelie out at a backe dore and that he being scaped thus went vnto his campe Notwithstanding Sylla him selfe in his commentaries doth not say that he was saued in Marius house when he fled but that he was brought thither to geue his consent vnto a matter which Sulpitius woulde haue forced him vnto against his will presenting him naked swordes on euery side And he wryteth also that being thus forcibly brought vnto Marius house he was kept there in this feare vntill such time as returninge into the market place he was compelled to reuoke againe the adiornement of iustice which he and his companion by edict had commaunded This done Sulpitius then being the stronger caused the commision charge of this warres against Mithridates to be assigned vnto Marius by the voyce of the people Therfore Marius geuing order for his departure sent two of his Colonells before to take the army of Sylla who hauing wonne his souldiers harts before and stirred them vp against Marius brought them on with him directly towardes ROME being no lesse then fiue and thirty thowsand fighting men who setting apon the Captaines Marius had sent vnto them slewe them in the fielde In reuenge whereof Marius againe in ROME put many of Syllaes frendes and followers to death and proclaimed open liberty by sound of trompet to all slaues and bondmen that would take armes for him but there were neuer but three only that offered them selues Whereuppon hauing made a litle resistaunce vnto Sylla when he came into ROME he was soone after compelled to runne his way Marius was no sooner out of the citie but they that were in his company forsaking him dispersed them selues here and there being darke night and Marius him selfe got to a house of his in the contrie called Salonium and sent his sonne to one of his father in law Mutius farmes not farre from thence to make some prouision for vittells But Marius in the meane time went before to OSTIA where one of his frendes Numerius had prepared him a shippe in the which he imbarked immediatly not tarying for his sonne and hoised saile hauing only Granius his wiues sonne with him In the meane time the younger Marius beinge at his father in law Mutius farme stayed so long in getting of prouision in trussing of it vp and carying it away that broade day light had like to haue discouered him for the enemies had aduertisement whether he was gone whereupon certaine horsemen were sent thither supposing to haue found him But the keeper of the house hauing an inckling of their comminge and preuenting them also before they came sodainely yoked his oxen to the carte which he loded with beanes and hidde this younger Marius vnder the same And prickinge the oxen forward with his goade set out and met them as he went towards the city and deliuered Marius in this sorte into his wiues house and there taking such thinges as he needed when the night following came went towards the sea tooke shippe finding one crosse sayled bound towards AFRICKE Marius the father saylinge on still had a very good winde to poynte alongest the coast of ITALIE notwithstanding being afrayed of one Geminius a chiefe man of TERRACINE who hated him to the death he gaue the maryners warning thereof betimes and willed them to take heede of landing at TERRACINE The maryners were very willing to obey him but the winde stoode full against them comming from the mayne which raised a great storme and they feared much that their vessell which was but a bote would not brooke the seas besides that he him selfe was very sicke in his stomake and sore sea beaten notwithstanding at the length with the greatest difficulty that might be they recouered the coast euer against the city of CIRCEES In the meane time the storme increased still and their vitells failed them whereupon they were compelled to land and went wandring vp downe not knowinge what to doe nor what way to take But as it falleth our commonly in such like cases of extremitie they thought it alwayes the best safetie for them to flie from the place where they were and to hope of that which they saw not for if the sea were their enemy the lande was so likewise To meete with men they were afrayed and not to meete with them on thother side lacking vtittells was in deede the greater daunger Neuertheless in the end they met with heard men that could geue them nothing to eate but knowing Marius warned him to get him out of the way as soone as he could possible bicause it was not longe since that there passed by a great troupe of horsemē that sought him all about And thus being brought vnto such perplexity that he knew not where to bestowe him selfe and specially for that the poore men he had in his company were almost starued for hunger he got out of the high way notwithstanding and sought out a very thicke wodde where he passed all that night in great sorow and the next morninge beinge compelled by necessity determined yet to employ his body before all his strength failed Thus he wandered on alongest the sea coast still comforting them that followed him the best he could praying them not to dispayre but to refene them selues to him euen vntil the last hope trusting in certaine prophecies which the Soothsayers had told him of long time before For when he was but very young and dwelling in the contry he gathered vp in the lappe of his gowne the ayrie of an Eagle in the which were seuen young Eagles whereat his father and mother much wondering asked the Soothsayers what that ment They answered that their sonne one day should be one of the greatest men in the world and that out of doubt he should obtaine seuen times in his life the chiefest office of dignity in his contry And for that matter it is sayd that so in dede it came to passe Other hold opinion that such as were about Marius at that time in that present place and else where during the time of his flying they hearing him tell this tale beleued it and afterwardes put it downe in wrytinge as a true thinge although of trothe it is bothe false and fayned For they say that the Eagle neuer getteth but two younge ones by reason whereof it is mayntayned also that the Poet Musaeus hathe lyed in that which he hathe wrytten in these verses The Eagle layes three egges and tvvo she hatcheth forth But yet she bringeth vp but one that any thing is vvorth Howsoeuer it was it is certaine that Marius many times during the time of his flying sayd that he was assured he should come vnto the seuenth Consulship When they were comen neere now to the city of MINTVRNES about a two myle a halfe frō it they might perceiue a troupe of horsemen comming by the
Thelesinus had taken ROME Now about midnight came certaine souldeirs from Crassus to Syllaes campe asked for meate for Crassus supper and his mens who hauing chased his flying enemies whom he had ouerthrowen vnto the city of ANTEMNA which they tooke for refuge had lodged his campe there Sylla vnderstaÌ„ding that being aduertised that the most parte of his enemies were ouerthrowen at this battell went him selfe the next morning betimes vnto ANTEMNA where three thowsand of his enemies sent to know if he would receiue them to mercy if they yelded them selues vnto him His aunswer was that he would pardon their liues so as they would do some mischiefe to their fellowes before they came to him These three thowsand hereupon trusting to his promise fell apon their companions and for the most parte one of them killed an other NotwithstaÌ„ding Sylla hauing gathered all those together that remained of his enemies as wel the three thowsand as the rest amouÌ„ting in all to the number of six thowsand men within the show place where they vsed to run their horses whilest he him self held a counsell in the teÌ„ple of the goddesse Bellona was making his oratioÌ„ there he had appointed certeÌ„ to set vpoÌ„ those six thowsand put them to the sword euery man Great and terrible were the cries of such a number of men slaine in so small a roome as many may easily coniecture insomuch as the Senators sitting in counsell heard them very easily and marueled what the matter was But Sylla continuing on his oration which he had begon with a set steady countenance without chauÌ„ging of colour willed theÌ„ only to hearken what he sayd not to trouble them selues with any thing done abroade for they were but certen offenders lewd persons that were punished by his coÌ„maundemeÌ„t This was enough to shew the simplest ROMANE in ROME that they had but only chaunged the tryan but not the tyranny Now for Marius had bene euer of a churlish seuere nature euen from his childhood he neuer chauÌ„ged for any authority but did rather hardeÌ„ his natural stubbornes Where Sylla coÌ„trarily in the beginning was very modest ciuill in all his prosperity gaue great good hope that if he came to the authority of a prince he would fauor nobility wel yet loue notwithstanding the benefit of the people And being moreouer a man in his youth geueÌ„ all to pleasure deliting to laugh ready to pity weepe for tender hart in that he became after so cruell bloody the great alteracioÌ„ gaue manifest cause to condemne the increase of honor authority as thonly meanes wherby mens maners continue not such as they were at the first but still do chaunge vary making some fooles others vaine fantasticall others extreame cruel vnnaturall But whether that alteracion of nature came by chaunging his state condicion or that it was otherwise a violent breaking out of hidden malice which then came to shewe it selfe when they way of liberty was layed open this matter is to be decided in some other treatise So it came to passe that Sylla fell to sheading of blood filled all ROME with infinite vnspeakable murthers for diuerse were killed for priuate quarrels that had nothing to do with Sylla at any time who suffered his frends those about him to worke their wicked wills Vntil at the length there was a young man called Caius Metellus that was so bold to aske Sylla in open Senate when all these miseries should end and when they should know that all the mischieues were finished the which they dayly sawe For said he we will not intreate you to pardoÌ„ life where you haue threatned death but only to put theÌ„ out of dout whom you haue determined to saue Whereunto Sylla made aunswer that he was not resolued whom he would saue Metellus replied theÌ„ tell vs quod be who they are that shall dye Sylla aunswered he would Howbiet some say it was not Metellus but Aufidius one of his flatterers that spake this last word vnto him Wherefore Sylla immediatly without making any of the magistrats priuy caused foure score mens names to be set vp vpon postes whom he would put to death Euery maÌ„ being offeÌ„ded withal the next day following he set vp two hundred twenty mens names more likewise the third day as many more Hereupon making an oration to the people he told theÌ„ openly that he had appointed all them to dye that he could call to remeÌ„braunce howbiet that hereafter he would appoint them that should dye by daies as he did call them to minde Whosoeuer saued an outlaw in his house for reward of his kindnes he himselfe was condeÌ„ned to dye not excepting theÌ„ that had receiued their brothers their sonnes their fathers nor mothers And the reward of euery homycide murtherer that killed one of the outlawes was two talentes though it were a slaue that had killed his master on the sonne that had slaine the father But the most wicked vniust act of all was that he depriued the sonnes sonnes sonnes of them whom he had killed of all credit good name besides that had takeÌ„ all their goods as coÌ„fiscate And this was not only done in ROME but also in al the cities of ITALIE through out there was no reÌ„ple of any god whatsoeuer no aulter in any bodies house no liberty of hospital nor fathers house that was not embrued with blood horrible murder For the husbaÌ„ds were slaine in their wiues armes the childreÌ„ in their mothers laps and yet they which were slaine for priuate hatred malice were nothing in respect of those that were murdered only for their goods And they that killed them might well say his goodly great house made that man dye his goodly fayer garden the other and his hotte batheâ—â— other As amongest others Quintus Aurelius a man that neuer medled with any thinge and least looked that these euills should light vpon him and that only pitied those which he sawe so miserably murdered went one day into the market place and reading the bill set vp of the outlawes names found his owne name amongest the rest and cried outalowde alas the day that euer I was borne my house of ALEA maketh me to be put to death He went not fawe from the market place but met with one that killed him presently In the meane time Mariâ—â— the younger seeing he could by no meanes escape if he were taken slue him selfe And Sylla comming to PRAENESTE did first execute them by one and by one keeping a certaine forme of iustice in putting them to death but afterwardes as if he had no lenger leasure to remaine there he caused them all to be put in a place together to the number of twelue thowsandâ— men whom he caused to be put to the sword euery man sauing his host only vnto whom he sayd
that he shewed him specially fauor to saue his life But his host aunswered him stowtly againe that he would not be beholding vnto him for his life seeing he had slaine all the reâ—t of his contry men and so thrusting in amongest the citizens was willingly slaine with them They thought the act of Lucius Catiline also very straunge who had slaine his owne brother before the ciuill warre was ended and then prayed Sylla to put him in the number of the outlawes as if his brother had bene aliue Sylla performed his desire Catiline thereuppon to shewe his thankefulnesse for the pleasure Sylla had done him went presently and slue Marem Marius who was of the contrary faction and brought him his head for a present before all the people in the middest of the market place where he was sitting When he had so done be went and washed his handes all bloodied in the hollowed font of the temple of Apollo that was hard by But besides so many murders coÌ„mitted yet were there other things also that grieued the people maruelously For the proclaimed him selfe Dictator which office had not bene of six score yeares before in vse and made the Senate discharge him of all that was past geuing him free liberty afterwardes to kill whom he would and to confiscate their goodes to destroy cities and to build vp new as he listed to take away kingdomes and to geue them where he thought good And furthermore he openly sold the goodes confiscate by the crier sitting so prowdly and stately in his chayer of state that it grieued the people more to see those goodes packt vp by them to whome he gaue and disposed them then to see them taken from those that had forfeited them For somtimes he would geue a whole contry or the whole reuenues of certaine cities vnto women for their beawty or vnto pleasaunt ieasters minstrells or wicked slaues made free and vnto some he would geue other mens wiues by force and make them to be maried against their willes For he desiring howesoeuer it happened to make alliance with Pompey the great coÌ„maunded him to put away his wife he had maried and taking AEmylia the daughter of AEmylius Scaurus of Metella his wife from the great Glabrio caused him to mary her great with childe as she was by Glabrio but she dyed in childbed in Pompeyis house Lucretius Offella also that had brought Marius the younger to that distresse at the city of PRAENESTE suing to be Consull Sylla commaunded him to cease his But he notwithstandinge that expresse commaundement went one day into the market place with great traine of men following him that fauored his cause Whither Sylla sent one of his Centurions that slue Offella before all the people him selfe sitting in a chayer of estate in the temple of Castor and Pollux and seeing from aboue the murder done The people that were about Offella layed hold of the murderer straight brought him before Sylla But Sylla bad them be quiet that brought the Centurion with tumult and that they should let him goe bicause he commaunded him to do it Furthermore as touching his triumphe it was a sumptuous sight to behold for the rarenes of the riches and princely spoyles which were shewed at the same But yet was it so much the better set out and worth the sight to see the banished ROMANES who were the chiefest noble men of all the city of ROME following his charet triumphant wearing garlandes of flowers on their heades calling Sylla their father and sauior bicause that by his meanes they returned to their contry and recouered their goods waiues and children In the end of his triumphe he made an oration in open assembly of the people of ROME in the which he did not only declare vnto theÌ„ according to the custome what thinges he had done but did as carefully tell them also as well of his good fortune and successe as of his valliant deedes besides and to conclude his oration told them that by reason of the great â—auor fortune had shewed him he would from thenceforth be called by theÌ„ Felix to say happy or fortunate And he him selfe when he wrote vnto the GREECIANS or that he had any thing to do with them surnamed him selfe Epaphroditus as who would say a pleasaunt man beloued and fauored of Venus His tokens of triumphe which are yet in our contry haue this superscription Lucius Cornelius Sylla Epaphroditus And when his wife Metella had brought him two twinnes a sonne and a daughter he named his sonne Faustus signifying fortunate and his daughter Fausta bicause the ROMANES call Faustum that which falleth out prosperously and happely To be short he trusted so much vnto his good fortune and doinges that notwithstanding he had killed and put so many men to death and had made so great a chauÌ„ge and innouation in the common wealth yet of him selfe he left of his office of Dictator and restored the people to the authority of election of Consulls againe without his presence at the election and frequented the market place as a priuate man among the citizens offering him selfe to euery man that would aske him accompt of his doings past It happened that a stowt and rash enemy of his was Chosen Consull against his will called Marcus Lepidus not for any deuotion the people had to Lepidus but onely to gratifie Pompey who gaue countenaunce and fauor vnto him Sylla seeing Pompey come mery homewardes from the election and ioyfull that he had obtained his frendes sute from all other suters tooke him a side told him In deede thou hast great cause to reioyce young man my frende for thou hast done a goodly acte to choose Marcus Lepidus Consull the veriest asse in all ROME before Catulus the honestest man But I tell thee one thing thou haddest not nede to sleepe for thou hast strengthened an enemy that will be thine owne destruction And Sylla proued a true prophet for Lepides being bent to all cruelty immediatly after flatly fell at defiaunce with Pompey Now Sylla consecratinge the dismes of all his goodes vnto Hercules made exceeding sumptuous feastes vnto the ROMANES the prouision whereof was so vnreasonable great that euery day they threwe a great deale of meate into the riuer and they dranke wine of forty yeares olde and aboue During these feastes which continued many dayes his wife Metella sickened and dyed and in her sickenes the Priestes and Soothsayers willed Sylla he should not come neere her nor suffer his house to be polluted and defiled with mourning for the dead Whereupon Sylla was diuorsed from her in her sickenes and caused her to be caried into an other house whilest she liued And thus did Sylla curiously obserue the supersticion and ordinaunce of the Soothsayers but yet he brake the law which he made him selfe touching the order of funeralls sparinge no cost at Metellaes buriall So did he also breake an other
bene chronicled to his wonderfull glory but of an vnsatiable minde and ambitious desire to rule and beare sway being withall a very olde man went and sorted him selfe amongest young men desirous of gouernment who brought him not only to coÌ„mit many outrages but made him selfe also to suffer greater cruelties It is thought also that Cicero had ended his aged course more happely if after he had quenched Catilines coÌ„spiracy he had 〈…〉 taken his case And so had Scipio in like case if when he had ioyned NVMANTTA vnto CARTHAGE he would then haue quieted him selfe And therfore some say that there is a certaine reuolution and time appointed beyond the which no wise man should medle any more with thaffayers of the common wealth no more then a man whose youth strength is gone and decayed is any more fit to iust wrestle or enter into such exercises of the body But contrarily Crassus and Pompey mocked Lucullus bicause he gaue him selfe so much to pleasure and pastime as if to liue pleasauntly delicatly did not worse become his age then to coÌ„maund an army or to gouerne th affayres of a common weale And for my parte reading Lucullus lifes me thinkes that I read an auncient comedy the beginning wherof is tedious the latter end ioyfull For at the beginning of his life you finde notable exployts done by him in warres and great good gouernment also in peace but in the end they all turned into feasts and banckets and lacking litle of maskes and mommeries dauncing with torches and all other such delights fitte for young men For I bring within the compasse and reckoning of his finehes and pleasures his sumptuous buildinges his stately walles and galleries his hotte houses and stoues his tables and pictures his statues also and the great workmanshippe and curiositie he had besides of all other cartes by him gotten together out of all partes to his infinite charge abusing therein the world of goodes and treasure gotten and wonne in the warres in time of his charge and office of Generall and otherwise Insomuch that notwithstanding excesse and superfluity hath euer since increased vntil this present time yet they reckon the gardens Lucullus made to be the most sumptuous and delicatest places that the Emperors haue And therefore Tubero the Stoike Philosopher hauing seene these stately works which Lucullus had caused to be made neere vnto NAPLES by the sea side where there are mountaines cut through light as day and hanged vpon vawtes and great ditches cast by force to make the sea passe and runne through his houses to keepe fishe therein and lodginges also that he built in the sea it selfe he called Lucullus Xerxes the gownman as if he would haue sayd Xerxes the ROMANE For euen so did Xerxes in olde time cause the mountaine Atho to be out in sunder and a channell to be digged there to passe his shippes through He had also many other pleasaunt places within the territories of ROME neere vnto THVSCVLVM where there were great large halles set vpon tarrasses to see rounde about farre of in the day time And Pompey going thither somtime to see him reproued him greatly telling him that he had built a maruelous sayer sommer house but not to be dwelt in the winter season Lucullus laughing answered him doe ye thinke me to haue lesse wit and reason then storkes or cranes that I can not shift houses accordinge to the season An other time there was a Praetor of ROME that makinge playes to shewe the people pastime sent vnto Lucullus to borrow certaine purple clokes to set forth his players Lucullus made him aunswer that he would cause his folkes to looke if he had any And the next morning demaunding of him how many he should neede the other aunswered that a hundred would serue his turne Whereupon Lucullus told him againe he would furnish him with two hundred if his case so required And therefore the Poet Horace wryting this story addeth to a notable exclamation against superfluity saying that men thinke 〈…〉 poore house where there is no more riches then necessary and where there is not more than appeareth in fight and that the master knoweth of He was a vaine man in his ordinarie seruice at his borde not only in that his beddes whereon he fedde were couered with rich 〈…〉 pettes of purple and him selfe serued in gold and siluer vessell set with pretious stones Beâ—â—â—â— there was dauncing musicke playes and other such like pastimes of ordinary but also for 〈…〉 he was continually serued with all sortes of fine dainty dishes with workes of pastry bancketing dishes and frute curiously wrought and prepared which only made him to be wondered at of men of simple vnderstanding and meane condicion Therefore was Pompey maruelously esteemed and specially for a word he spake one day when he was sicke and that the Phisitian had willed him to eate of a thrushe For when his seruaunts told him they were hard to come by in sommer but at Lucullus house where they brought them vp all the yeare through he would in no wise they should aske any of him but sayd vnto his Phisitian What if Lucullus were not geuen to pleasure could not Pompey liue And so willed them to get him some other such thing as they might more easily come by Cato was Lucullus frend kinseman both and yet he so much misliked his maner of liuing and ordinary expence that one day a young man making a long and tedious Oration in open Senate out of time and to no purpose touching meane dyer sobriety temperaunce of life Cato could no lenger abide him but rose vp and sayd vnto him What wilt thou not leaue babbling to vs all day thou that art riche as Crassus that liuest as Lucullus and speakest as Cato Other affirme that these words were spoken thus but that it was not Cato that spake them neuerthelesse it is certaine by the notable sayinges they haue gathered of Lucullus he did not only delight to liue so delicately but also he gloried in it Some wryte that he feasted certaine GRAECIANS many dayes together in his house that were come out of GRAECE to ROME and that they being men brought vp with the sobriety and simplicity of GRAECE after they had bene feasted there diuers times were ashamed refused to goe thither any more being afterwards intreated to come to Lucullus supposing that he had made them this great chere for their owne sakes Lucullus hearing of it told them my Lords I pray you refuse not to come to me for that In deede I must needes graunt that there is somewhat more then ordinary to welcome you with all but I tell you truly the most pane is for Lucullus sake An other time when he supped all alone and his men had layed but one bord and prepared but a reasonable supper for him he was very angry with them and called for his steward to know
only to spoyle ouerrun the kinges contry at their pleasure but also to see the reuenge taken of Tisaphernes that was a vile man and a cruell enemie to the GRAECIANS For the king of PERSIA made an other his Lieutenaunt immediatly in his roome called Tithraustes who strake of Tisaphernes head and sent vnto Agesilaus to pray him to take peace with them and to offer him store of golde and siluer to departe out of his contrie Thereto Agesilaus aunswered that for peace it was not in him to make it but in the LACEDAEMONIANS and that for his owne parte it was an easier maner to enriche his souldiers than him selfe And furthermore that the GRAECIANS thought it dishonor to them to take any gift of their enemies other then spoyles This notwithstanding to gratifie Tithraustes somewhat for that he had taken reuenge of a common enemy of all the GRAECIANS for the summe of thirtie talentes geuen him to defray his charges he withdrue his army out of LYDIA and went into PHRYGIA In his iorney he receiued from the counsell of LACEDAEMON the Scytala or scrolle of parchement wreathed about aduertising him that the citizens had made him also their Generall by sea as he was by lande Agesilaus onely of all men obtained this honor who without cōparison was of all other the worthiest man of fame in his time as Theopompus witnesseth and yet gloried rather to be commended for his vertue than for the greatnes of his authority In this notwithstanding he was to be blamed when he made choyse of one Pisander his wiues brother to be Lieutenaunt of the nauy forsooke other Captaines of better experience and elder yeares seeking rather to please his wife and to aduaunce one of his kinne than to regarde the weale and safety of his contrie Afterwardes he led his army into Pharnabazus contrie which he had in charge where he founde not onely plenty of all sortes of vittells but gathered together also a wonderfull masse of money From thence he went into the realme of PAPHLAGONIA and made league there with kinge Cotys who for his vertue and constant fidelity was very desirous of his frendship The like did Spathridates forsaking Pharnabazus and came vnto Agesilaus and after he was come to him he neuer went from him but alwayes followed him wheresoeuer he went Spithridates had a young sonne that was passing faier called Megabetes of whom Agesilaus had great liking and likewise a fayer young woman to his daughter of age to be maried whom Agesilaus caused king Cotys to marry So taking of king Cotys a thowsand horsemen and two thowsand footemen light armed he returned backe into PHRYGIA and there destroyed Pharnabazus contrie which he had in gouernment who durst not meete him in the fielde nor trust to his holdes but still fed from him carying all his chiefest thinges with him flitting from place to place vntill that Spithridates accompanied with Erippidas the SPARTAN followed him so neere that he tooke his campe and all his treasure in it But there did Erippidas shewe him selfe so hard and cruell ouerstraightly searching our parte of the spoyle that had bene imbeaceled compelling the barbarous people to deliuer it againe ransacking euery corner for it that Spithridates was so offended withall that on a sodaine he tooke the PAPHLAGONIANS with him and went backe vnto the citie of SARDIS This more grieued Agesilaus than any thing that happened to him in all his iorney for that he had lost so valliant a man as Spithridates and such a number of good souldiers as he caried away with him Moreouer he was afrayed least they would detect him of miserable couetousnes a thing which he euer was carefull to auoid not onely in his owne persone but also to keepe all his contriemen from it But besides these knowen causes the loue he bare to Spithridates sonne pinched him neerely though when the boy was with him he striued with his owne nature to subdue that naughty affection and desire he had of him For when Megabates on a time came to make much of him to kisse him Agesilaus turned his face from the boy The boy being ashamed of the repulse durst no more come so familiarly but saluted him aloofe of Agesilaus then repenting him that he had not suffered Megabates to kisse him made as though he marueled why he did not kisse him as he was wont to doe Then aunswered some of his familiars about him your selfe O king is in faulte bicause you durst not tarie but were afrayed to kisse so fayer a boy For if he knewe your minde he would come againe so that you turned your face no more away When Agesilaus had heard them he pawsed a while and said neuer a word but in fine aunswered them It shall nor neede you say any thing to him for it would doe me more good I could refuse such an other kisse againe then if all that I see before me were golde Thus was Agesilaus disposed whē Megabates was with him but in his absence he did so loue him that I dare scantly say that if the boy had come againe into his presence he would haue refused a kisse at his hands After that Pharnabazus sought to speake with him and one Apollophanes a CYZICENIAN brought them together that was a frende vnto them both Agesilaus was the first that met at the place appointed with his frends and tarying for Pharnabazus comming he layed him downe vpon the depe grasse in the shadow vnder a fayer great tree Pharnabazus also came thither they spred soft skinnes long heared and tapestry excellently wrought of diuers colours for him to sit on apon the grounde But being ashamed to see Agesilaus laied on the bare grounde in that sorte he also lay downe by him though he had vppon him a maruelous riche gowne of excellent tissue passing colour Now when they had embraced one an other Pharnabazus began first to speake and lacked no good perswasions iust complaints for that he hauing bene as he was a frende vnto the LACEDAEMONIANS in the warre against the ATHENIANS was then spoyled and sacked by them Agesilaus then finding that the SPARTANS that were about him at that meting hong downe their heades for shame not knowing how to aunswere him considering that Pharnabazus had iniuty offered him began to speake in this maner Heretofore when we were frendes with the king my Lord Pharnabazus we haue vsed his goodes like frends but now that we are his enemies like enemies we vse them and sence we see that thou wilt needes be a slaue of his maruell not though we hurt thee for his sake But when thou shalt like rather to be a frend of the GRAECIANS then a slaue to the king of PERSIA then make account that all these souldiers this armor our shippes and all we are to defend thy goodes and liberty against him without which nothing that is honest can be looked for of mortall men
Thereupon Pharnabazus told him his minde plainly surely sayd he if the king doe sende hither any other Captaine to be his Lieutenaunt be sure I will then take your parte straight But on thother side if he make me his Lieutenaunt in this warre trust to it I will do him the best seruice I can against you This aunswere passingly pleased Agesilaus who taking him by the hand and rising vp with him sayd vnto him I would wish my Lord Pharnabazus hauing so noble a minde as thou hast that thou were rather our frend then an enemy So Pharnabazus departing from thence with his men his sonne being left behinde ranne to Agesilaus and smiling told him King Agesilaus I will make thee my frend and therewith gaue him a dart he had in his hande Agesilaus tooke it of him and liking well the beawtie of the young youth and the curtesie he had offred him looked about him if any man in his company had any proper thing that he might bestow on him At the last he spied his secretarie Adeus horse which had a rich caparisson on he straight tooke it from him and gaue the horse furniture to this liuely youth Pharnabazus sonne who neuer after forgate it For it chaunsed afterwardes that being driuen out of his contrie by his brethren and flying into PELOPONNESVS Agesilaus made very much of him and did not sticke to further him in his loue abroade For he had a great fancie and liking to a boy of ATHENS whome they brought vp in wrestling one day to play for the best games But when he was growen a bigge man and strong and that he came to offer him selfe to be billed with them that should wrastle at the games Olympicall being in some perill to be vtterly refused this PERSIAN that loued him went vnto Agesilaus and besought his helpe that this wrastler might not receiue the foyle to be reiected Agesilaus being desirous to pleasure him performed his request with some difficultie Thus Agesilaus in all thinges else was a straight obseruer of the law but in his frendes causes to be straight laced in matters of iustice he sayd that was but an excuse for them that would do nothing for their frendes To this effect they finde a letter of his wrytten vnto Idrian Prince of CARIA for the deliuerie of his frende If Nicias haue not offended lette him goe if he haue offended then pardon him for my sake But howesoeuer it be let him goe This was Agesilaus manner in the most parte of his frends causes Notwithstanding occasions fell out oftentimes that he rather inclined to the benefit of the common wealth As appeared one day when he was driuen to remoue in haste on a sodaine and to leaue one sicke behinde him whome he loued deerelie the sicke man callinge him by his name as he was going his way besought him that he would not forsake him Agesilaus as Hieronymus the Philosopher reporteth turned backe againe and sayed O howe hard is it both to loue and to be wise Nowe had Agesilaus spent two yeares in this warre and was spoken of throughout ASIA beinge maruelously commended to the kinge him selfe for his great honestie his continencie his curtesie and plaine dealing For when he rode out into the contrie with his owne trayne onely he would euer lye in the holyest temples of the goddes bicause he woulde the goddes them selues shoulde be witnesses of his priuate doinges whereas commonly we are lothe that men shoulde see what we doe Furthermore amongest so many thowsande souldiers as were in his campe there coulde hardlie be founde a worse mattrisse then that him selfe did lye apon euerie night And as for heate and colde he coulde as easilie awaie with either of both as if by constitution of bodie he had bene borne to abide anie weather and season But aboue all it was a pleasaunt sight to the GRAECIANS that dwelt in ASIA when they sawe the great Lordes the kinges Lieutenauntes of PERSIA which before were prowde cruell riche and geuen to all lust and pleasure to honor and feare a man that went vp and downe in a poore cape beinge affrayed of euerie shorte worde that he spake like a LACONIAN insomuch as many of them called to minde Timotheus the Poetes verses who sayd As Mars hath no mercie so Greece skorneth gold Now all ASIA being vp and in garboile they willingly yelding to him in euery place after he had taken order with the cities had stablished the liberty of their cōmon weale without any bloodshed or banishment of any person he determined to goe further into the land and transporting the warres from the sea coastes of GRAECE to fight with the king of PERSIA in proper person and with the wealth happines of the ECBATANIANS and the SVSIANIANS and by that meanes to take his leasure from him who sitting stil before made the GRAECIANS make warre one with an other by force of money corrupting the Gouernours of euery citie In the meane time came Epycidas LACONIAN vnto him and brought him newes how SPARTA was grieuously troubled with warres enforced on them by the other GRAECIANS that therefore the Ephori did send for him home and commaunded him to returne to defend his contrie Ah vvretched Greece hovv cruell slaughters hast Thou brought vpon thee for to lay thee vvest For how should a man otherwise call this enuie treason and ciuill conspiracie among the GRAECIANS Who ouerthrew their good fortune that made them happy before turning their warres against the barbarous people out of GRAECE and now to bring it against themselues I am not of Demaratus opinion the CORINTHIAN that sayd the GRAECIANS delight was taken from them which sawe not Alexander the great sitting in Darius royall throne but rather I would thinke they should haue wept to haue left this honor vnto Alexander and the MACEDONIANS fondly losing so many famous Captaines of GRAECE at the battells of LENOTRES of CORONEA of CORINTHE and of ARCADIA Neuerthelesse Agesilaus neuer did better acte in his life nor euer shewed better example of obedience and iustice due to his contrie than he did in his returne home For sithe Hanniball that beganne to haue ill successe in his warres being in manner driuen out of ITALIE thought neuer but compelled to returne againe into his contrie to obey his contriemen which called him home to defend the warre the ROMANES made at their owne dores and that Alexander the great also being sent for home vppon the like occasion did not onely refuse to returne into MACEDON but made a ieast at it when newes was brought him of the great battell which his Lieutenaunt Antipater had fought with kinge Agis saying me thinkes when I heare these newes whilest we are ouercomming of kinge Darius here there hath bene a battell of rattes fought in ARCADIA Sith then I say these two famous Captaines haue made so litle account of their contrie may we not thinke the citie
of SPARTA blessed to haue had such a kinge that so much reuerenced his contrie and obeyed the lawe as receiuing onely a litle scrolle of parchement commaunding him to returne he forsooke a worlde of goodes and wealth that he quietly enioyed with assured hope and certaintie of more and imbarked foorthwith leauing all the alies and confederates of his contrie verie sorowefull for that he had geuen ouer so noble an enterprise which he had so happely begonne Yes sure Nay furthermore he passed not for the saying of Demostratus PHAEACIAN who sayd that the LACEDAEMONIANS in publicke matters were the worthiest men and the ATHENIANS in priuate causes For as he had shewed him selfe a good king and an excellent Captaine to the common wealth so was he alwayes curteous priuately to his familiar frendes And bicause the PERSIAN coyne was stamped on the one side with the print of an archer Agesilaus being readie to departe sayd that tenne thowsand archers draue him out of ASIA For so much was brought vnto THEBES and ATHENS and distributed among the Orators and Gouernours there who through their Orations made both those great cities to rise and make warre against the SPARTANS In his return Agesilaus hauing passed the straight of HELLESPONT tooke his way through the contrie of THRACIA and neuer intreated barbarous kinge nor people to suffer him to passe but only sent vnto them to know whether they would be should passe through their contries as a frende or an enemie All contries and nacions else receiued him very honorably to their power saue the people called the TROCHALIANS vnto whom king Xerxes him selfe gaue presentes that he might passe frendly through their contry who sent vnto Agesilaus to demaund a hundred siluer talentes and a hundred women to suffer him to passe through their contrie But Agesilaus laughing them to scorne aunswered againe why how chaunceth it that they came not them selues to receiue them So therewithall he marched forwarde against these barbarous people who were ranged in battell raye to stoppe his passage howebeit he ouerthrewe them and flue a great number of them in the fielde The like demaund he made vnto the kinge of MACEDON whether he should passe through his contrie as a frende or an enemie The king made him aunswere he would consider of it Well let him thinke of it quod Agesilaus we will goe on in the meane time The king then wondering at his great boldenes and fearing least he would doe him some hurte as he went sent to pray him that he woulde passe through his contrie as a frend Now it chaunced so that the THESSALIANS at that time were in league with the enemies of the LACEDAEMONIANS therefore as he passed through their contrie he did spoyle and forage it as his enemies contrie and sent Xenocles and Scytha to the citie of LARISSE hopinge to perswade them to take parte with the LACEDAEMONIANS These two Ambassadours were retained there as prisoners The SPARTANS were maruelously offended withall and thought good that Agesilaus should besiege LARESSE with his army But he aunswered them he would not lose one of those men to winne all THESSAINE and therefore found meanes that he redeemed them againe by composition Peraduenture this is not to be marueled at in Agesilaus that newes being brought him on a time that in a great battell fought by the citie of CORINTHE where were many worthie and valliant Captaines slaine of the enemies and but few of the SPARTANS he seemed not to reioice at it but rather to fetche a grieuous sigh saying O poore GRAECE how vnfortunate art thou to haue slaine with thine owne handes so many valliant Captaines of thine owne people as ioyning together might at one field haue ouercome all the barbarous people The PHARSALIANâ— harying and troubling the rereward of Agesilaus armie he put foorth fiue hundred horsemen which gaue them so lustie a charge that he ouerthrew them by force For this victorie be set vp tokens of triumphe apon the mountaine called Narthacium and this victory pleased him aboue all the rest bicause with the small number of horsemen which he had gotten together of him selfe he had ouerthrowen the glory pride of the enemies horsemen in battell wherof they had vaunted many yeares before Thither came Diphridas one of the Ephores vnto him sent of purpose from SPARTA to commaund him immediatly to inuade BOROTIA with his armie Nowe though Agesilaus intended some other time with a greater power to enter BOEOTIA yet bicause he would not disobey the counsells commaundement of SPARTA he told his men straight that the battell for the which they returned out of ASIA was at hande and therefore he sent for two companies of them which lay in campe by CORINTHE The LACEDAEMONIANS that were at SPARTA to honor Agesilaus for that he had obeyed their commaundement so readily proclaimed in the citie that as many young men as were desirous to goe aide the king should come and enter their names Notwithstanding they onely chose but fiftie of the valliantest among them and sent them vnto him In the meane time Agesilaus passed through the contrie of THERMOPYLES and coasting ouer the lande of PHOCYDE consederates to the LACEDAEMONIANS he entred into BOEOTIA and camped by the citie of CHAERONEA where immediatly after his arriuall he sodainly saw the sonne eclipsed and darkened in the facion of a new moone Euen withall came the newes of the death of Pisander vnto him who was slaine in a battell which he lost by sea fighting against Pharnabazus and Conon hard by the I le of GNIDOS These newes were very heauie vnto him both for respect of the person his kinseman whom he lost as also for the great losse that happened to the common wealth Neuerthelesse fearing his souldiers would be discoraged with the newes and become faint harted being ready to ioyne battell he commaunded them that came from the sea to brute abroade a contrarie tale to that they tolde him and he him selfe to make good their speache came out among them with a garland of flowers on his head and did sacrifice to the goddes as thanking them for the good newes sending to euery one of his frends a peece of flesh sacrificed as he commonly vsed to doe in any publicke cause of ioy Then marching forward he straight discouered his enemies farre of and they likewise him therupon put his men in battell ray and gaue the left wing vnto the ORCHOMENIANS leading him selfe the right wing The THEBANS of thother side placed them selues in the right wing of their armie and gaue the left vnto the ARGIVES Xenophon being at that battell on Agesilaus side wryteth that he neuer knewe of the like fielde fought At the first onset the conflict was not great betwene both neither helde long bicause the THEBANS brake the ORCHOMENIANS straight and Agesilaus the ARGIVES But when either side vnderstoode that the left winges of their battells were
in great distresse and that they turned their backes they returned sodainly againe And where Agesilaus might easily haue had the victory without any daunger if he had suffred the squadron of the enemies to passe by him and afterwards to haue charged them in the rereward of a noble corage to shew his valliantnes he gaue charge apon the voward to haue honor in ouercoÌ„ming them The THEBANS on the other side no lesse valliantly receiued him fought lustely on all hands but the cruellest fight was about Agesilaus person with the fifty young men that were sent to gard him who shewed theÌ„ selues very valliant Agesilaus was fore hurt notwithstanding their valliant resistance his armor being passed thorow with their pikes swords in sundry places whereupon they enuironned him round amongst theÌ„ kept him from the enemies killing a great number of theÌ„ many of them selues also being killed In fine finding the THEBANS too stroÌ„g in the voward they were forced to do that which they refused at the first and opening them selues gaue them passage thorow them So when they were passed them the SPARTANS perceiuing howe losely and disorderly they marched as thinking them selues out of all daunger followed them and gaue charge apon their flancke But all this could not make the THEBANS flie for they reioycing for their victorie at this battell retired fayer and softely vnto the mountaine Helicon But Agesilaus notwithstanding he was very sore hurt with many a grieuous wound would not go into his pauillion to be dressed before he had bene first at the place where the battell was fought and had seene his men that were slaine brought away in their armors As many of his enemies as were fled into the teÌ„ple of Minerua Itonian which was not farre from thence where also were sette vp tokens of triumphe offred vnto her long time before by the THEBANS when they had ouercomen the armie of the ATHENIANS vnder the conduct of Sparton their Captaine and had slaine also Tolmides their Captaine in the fielde he commaunded his men they should lette them goe where they would The next morning by breake of day Agesilaus desirous to see if the THEBANS had any corage to come downe to fight againe commaunded his souldiers to put garlandes apon their heades and his musitians to sounde their shalmes or pipes whilest he did sette vp a token of triumphe as victorious Moreouer his enemies sendinge to him to aske leaue to take away their dead men he graunted them truce for the time and thereby confirmed his victorie After that being caried to the citie of DELPHES where the Pythian games were played he made a solemne procession and common sacrifice vnto Apollo and offered him the tenth parte of all his spoyles which he had brought out of ASIA which amounted to the summer of an hundred talentes This thing done he returned into his contrie where he was greatly honored and esteemed of all his citizens and contrie men for his orderly life and noble behauiour for he was no chaungeling but the selfe same man in state condicion that he was before he tooke his iorney He transformed not him selfe into strangers manners as commonly other Captaines doe that returne out of a farre contrie where they haue made warres neitheir did he scorne his contrie facions or shewed him selfe disobedient to the lawes thereof but alwayes kept and obserued them without any manner of alteration in his meate or drinke in washing or bathing in his wiues apparell in his armory or any way else in his householde stuffe as if he had neuer passed ouer the riuer of Eurotas Yet further he left his olde gates standing that were of so great continuaunce that they were thought to be those which Aristodemus had set vp Xenophon also sayeth that his daughters Canathrum was nothing more sumptuous than any others were A Canathrum in LACEDAEMON is a kinde of coche or charret after the likenesse of griffin's hartes or goates apon the which they caried younge wenches in solemne processions in the citie Xenophon wrote not what was the name of this daughter of Agesilaus and Dicaearchus also was much offended that they neither knewe Agesilaus daughters name nor yet the mother of Epaminondas Yet we finde in the LACONIAN Chronicles that Agesilaus wiues name was Cleora one of his daughters called Apolia and the other Prolyta Moreouer Agesilaus speare is seene to this day in the citie of SPARTA euen like vnto others and no maner of difference Now Agesilaus perceiuing certaine citizens of SPARTA to stand vpon their reputacion and esteeming them selues aboue others bicause they kept horse in their stable perswaded his sister Cynisca to send her coche and coche horses to the Olympian games to runne for the best prise only to let the GRAECIANS see that it was no act of any vertue but simply of riches and cost Furthermore hauing Xenophon the Philosopher about him whome he loued and made great account of he perswaded him to send for his sonnes to LACEDAEMON that they might be brought vp there where they should learne the noblest science that men coulde possiblie learne to witte to obey and to commaunde When Lysander was dead Agesilaus at his returne out of ASIA founde a great â—action and conspiracie raised by his meanes against him in SPARTA and bicause it might appeare what manner of citizen Lysander was when he liued he was likely to haue openly shewed and declared an Oration which he founde among his wrytinges the which the Orator Cleon Halitarnasseus had wrytten for him and Lysander should haue cunned without booke to haue spoken in open assembly that was to stirre innouation and in maner haue made a chaunge of the whole gouernment of the common wealth of LACEDAEMON Howebeit there was a graue counseller that hauing red the oration and douting the apparant reasons and perswasions alleaged tolde him that he would wishe him not to plucke vp the dead againe out of his graue but rather to burie this oration together with his bodie Agesilaus liked the counsell and proceeded no further And for them that either were or had bene his enemies he did theÌ„ no hurt openly but found the meanes to make some of them to be sent as Lieutenaunt of army or otherwise to haue charge in the warres In fine he made it openly knowen what couetous and wicked men they had bene in their charges so that when they were accused of it before the counsell he would than helpe intreate for them By this meanes he made them againe his frendes where they had bene his enemies insomuch as in the ende he had not one enemie at all For the other king Agesipolis his colleague whose father had bene banished he being a very young man and of gentle nature medled not greatly with gouernment of the common wealth Neuerthelesse he so behaued him selfe vnto Agesilaus that he made him his verie good frende
receiued letters commission from Sylla and the Senate to departe thence immediatly into AFRICAE to make warre vpon Domitius with all his power who had leauied already more men of warre than Marius had not long before when he came out of AFRICAE into ITALIE and had there ouerthrowen all the ROMANES doinges being become of a fugitiue outlaw a cruell tyranne Pompey thereupon hauing speedily put him selfe in readines to take the seaes left Memmius his sisters husband Gouernor of SICILE and so him selfe imbarked hoysed saile with six score gallies and eight hundred other shippes or bottomes to transport their vittells munition money engines of batterie and all other cariage whatsoeuer After he was landed with all his fleete parte at VTICA and parte at CARTHAGE there straight came to him seuen thowsand souldiers from the enemies yelded thē selues besides seuen whole legions that he brought with him They say moreouer that at his arriuall he had a pleasaunt chaunce happened vnto him to be laughed at for it is reported that certaine of his souldiers stumbled on a treasure by chaunce and got thereby a great masse of money The residue of the armie hearing that thought sure that the field where this treasure was found was full of golde and siluer which the CARTHAGINIANS had hidden there long before in time of their calamitie Pompey hereuppon for many dayes after coulde haue no rule of his souldiers neither coulde he choose but laugh to see so many thowsande men digging the grounde and turning vp the fielde vntill in the ende they wearied them selues and came and prayed him then to lead them where he thought good for they had payed well for their follie Domitius came to Pompey with his army set in battel ray Howbeit there was a certaine quamyre before him that ran with a swift running streame verie ill to get ouer besides that from the verie breake of day it had poored downe and rained so fast and was so great a winde withall that Domitius thinking all that day they shoud not fight commaunded his people to trusse away and remoue Pompey on thotherside finding this an excellent fit occasion for him sodainly made his men to march and passed ouer the valley The enemies perceiuing that being altogether out of order were maruelosly amazed and in that hurly burly would haue made resistaunce But they were neither all together nor yet euenly set in battell ray and had besides the winde beating the raine full in their faces So did the storme much hurt vnto the ROMANES also for they coulde not one see an other insomuch as Pompey him selfe was in great daunger of being killed by one of his owne souldiers who not knowing him asked him the word of the battell and he was somewhat long before he answered him In fine when he had ouerthrowen his enemies with great slaughter for they say that of twenty thowsand of them there were but three thowsand saued Pompeis souldiers saluted him by the name of Imperator But he aunswered them that he would not accept the honor of that name so long as he saw his enemies campe yet standing and therefore if it were so they thought him worthie of that name that first they should ouerthrow the trenche and forte of the enemies wherein they had intrenched their campe The souldiers when they heard him say so went presently to assault it There Pompey sought bare headed to auoide the like daunger he was in before By this meanes they tooke the campe by force and in it slewe Domitius After that ouerthrowe the cities in that contrie came and yeelded them selues some willingly and others taken by force as also they tooke king Iarbas that had fought for Domitius and his realme was geuen to Hiempsall But Pompey being desirous further to employ his power and the good fortune of his armie went many dayes iorney into the maine lande and still conquered all where he came making the power of the ROMANES dreadfull vnto all the barbarous people of that contrie the which made but small account of them at that time He sayd moreouer that the wilde beastes of AFRICAE also should feele the force and good successe of the ROMANES and thereupon he bestowed a few dayes in hunting of Lyons and Elephantes For it is reported that in fortie dayes space at the vttermost he had ouercome his enemies subdued AFRICKE and had stablished the affaires of the kinges and kingdomes of all that contry being then but foure and twenty yeare old So when he returned vnto the citie of VTICA letters were brought from Sylla willing him to discharge all his army and to remaine there with one legion only tarying the comming of an other Captaine that should be sent to succeede him in the gouernment of that contrie This commaundement grieued him not a litle though he made no shewe of it at all but his souldiers shewed plainly that they were offended For when Pompey prayed them to departe they began to geue out broade speeches against Sylla and told directly that they were not determined whatsoeuer became of them to forsake him and they would not that he should trust vnto a tyran Pompey seeing that he could not perswade them by any reason to be quiet rose out of his chayer and retyred into his tent weeping But the souldiers followed him and brought him againe to his chayer of state where he spent a great parte of the day they intreating him to remaine there commaund them and he desiring them to obey Sylla and leaue their mutinies But in fine seeing thē importunate to presse him to it he sware he would kill him selfe rather then they should compell him yet they scant left him thus Hereupon it was reported vnto Sylla that Pompey was rebelled against him Sylla when he heard that sayd to his frendes well then I see it is my destiny in mine olde dayes to fight with children He ment so bicause of Marius the younger who had done him much mischiefe and had besides put him in great daunger But afterwards vnderstanding the troth and hearing that all generally in ROME were determined to goe and meete Pompey and to receiue him with all the honor they coulde bicause he would goe beyond them all in shew of good will he went out of his house to meete him and embracing him with great affection welcomed him home and called him Magnus to say great and commaunded all them that were present to geue him that name also This notwithstanding some say that it was in AFRICKE this name was first geuen him by a common crie of all his whole army and that afterwards it was confirmed by Sylla In dede it is true that Pompey him selfe being sent Proconsul into SPAYNE long time after that was the last that subscribed all his letters and commissions with the name of Pompey the great for this name then was so commonly knowen and accepted as no man did enuy it And therefore rightly
as the lawe doth appoint Then aunswered Pompey alowde yes verily that I haue and vnder no other Captaine then my selfe The people hearing that aunswere made an open showte for ioy they were so glad to heare it and the Censors them selues came from their iudgement seate and went to accompaine Pompey home to his house to please the great multitude of people that followed him clapping of their handes with great signes of ioy At the ende of their Consulshippe when mislikinge increased further betwext Pompey and Crassus there was one Gaius Aurelius of the order of Knighthoode who till that time neuer spake in open assembly but then got vp into the pulpit for orations and tolde the people openly how Iupiter had appeared to him in the night and had commaunded him to tell both the Consulls from him that they should not leaue their charge and office before they were reconciled together For all these wordes Pompey sturred not But Crassus first tooke him by the hand and spake openly to him before the people My Lordes I thinke not my selfe dishonored to geue a place to Pompey sith you your selues haue thought him worthie to be called the great before he had any heare of his face and vnto whom you graunted the honor of two triumphes before he came to be Senator When he had sayd his minde they were made frendes together and so surrendred vp their office Now for Crassus he held on his former maner of life which he had begon Pompey as neere as he could gaue ouer to plead mens causes any more began litle and litle to withdraw him selfe from frequenting the market place and matters of iudgement comming seldome abroad when he did he had alwaies a great traine following him It was a rare thing also to see him any more come out of his house or talke with any man but he was euer accompanied with a great number he reioyced to him selfe to see that he had alwaies such a traine with him for that made him to be honored the more gaue him greater counternaunce to see him thus courted thinking it dishonor to him to be familiar with meane persons For men that rise by armes are easily despised when they come to liue like priuate citizens bicause they can not facion them selues to be cōpanions with the common people who citizen like vse a common familiaritie together but looke to be their betters in the city as they are in the field Yea and cōtrarily they that do acknowledge themselues to be their inferiors in warres will thinke fowle scorne if they be not their superiors in peace And by this meanes when they haue a noble warrier amonge them that followeth publike causes which hath triumphed for many victories and battells he hath obtained they obscure his glory and make him an vnderling vnto them whereas they doe not otherwise enuy any souldiers that are contented equally to geue them place and authority as plainly appeared shortly after by Pompey him selfe By such an occasion the power of pirates on the sea tooke beginning in the contry of CILICIA which was not reckoned of at the first bicause it was not perceiued vntill they grew bold venturous in king Mithridates warres being hyered to do him seruice And afterwards the ROMANES being troubled with ciuill warres one fighting with an other euen at ROME gates the sea not being looked to all this while it set them a gogge and made them go further then euer they did before For they did not only rob spoile all marchāt venterers by sea but rifled also all the Ilandes townes vpon the sea coast insomuch as then there ioyned with them men of great wealth and nobility of great wisedom also entred into their fellowshippe as into a commendable faculty Now they had set vp arsenalls or store houses in sundry places they had sundry hauens and beacons on the land to geue warning by fire all alongest the sea coast those well kept watcht moreouer they had great fleetes of shippes ready furnisht with excellent good galliots of ores skilfull pilots mariners their shippes of swift saile pinnases for discouery but withall so gloriously set out that men lesse hated their excesse then feared their force For the poopes of their galliots were all guilt the coueringes of the same all of purple silke delighting only to make a glorious show of their pillage All the sea coast ouer there was no sight of any thinge but musicke singing banketing and rioting prises of Captaines and men of great quality raunsomes of a thowsand prisoners all this was to the shame dishonor of the ROMANES Their ships were about a thowsand in nūber they had takē aboue foure hūdred townes They had spoiled destroyed many holy tēples that had neuer bene touched before As the temple of the twynnes in the I le of CLAROS the temple of Samothrecia the temple of Earth in the city of HERMION the tēple of AEsculapius in EPIDAVRVM the temples of Neptune in ISTHMOS TAENARIA CALABRIA the temples of Apollo in ACTIVM in the I le of LEVCADES the temples of Iuno in SAMOS in ARGOS in LVCANIA They had also many straunge sacrifices certen ceremonies of religion amongest thē selues in the mount Olympus among other the mistery of Mithres which is the sunne remaineth yet in being vnto this day being first shewed by them But besides all these insolent partes and iniuries they did the ROMANES vpon the sea they went a land and where they found any houses of pleasure vpon the sea coast they spoiled destroyed them on a time they tooke two ROMANE Praetors Sextilius Bellinus being in their purple robes with their sergeaūts officers attending on thē caried them quite away An other time also they stale away the daughter of Antonius a man that had receiued honor of triumphe as she went a walking abroad in the fields she was redemed for a great summe of money But you the greatest spight mockery they vsed to the ROMANES was this That when they had takē any of them and that he cried he was a citizen of ROME and named his name then they made as through they had bene amazed and affrayed of that they had done For they clapped their handes on their thighes and fell downe on their knees before him praying him to forgeue them The poore prisoner thought they had done it in good earnest seeing they humbled them selues as though they seemed fearefull For some of them came vnto him put shooes on his feete others clapt a gowne on the backe of him after the ROMANE facion for feare sayd they least he should be mistaken an other time When they had played all this pageant mocked him their bellies full at the last they cast out one of their shippe ladders and put him on it had him go his way he should haue no
cause why it was so well kept came by meanes of the dying of it with â—â—nie in silkes which before had bene dyed redde and with white oyle in white silkes For these are silkes seene of that colour of as long a time that keepe colour as well as the other And writeth furthermore that the kinges of PERSIA made water to be brought from the riuer of Nylus and Ister otherwise called Danubie which they did locke vp with their other treasure for a confirmation of the greatnes of their Empire and to shew that they were Lordes of the world The wayes to enter into PERSIA being very hard of passage and in maner vnpassable both for the illnes of the wayes as also for the gard that kept them which were the choisest men of PERSIA Darius also being fled thither there was one that spake the Greeke and PERSIAN tongue whose father was borne in the contry of LYCIA his mother a PERSIAN that guided Alexander into PERSIA by some compasse fetched about not very long according to the Oracles aunswere of Alexander geuen by the mouth of Nunne Pythias when he was a child that a LYCIAN should guide and lead him against the PERSIANS There was then great slaughter made in PERSIA of the prisoners that were taken For Alexander him selfe wryteth that he commaunded the men should be put to the sword thinking that the best way to serue his turne It is sayd also that there he found a maruelous treasure of gold and siluer in readie money as he had done before in the citie of SVSA the which he caried away with all the rest of the kinges rich wardroppe and with it laded tenne thowsande moyles and fiue thowsande cammells Alexander entring into the castell of the chiefe citie of PERSIA saw by chaunce a great image of Xerxe's lye on the ground the which vnwares was throwen downe by the multitude of the souldiers that came in thronging one apon an other Thereupon he stayed and spake vnto it as if it had bene aliue saying I can not tell whether I should passe by thee and let thee lye for the warre thou madest somtime against the GRAECIANS or whether I should list thee vp respecting the noble minde vertues thou haddest In th end when he had stoode mute a long time considering of it he went his way and meaning to refresh his weary army bicause it was the winter quarter he remained there foure monethes together The reporte goeth that the first time that Alexander sate vnder the cloth of state of king Darius all of rich golde Demarathus CORINTHIAN who first beganne to loue him euen in his father Philippes time burst out in teares for ioy good old man saying that the GRAECIANS long time dead before were depriued of this blessed happe to see Alexander set in king Xerxes princely chaier After that preparing againe to goe against Darius he would needes make mery one day and refresh him selfe with some bancket It chaunced so that he with his companions was bidden to a priuate feast priuately where was assembled some fine curtisans of his familiars who with their frendes taried at the banket Amongest them was that famous Thais borne in the contry of ATTICA then concubine to Ptolomy king of AEGYPT after Alexander death She finely praising Alexander and partely in sporting wife began to vtter matter in affection of her contrie but yet of greater importance than became her mouth saying that that day she founde her selfe fully recompenced to her great good liking for all the paines she had takeÌ„ trauelling through all the contries of ASIA following of his armie now that she had this sauor good happe to be mery and pleasaunt in the prowde and stately pallace of the great kings of PERSIA But yet it would doe her more good for a recreation to burne Xerxes house with the fire of ioy who had burnt the city of ATHENS and her selfe to geue the fire to it before so noble a Prince as Alexander Bicause euer after it might be said that the women following his campe had taken more noble reuenge of the PERSIANS for the wronges and iniuries they had done vnto GRAECE than all the Captaines of GRAECE that euer were had done either by lande or sea When she had sayd Alexanders familiars about him clapped their hands and made great noise for ioy saying that it were as good a deede as could be possible and perswaded Alexander vnto it Alexander yeelding to their perswasions rose vp and putting a garland of flowers apon his head went formest him selfe and all his familliars followed after him crying and dauncing all about the castell The other MACEDONIANS hearing of it also came thither immediatly with torches light and great ioy hoping that this was a good signe that Alexander ment to returne againe into MACEDON and not to dwell in the contrie of the barbarous people sith he did burne and destroy the kings castell Thus and in this sorte it was thought to be burnt Some writers thinke otherwise that it was not burnt with such sport but by determination of the counsell But howsoeuer it was all they graunt that Alexander did presently repent him and commaunded the fire to be quenched straight For his liberality that good will and readines to geue increased with his conquestes and when he did bestowe giftes of any he would besides his gift euer geue them good countenance on whom he bestowed his grace and fauor And here I will recite a few examples thereof Aristo being Collonell of the PAEONIANS hauing slaine one of his enemies he brought him his head and sayd such a present O king by vs is euer rewarded with a cuppe of golde Yea q Alexander smyling apon him with an emptie cuppe But I drinke to thee this cuppe full of good wine and doe geue thee cuppe all An other time he met with a poore MACEDONIAN that led a moyle loden with gold of the kings and when the poore moyle was so weary that she could no lenger cary her burden the moyleter put it apon his owne backe and loded him selfe withall carying it so a good pretie way howbeit in th ende being ouerloden was about to throwe it downe on the ground Alexander perceiuing it asked him what burden he caried When it was tolde him well q he to the moyletter be not weary yet but carie it into the tent for I geue it thee To be short he was angrier with them that would take nothing of him then he was with those that would aske him somewhat He wrote also vnto Phocion that he would take him no more for his frend if he would refuse his giftes It seemed that he had geuen nothing vnto a young boy called Serapion who euer did serue them the ball that played at tenis bicause he asked him nothing Wherefore the king playing on a time this young boy threw the ball to others that played with him and not to him selfe The
PERINTHE which king Philip did beseege at that present time they would haue pluckt the arrow out of his eye but he neuer fainted for it neither would suffer thē to pul it out before he had first driuē his enemies within the wals of their citie He toke this infamy very inwardly he was so sory for it that euery mā might see he was like to die for sorow Thē Alexander fearing he should die did pardō him bad him besides kepe the money which was giuē him Now the 30000. young boyes which Alexander had left to the gouernment of Capteines to trayne exercise them in the discipline of warre they being growen stronge men lusty youthes excellently well trained ready in armes Alexander reioyced when he saw them This notwithstanding did much discorage the MACEDONIANS made them greatly affraid bicause they thought that from thenceforth the king would make lesse accompt of thē For when Alexander would haue sent the sicke and impotent persons which had bene maimed in the warres into the low contry to the sea side they aunswered him that so doing he should do them great wronge to send these poore men frō him in that sort after they had done him all the seruice they could home to their contry frends in worse case then he tooke them from thence And therefore they said if he would send away some let him send them all away as men vnseruiceable specially sithence he had now such goodly yong daunsers about him with whom he might go conquer the world Alexander was maruelously offended with their prowd words insomuch that in his anger he reuiled them all put away his ordinary gard tooke other PERSIANS in their place making some the gard about his owne person others his vsshers heraulds ministers to execute his will and commaundement The poore MACEDONIANS seeing Alexander thus waited on them selues so shamefully reiected they let fall their stoutnes and after they had cōmoned of the matter together they were ready to teare thēselues for spite malice In fine whē they had laid their heads together they cōsented to go vnto his tent without weapōs naked in their shirts to yeld thēselues vnto him weping howling beseching him to do with thē what pleased him so vse thē like wretched vnthankful creatures But Alexander though his anger was now somwhat pacified did not receiue thē the first time neither did they also go their waies but remained there 2. daies nights together in this pitiful state before the dore of his tent lamenting vnto him calling him their soueraine king vntill that he came him self out of his tent the third day seing the poore wretches in this greeuous pitiful state he him self fel a weeping a long time So after he had a litle rebuked thē he called thē curteously gaue the impotēt sick persons leaue to depart home rewarding thē very honorably Furthermore he wrote vnto Antipater his Lieutenant that he should alwaies giue thē the highest place in al cōmon sports assemblies that they should be crowned with garlands of flowers Moreouer he cōmaūded that the orphans whose parents were slaine in the warrs should receiue the pay of their fathers After Alexander was come vnto the citie of ECBATANA in the kingdō of MEDEA that he had dispatched his waightiest causes he gaue him self again vnto publike sportes feasts pastimes for that there were newly come vnto him out of GRAECE 3. thowsand excellent masters deuisers of such sports About that time it chaūced that Hephastion fell sicke of an agew But he beeing a young man of warre did not regard his mouth as he should haue done but hauing spyed oportunitie that his Phisitian Glaucus was gone vnto the Theater to see the sports pastimes He went to dinner and eate a roasted Capon whole and dranke a great pot full of wine which he had caused to be set in water whereuppon his feuer tooke him so sorely that he liued not long after Alexander vnwisely tooke the chaunce of his death cōmaūded all the heares of his horse mules to be presently shorn in tokē of mourning that al the battlemēts of the wals of cities should also be ouerthrown hong vp pore Glaucus his Phisitian vpon a crosse cōmaūded that no minstrel should be heard play of any kind of instrument within his campe vntil that there was brought him an oracle from Iupiter Hammon cōmaūding that Hephaestion should be worshipped sacrificed vnto as a demy god In th end to passe ouer his mourning and sorow he went vnto the warres as vnto a hunting of men and there subdued the people of the COSSAEIANS whom he pluckt vp by the rootes and slue man woman and childe And this was called the sacrifice of Hephaestions funeralls Alexander furthermore beeing desirous to bestowe tenne thowsand talents coste vppon his obsequies and funeralls and also to exceede the charge by the rarenes and excellencie of workemanshippe amongest all other excellent workemasters he desired one Stasicrates for he had euer passing inuention and his worke was alwayes stately and sumptuous in any newe thinges he tooke in hande For he talking one daye with Alexander tolde him that of all the Mountaynes he knewe in the worlde he thought there was none more excellent to resemble the statue or image of a man then was Mount Atho in THRACIA and that if it were his pleasure he would make him the noblest and most durable image that should bee in the world which in his left hand should hold a citie to conteine ten thowsand persons and out of his right hand there should ronne a great riuer into the sea Yet Alexander would not harken to him but then was talking with other workemen of more straunge inuentions farre greater cost Now as he was ready to take his iorney to go vnto BABYLON Nearchus his Admirall came againe vnto him from the great sea Oceanum by the riuer of Euphrates and tolde him how certaine CHALDEAN Soothsayers came vnto him who did warne him that he should not goe into BABYLON Howbeit Alexander made no reckoning of it but went on But when he came hard to the walls of BABYLON he saw a great number of crowes fighting killing one of another some of them fell downe deade hard by him Afterwards being told him that Apollodorus the gouernor of the citie of BABYLON hauing sacrificed vnto the goddes to knowe what should happen to him he sent for the Soothsayer Pithagoras to knowe of him if it were true The Soothsayer denied it not Then Alexander asked him what signes he had in the sacrifice He aunswered that the lyuer of the beast had no head O gods said Alexander then this is an ill signe notwithstanding he did Pithagoras no hurt but yet he repented him that he did not beleue Nearchus words For this respect therefore Alexander lay much abroade
the gate Thereuppon the gates were opened they comming in their gownes went vnto his bed side to see him That selfe day Python Seleucus were appointed by the kings friends to go to the temple of the god Serapis to knowe if they should bringe king Alexander thither The god aunswered them that they should not remoue him from thence The eight and twenty day at night Alexander dyed Thus it is written word for word in manner in the houshold booke of remembrance At that present tyme there was no suspition that he was poysoned Yet they say that six yeares after there appeared some proofe that he was poisoned Whereupon his mother Olympias put many men to death and cast the ashes of Iolas into the wind that was dead before for that it was said he gaue him poyson in his drinke They that thinke it was Aristotle that counselled Antipater to do it by whose meane the poyson was brought they say that Agnothemis reporred it hauing heard it of king Antigonus owne mouth The poyson as some say was cold as Ise and falleth from a rocke in the territory of the citie of NONACRIS it is gathered as they would gather a deawe into the horne of the foote of an asse for there is no other kinde of thinge that wil keepe it it is so extreme cold percing Others defend it say that the report of his poysoning is vntrue for proofe therof they alleage this reason which is of no smal importance that is That the chiefest Capteines fel at great variance after his death so that the corps of Alexander remained many dayes naked without buriall in a whot dry contry yet there neuer appeared any signe or token apon his body that he was poysoned but was still a cleane and faire corps as could be Alexander left Roxane great with childe for the which the MACEDONIANS did her great honor but she did malice Statira extreamely did finely deceiue her by a counterfeat letter she sent as if it had comen from Alexander willing her to come vnto him But when she was come Roxane killed her and her sister and then threw their bodies into a well and filled it vp with earth by Perdiccas helpe and consent Perdiccas came to be king immediatly after Alexanders death by meanes of Aridaeus whom he kept about him for his gard and safety This Aridaeus beeing borne of a common strumpet and common woman called Philinna was halfe lunaticke not by nature nor by chaunce but as it is reported put out of his wits when he was a young towardly boy by drinkes which Olympias caused to be geuen him and thereby continued franticke The end of Alexanders life THE LIFE OF Iulius Caesar. AT what time Sylla was made Lord of all he would haue had Caesar put away his wife Cornelia the daughter of Cinna Dictator but when he saw he could neither with any promise nor threate bring him to it he tooke her ioynter away from him The cause of Caesars ill will vnto Sylla was by meanes of mariage for Marius thelder maried his fathers own sister by whom he had Marius the younger whereby Caesar he were cosin germaines Sylla being troubled in waightie matters putting to death so many of his enemies when he came to be cōqueror he made no reckoning of Caesar but he was not contented to be hidden in safety but came and made sute vnto the people for the Priesthoodshippe that was voyde when he had scant any heare on his face Howbeit he was repulsed by Syllaes meanes that secretly was against him Who when he was determined to haue killed him some of his frendes told him that it was to no purpose to put so young a boy as he to death But Sylla told them againe that they did not consider that there were many Marians in that young boy Caesar vnderstanding that stale out of ROME and hidde him selfe a long time in the contrie of the SABINES wandring still from place to place But one day being caried from house to house he fell into the handes of Syllaes souldiers who searched all those places and tooke them whom they found hidden Caesar bribed the Captaine whose name was Cornelius with two talentes which he gaue him After he had escaped them thus he went vnto the sea side and tooke shippe and sailed into BITHYNIA to goe vnto king Nicomedes When he had bene with him a while he tooke sea againe and was taken by pyrates about the I le of PHARMACVSA for those pyrates kept all vppon that sea coast with a great fleete of shippes and botes They asking him at the first twentie talentes for his ransome Caesar laughed them to scorne as though they knew not what a man they had taken of him selfe promised them fiftie talents Then he sent his men vp and downe to get him this money so that he was left in maner alone among these theeues of the CILICIANS which are the cruellest butchers in the world with one of his frends and two of his slaues only and yet he made so litle reckoning of them that when he was desirous to sleepe he sent vnto them to commaunde them to make no noyse Thus was he eight and thirtie dayes among them not kept as prisoner but rather waited vppon by them as a Prince All this time he woulde boldly exercise him selfe in any sporte or pastime they would goe to And other while also he woulde wryte verses and make orations and call them together to say them before them and if any of them seemed as though they had not vnderstoode him or passed not for them he called them blockeheades and brute beastes and laughing threatned them that he would hang them vp But they were as merie with the matter as could be and tooke all in good parte thinking that this his bold speach came through the simplicity of his youth So when his raunsome was come from the citie of MILETVM they being payed their money and he againe set at libertie he then presently armed and manned out certaine ships out of the hauen of MILETVM to follow those theeues whom he found yet riding at ancker in the same Iland So he tooke the most of them had the spoile of their goods but for their bodies he brought them into the city of PERGAMVM there committed thē to prison whilest he him selfe went to speake with Iunius who had the gouernment of ASIA as vnto whom the execution of these pirats did belong for that he was Praetor of that contrie But this Praetor hauing a great fancie to be fingering of the money bicause there was good store of it answered that he would consider of these prisoners at better leasure Caesar leauing Iunius there returned againe vnto PERGAMVM and there hung vp all these theeues openly vpon a crosse as he had oftentimes promised them in the I le he would doe when they thought he did but ieast
in speech Phocion was very wittie For like as coynes of gold or siluer the lighter they waye the finer they be of goodnes euen so the excellencie of speeche consisteth in signifying much by fewe wordes And touching this matter it is reported that the Theater being full of people Phocion walked all alone vpon the scaffold where the players played and was in a great muse with him selfe whereuppon one of his friendes seeing him so in his muses said vnto him Surely Phocion thy minde is occupied about somewhat In deede so is it sayd he for I am thinking with my selfe if I could abridge any thing of that I haue to say to the people For Demosthenes selfe litle esteming all other Orators when Phocion rose vp to speake he would round his friendes in their eares and told them See the cutter of my wordes riseth Peraduenture he ment it by his maners also For when a good man speaketh not a word onely but a wincke of an eye or a nod of his head doth counteruaile many artificiall words speeches of Rethoritians Furthermore when he was a young man he went to the warres vnder Captaine Chabrias and followed him of whom he learned to be a persit souldier and in recompence thereof he reformed many of his Captaines imperfections and made him wiser then he was For Chabrias otherwise beeing very dull and slothfull of him selfe when he came to fight he was so hotte and corageous that he would thrust himselfe into daunger with the desperatest persons therefore for his rashnes it afterwards cost him his life in the citie of CHIO where launching out with his gally before the rest he pressed to land in despite of his enemies But Phocion being wise to loke to him selfe and very quicke to execute on the one side quickned Chabrias slownes and on the other side also by wisedom cooled his heate and furie Chabrias therefore being a good man curteous loued Phocion very well and did preferre him in matters of seruice making him famous amongest the GRAECIANS and employed him in his hardiest enterprises For by his meanes he atchieued great fame and honor in a battell by sea which he wanne by the I le of NAXOS giuing him the left winge of his armie on which side the fight was sharpest of all the battell and there he soonest put the enemies to flight This battel being the first which the citie of ATHENS wanne with their owne men onely after it had bene taken gaue the people cause to loue Chabrias and made them also to make accompt of Phocion as of a noble souldier worthy to haue charge This victory was gotten on the feast day of the great misteries in memory whereof Chabrias did yearly on the sixtenth day of the moneth Boedromion now called August make all the people of ATHENS drinke After that time Chabrias sending Phocion to receiue the tribute of the Ilanders their confederats and the shippes which they should send him he gaue him twenty gallies to bringe him thither But Phocion then as it is reported said vnto him if he sent him to fight with his enemies he had neede to haue moe shippes but if he sent him as an Ambassador vnto his friendes then that one shippe would serue his turne So he went with one gallie onely and after he had spoken with the cities and curteously dealt with the gouernors of euery one of them he returned backe furnished of their confederats with a great fleete of shippes and money to cary vnto ATHENS So Phocion did not onely â—â—uerence Chabrias while he liued but after his death also he tooke great care of his friendes and kinsmen and sought to make his sonne Ctesippus an honest man whom though he sawe way wilde and vntoward yet he neuer left to reforme him and hide his fault It is fayde also that when this young man did trouble him much with vaine friuolous questions seruing then vnder him he being Captaine and taking vpon him to giue him counsell to reproue him and to teache him the dutie of a Captaine he could not but say O Chabrias Chabrias now doe I paye for the loue thou didest beare me when thou wertaliue in bearing with the folly of thy sonne But when he saw that the heads of the citie of ATHENS had as it were by lot deuided amonge them selues the offices of warre and peace and that some of them as Eubulus Aristophon Demosthenes Lycurgus and Hyperides were common speakers and preferrers of matters in counsells and Senate and that others as Diopithes Menestheus Leosthenes and Chares became great men by the warres and had charge of armies he determined rather to follow the manner of gouernment of Pericles Aristides Solon as being mingled of both For either of them seemed as the Poet Archilotus sayth To bee both Champions stovvt of Marsis vvarlyke band And of the Muses eke the artes to vnderstand He knew also that Pallas the goddesse and protector of ATHENS was called Folemica and Politica to wit skilfull to rule both in warre and peace So hauing thus disposed of him selfe in gouernment he alwaies perswaded peace and quietnes and yet was often chosen Captaine and had charge of armies being the onely man that of all the Captaines afore him and in his time did neuer sue for charge neither yet refused it at any time when he was called to serue the common wealth It is certen that he was chosen fiue and forty times Praetor and was alwaies absent at the elections but yet sent for Whereuppon all the wise men wondred to see the manner of the people towards him considering that Phocion had neuer done nor sayd any thing to flatter them withall but commonly had bene against their desires and how they vsed other gouernours notwithstanding that were more pleasant and delightfull in their orations like men to sport at as it is sayd of kings who after they haue washed their handes to goe to their meate doe vse to haue Ieslers and flatterers to make them mery but on thother side when they had occasion of warres in deede how then like wise men they could bethinke them selues and choose the wisest and slowtest man of the citie that most would withstand their mindes and desires For on a time an oracle of Apollo Delphias beeing openly red before them which sayd that all the other ATHENIANS being agreed yet there was one amonge them that was contrary to all the rest of the citie Phocion stepping forth before them all bad them neuer seeke further for the man for it was he that liked none of all their doings Another time he chaunced to say his opinion before all the people the which they all praised and approued but he saw they were so sodeinly become of his minde he turned backe to his friendes and asked them alas hath not some euill thing slipped my mouth vnwares Another time a generall collection being gathered of the people at ATHENS towardes the
man Phocion replied againe then let him giue me leaue to be that I seeme am whilest I liue The Messengers would not so leaue him but followed him home to his house where they saw his great husbandrie thriftines For they found his wife her selfe baking and he him selfe drewe water before them out of the well to wash his feete But then they were more earnestly in hand with him than before and prayed him to take the kings present and were offended with him saying it was a shame for Alexanders friend to liue so miserably and beggerly as he did Then Phocion seeing a poore old man goe by in a threede bare gowne asked them whether they thought him worse then he No God forbid aunswered they againe Then replied he againe he liues with lesse then I do and yet is contented and hath enough To be short said he if I should take this summe of money and occupy it not it is as much as I had it not on thother side if I occupy it I shall make all the citie speake ill of the king and me both So this great present was sent backe from ATHENS whereby he shewed the GRAECIANS that he was richer that needed not such golde siluer then he that gaue it him But when Alexander wrote againe vnto Phocion that he did not reckon them his friendes that would take nothing of him Phocion notwithstanding would not take the money but onely requested him for his sake that he would set these men at libertie which were kept prisoners in the citie of SARDIS for certeine accusations layde against them Echecratides the Rhetorician Athenodorus borne in the citie of IMBROS and two CORINTHIANS Demaratus and Spartus Alexander presently set them at libertie and sent Craterus into MACEDON commaunding him to giue Phocion the choyce of one of these foure cities of ASIA which he liked best CIOS GERGITHA MYLASSIS ELEA sending him worde that he would be much more angrier with him now if he did refuse this offer then he was at the first But Phocion would neuer accept any one of them and Alexander shortly after dyed Phocions house is seene yet at this day in the village of MELITA set forth with plates of copper but otherwise very meane and without curiositie For his wiues he maryed there is no mention made of the first sauing that Cephisodotus the image grauer was her brother But for his second wife she was no lesse famous at ATHENS for her honestie and good housewiuerie then Phocion for his iustice and equitie And for proofe thereof it is reported that the ATHENIANE beeing one daye assembled in the Theater to see newe tragedies played one of the players when he shoulde haue comen apon the scaffolde to haue played his parte asked the setter forth of the playes the apparell of a Queene and certeine Ladyes to wayte vppon her bycause he was to playe the parte of the Queene The setter forth of the playes denying him the player went awaye in a rage and left the people staring one at another and woulde not come out vpon the stage But Melanthius the setter forth of the playes compelling him brought him by force on the stage and cryed out vnto him Doost thou not see Phocions wife that goeth vppe and downe the citie with one mayde onely wayting on her and wiâ—â— thou playe the foole and marre the modestie of the women of ATHENS The people hearing his wordes filled all the Theater with ioye and clapping of handes The same Ladye when a certaine gentlewoman of IONIA came to ATHENS to see her and shewed her all her riche iewells and precious stones she had she aunswered her agayne all my riches and iewells is my husband Phocion who these twenty yeares together hath continually beene chosen generall for the ATHENIANS Phocions sonne telling his father on a tyme that he was desirous to contend with other younge men for the victorie who should cunningliest leape out and gette vppe agayne into the charretts or coches running their full course at the feastes Panathenaea at ATHENS his father was contented he shoulde not that he was desirous his sonne shoulde haue the honor of the victorie but bicause by this honest exercise he should growe to better manner for that he was a dissolute younge man and much giuen to wine Yet he wanne the victorie at that tyme and there were diuers of his fathers friendes that prayed him to doe them that honour that they might keepe the feast of this victorie in their houses Phocion denyed them all but one man and him he suffered to shewe his good will vnto his house and went thither him selfe to supper to him Where amongest many fine and superfluous thinges prepared he found passing bathes of wine and sweete smelling spices to washe the feete of the bydden guestes as they came to the feast Whereuppon he called his sonne to him and asked him howe canst thou abyde Phocus that our friend should thus disgrace thy victorie with excesse But bicause he would withdrawe his sonne from that licentious life he brought him to SPARTA and placed him there amonge younge boyes brought vppe after the LACONIAN discipline The ATHENIANS were much offended at it to see that Phocion did so much despise his owne contrie manner and facions Also when Demades the Orator one daye sayde vnto Phocion why doe we not perswade the ATHENIANS to liue after the LACONIAN manner As for me sayde he if thou wilt make one to sette it forwarde I am ready to be the first man to moue the matter In deede q Phocion thou art a meete man to perswade the ATHENIANS to liue LACONIAN like in common together at their meales and to prayse Lycurgus straight lawe that art thy selfe commonly so perfumed and fine in thy apparell Another tyme when Alexander wrote letters vnto ATHENS to sende him some shippes and that the Orators perswaded them not to graunt him the people called vppon Phocion chiefly to saye his opinion then Phocion tolde them plainely me thinkes ye must eyther make your selues the strongest in warres or beeing the weaker procure to be friendes vnto the stronger Pythias a newcome Orator beeing full of tongue and impudent would still make one to speake in euery matter Wherefore Phocion sayde vnto him good goddes will this noues neuer leaue babling And when Harpalus king Alexanders Lieuetenant of the prouince of BABYLON fledde out of ASIA and came to ATTICA with a greate summe of golde and siluer straight these men that solde their tongues to the people for money flocked about him like a sight of swallowes And he stucke not to giue euery one of them a peece of money to baste them with for it was a trifle to him considering the great summes of money he brought But to Phocion him selfe he sent vnto him seuen hundred talents and offered him selfe and all that he had into his handes of trust But Phocion gaue him a sharpe aunswer and tolde him that he woulde
make him repent it if he corrupted the citie of ATHENS in that manner So Harpalus beeing amated therewith left him at that tyme and went vnto them that had taken money of him But shortly after when the ATHENIANS sate in counsell about him he perceiued that those which had taken his money were shronke from him and that they did accuse him where they should haue excused him to bleere the world that men should not suspecte them they had beene corrupted and that Phocion on thother side which had refused his money hauing respect to the common wealth had also some regarde to saue his life he once more attempted all the wayes he could to wynne him Howbeit he found him so constant that no money could cary the man Then Harpalus falling in friendshippe with Charicles Phocions sonne in lawe he made him to be ill spoken of and greatly suspected bicause men sawe that he trusted him in all thinges and employed him in all his affayres As in committing to his trust the making of a sumptuous tombe for Pythonicé the famous Curtisan that was deade whom he loued and by whome he had a Daughter the taking apon him whereof was no lesse shame vnto Charicles then the finishing thereof was disgrace vnto him This tombe is seene vnto this daye in a place called Hermium in the bie waye from ATHENS to ELEVSIN the workemanshippe thereof being nothing like neare the charge of thirtie talents which was reported to bee giuen by Harpalus vnto Charicles for the finishing of the same Furthermore after Harpalus death Charicles and Phocion tooke his Daughter and carefully brought her vppe Afterwardes also Charicles beeing accused for the money he had taken of Harpalus he besought his father in lawe Phocion to helpe to ease him in his iudgement But Phocion flatly denyed him and sayde Charicles I tooke thee for my sonne in lawe in all honest and iust causes onely Furthermore when Asclepiades the sonne of Hipparchus brought the first newes of the deathe of Kinge Alexander Demades the Orator woulde not beleeue him forsayde he if it were true all the earthe woulde smell of the sauour of his corse Phocion then perceyuing the people beganne to bee highe minded and sought innouacion he went about to brydle and pacifie them But when many of the Orators gotte vppe to the pulpitte for orations and cryed out that Asclepiades newes were true of Alexanders deathe well then q Phocion if it bee true to daye it shall be true also to morrowe and the next day after And therefore my Maisters bee not too hasty but thinke of it at better leysure and sette your affayres at a sure staye When Leosthenes also by his practise had brought the citie of ATHENS into the warre called the GREEKES warre and in skorne asked Phocion that was offended at it what good he had done to the common wealth so many yeares together as he had beene Generall ouer the ATHENIANS Phocion aunswered him no small good sayde he for all my contrye men haue beene buryed at home in their owne graues Another tyme Leosthenes speaking prowdely and insolently to the people Phocion one daye sayde vnto him younge man my friende thy wordes are lyke to a Cypres tree which is highe and greate but beareth no frute Then Hyperides rising vppe asked Phocion when wilt thou then counsell the ATHENIANS to make warre when I shall see younge men sayde he not forsake their rancks riche men liberall and Orators leaue to robbe the common wealth When the ATHENIANS wondred to see suche a goodly greate armie as Leosthenes had leauied and that they asked Phocion howe he lyked it A goodly armie q he for a furlonge but I feare their returne and the continuance of this warre for I doe not see the citie able to make any more money mor moe shippes neyther yet any moe souldiers than these The which proued true as it fell out afterwardes For at the first Leosthenes did notable exployts He ouercame the BOEOTIANS in battell and draue Antipater into the citie of LAMIA the which did put the ATHENIANS in suche a hope and iolitie that they made continuall feastes and sacrifices through the citie to thanke the gods for these good newes And there were some amonge them that to take Phocion in a trippe asked him if he did not wish that he had done all those things yes in deede aunswered he I would I had done them but yet I would not haue giuen the counsel to haue done them Another ryme also when letters came dayly one after an other bringing good newes good gods sayde he when shall we leaue to ouercome When Leosthenes was deade in this voyage they that feared Phocion shoulde bee appoynted Captayne in his place and that he woulde pacifie the warre did thrust in a man of meane hauior and vnknowen that sayde in the assemblie he was Phocions friende and schoolefellowe and therefore besought the people that they woulde spare Phocion bicause they had not suche another man as he and that they woulde make Antiphilus Generall of their armie The people were contented withall But then Phocion stoode vppe and sayde that this man was neuer scholler with him neyther did he euer knowe him before that tyme but nowe sayde he from henceforth I will take thee for my friende for thou hast giuen the people the best counsell for me The people notwithstanding determining to make warre with the BOEOTIANS Phocion spake agaynst it all he coulde Thereuppon his friendes bidding him beware of suche speeches howe he did offende the people least they killed him he aunswered them they shall wrongefully put me to death q he speaking for the benefitte of my contrye but otherwise they shall haue reason to doe it if I speake to the contrarye But when he sawe nothing woulde pacifie them and that they went on still with their intent then he commaunded the Herawlde to proclayme by sownde of trompet that all Citizens from fourteene yeares to three score able to cary weapon should presently vppon breaking vp of thassembly arme them selues and followe him with fiue dayes prouision for vittells Then was there greate sturre amonge them in the citie and the olde men came and complayned vnto him for his ouerstraight commaundement He tolde them agayne I doe you no wronge for I am soure shore my selfe and yet will goe with you By this meanes he pacified them at that tyme and quenched their fond desire of warre But when all the sea coast was full of souldiers both of the MACEDONIANS and other straungers which were ledde by Macion their Captaine that landed in the territorie of the village RHAMNVS and spoyled the contry thereaboutes then Phocion ledde the ATHENIANS thither But when he was there diuers taking vpon them the office of a Lieuetenant and going about to counsell him some to lodge his campe vpon such a hill and others to send his horsemen to such a place and others to campe here O Hercules q he how many
thee this at my death When al the rest had dronke there was no more poyson left and the hangman sayd he would make no more vnlesse they gaue him twelue Drachmas for so much the pound did cost him Phocion perceiuing theÌ„ that the hangman delayed time he called one of his frends vnto him and prayed him to geue the hangman that litle money he demaunded sith a man can not dye at ATHENS for nothing without cost It was the nineteenth day of the moneth of Munichion to wit Marche on which day the Knights were wont to make a solemne procession in the honor of Iupiter howbeit some of them left of the garlandes of flowers which they shoulde haue worne on their heades and others also looking towards the prison dore as they went by burst out a weeping For they whose harts were not altogether hardned with crueltie whose iudgements were not wholly suppressed with enuie thought it a grieuous sacriledge against the goddes that they did not let that day passe but that they did defile so solemne a feast with the violeÌ„t death of a man His enemies notwithstanding continuing still their anger against him made the people passe a decree that his bodie should be banished and caried out of the bondes of the contry of ATTICA forbidding the ATHENIANS that no fire should be made for the solemnising of his funeralls For this respect no frend of his durst once touch his body Howebeit a poore man called Conopion that was wont to get his liuing that way being hyered for money to burne mens bodies he tooke his corse and caried it beyond the city of ELEVSIN and getting fire out of a womans house of MEGARA he solemnised his funeralls Furthermore there was a gentlewoman of MEGARA who comming by chaunce that way with her gentlewomen where his body was but newly burnt she caused the earth to be cast vp a litle where the body was burnt and made it like to hollow tombe whereupon she did vse such sprincklings and effusions as are commonly done at the funeralls of the dead then taking vp his bones in her lappe in the night she brought them home and buried them in her harth saying O deare harth to thee I bequeath the relikes of this noble and good man and pray thee to keepe them faithfully to bring them one day to the graue of his auncesters when the ATHENIANS shall come to confesse the fault wrong they haue done vnto him And truly it was not long after that the ATHENIANS found by the vntowardnes of their affaires that they had put him to death who only maintained iustice and honesty at ATHENS Whereupon they made his image to be set vp in brasse and gaue honorable buriall to his bones at the charges of the citie And for his accusers they condemned Agnonides of treason and put him to death them selues The other two Epicurus and Demophilus being fled out of the citie were afterwardes met with by his sonne Phocus who was reuenged of them This Phocus as men reporte was otherwise no great good man who fancying a young maide which a bawde kept comming by chaunce one day into the schoole of Lycaeum he heard Theodorus the Atheist to wit that beleued not there were any goddes make this argument If it be no shame sayd he to deliuerâ— mans frend from bondage no more shame is it to redeeme his leman which he loueth euen so it is all one to redeeme a mans leman as his frende This young man taking this argument to serue his turne beleuinge that he might lawefully doe it got the young maide he loued from the bawde Furthermore this death of Phocion did also reuiue the lamentable death of Socrates vnto the GRAECIANS for men thought that it was a like hainous offence and calamitie vnto the citie of ATHENS The end of Phocions life THE LIFE OF Cato Vtican THe family and house of Cato tooke his first glorie and name of his great grandfather Cato the Censor who for his vertue as we haue declared in his life was one of the famousest and worthiest men of ROME in his time This Cato whom we nowe wryte of was left an orphan by his father and mother with his brother Caepio and Porcia his sister Seruilis was also Catoes halfe sister by his mothers side All these were brought vp with their vncle Liuius Drusus at that time the greatest man of the citie for he was passing eloquent and verie honest and of as great a corage besides as any other ROMANE Men report that 〈…〉 from his childhood shewed him selfe both in word and countenaunce and also in all his pastimes and recreacions verie constant and stable For he would goe through with that lie tooke apon him to doe and would force him selfe aboue his strength and as he could not away with flatterers so was he rough with them that went about to threaten him He would hardly laugh and yet had euer a pleasaunt countenance He was not chollerike nor easie to be angerd but when the blood was vp he was hardly pacified When he was first put to schoole he was very dull of vnderstanding and slow to learne but when he had once learned it he would neuer forget it as all men else commonly doe For such as are quicke of conceite haue commonly the worst memories and contrarily they that are hard to learne doe keepe that better which they haue learned For euery kinde of learning is a motion and quickening of the minde He seemed besides not to be light of credit that may be some cause of his slownes in conceite For truely he suffereth somewhat that learneth and thereof it commeth that they that haue least reason to resist are those which doe giue lightest credit For young men are easeiyer perswaded then old men and the sicke then the whole And where a man hath least reason for his douts there he is soonest brought to beleue any thing This notwithstanding it is reported that Cato was obedient vnto his schoolemaister and would doe what he commaunded him howbeit he would aske him still the cause and reason of euery thing In deede his schoolemaister was very gentle and readier to teach him then to strike him with his fist His name was Sarpedo Furthermore when Cato was but a young boy the people of ITALIE which were confederats of the ROMANES sued to be made free citizens of ROME At that time it chaunâ—ed one Pompedius Silo a valliant souldier and of great estimacion among the confederats of the ROMANES and a great frend besides of Drusus to be lodged many dayes at his house He in this time falling acquainted with these young boyes sayd one day vnto them good boyes intreate your vncle to speake for vs that we may be made free citizens of ROME Capio smiling nodded with his head that he would But Cato making no aunswere looked very wisely apon the straungers that lay in the house Then
Pompedius taking him aside asked him and thou my pretie boy what sayest thou to it Wilt thou not pray thine vncle as well as thy brother to be good to his guestes Cato still held his peace and aunswered nothing but shewed by his silence and looke that he would not heare their request Then Pompedius taking him vp in his armes did put him out of the window as if he would haue let him haue gone and speaking more sharply to him then he did before he cast him many times out of his armes without the window and sayd promise vs then or else I will let thee fall But Cato abid it a long time and neuer quinched for it nor shewed countenaunce of feare Thereupon Pompedius setting him downe againe told his frends that stoode by him O what good happe doth this child promise one day vnto ITALIE if he liue sure if he were a man I beleue we should not haue one voice of all the people of our side And other time there were some of Catoes neere kinsemen that keeping the feast day of his birth bad many young boyes to supper amongest others this Cato The boyes to occupie them selues till supper was ready gathered them selues together great and small into some priuate place of the house Their play was counterfeating pleadinges before the iudges accusing one an other and carying them that were condemned to prison Amongest them a goodly young boy was caried by a bigger boy into a litle chamber bounde as a condemned person The boy perceiuing he was locked vp cried out vnto Cato who mistrusting what it was went straight to the chamber dore and putting them by by force that withstoode him to come vnto it he tooke out the young boy and caried him very angrily with him to his owne house and all the other young boyes followed him also So Cato had such name among the young boyes that when Sylla made the game of young boyes running a horsebacke which the ROMANES call Troia to appoint them before that they might be ready at the day of the show he hauing gotten all the young boyes of noble houses together appointed them two Captaines Of them the boyes tooke the one because of his mother Metella which was the wife of Sylla but they would none of the other called Sextus who was nephewe to Pompey the great neither would they be exercised vnder him nor followe him Wherefore Sylla asked them which of them they would haue they all cried then Cato and Sextus him selfe did willingly geue him the honor as the worthier of both Sylla was their fathers frend and therefore did send for them many times to come vnto him he would talke with them the which kindnes he shewed to few men for the maiestie and great authority he had Serpedo also Catoes schoolemaister thingking it a great preferrement and safetie for his schollers did commonly bring Cato vnto Syllaes house to waite vpon him the which warm ther like vnto a iayle or prison for the great number of prisoners which were dayly brought thither and put to death Cato being then but foureteene yeares of age and perceiuing that there were many heades brought which were sayed to be of gret men and that euery bodie sighed and mourned to see them he asked his schoolemaister how it was possible the tyran scaped that some one or other killed him not Bicause q Serpedo that all men feare him more then they hate him Why then replyed Cato againe diddest thou not geue me a sword that might kill him to deliuer my contry of this slauery and bondage Serpedo hearing the boy say so and seeing his countenaunce and eyes on fire with choller he maruelled muche at it and afterwardes had a very good eye vnto him least rashly he should attempt some thing against Sylla When he was but a litle boy some asked him whom he loued best My brother sayed he Then the other continuing stil to aske him who next he answered likewise his brother Then the third time againe likewise his brother Till at length he that asked him was weary with asking him so oft Yea and when he was comen of age also he then confirmed the loue he bare to his brother in his deedes For twenty yeares together he neuer supped without his brother Capio neither went he euer out of his house into the market place nor into the fields without him but when his brother did noynt him selfe with sweete oyles of perfume he would none of that and in all things else he led a straight and hard life So that his brother Capio being commended of euery man for his temperaunce honesty and sober life he graunted in deede that in respect of others he led a sober and temperate life but when I doe sayd he compare my life with my brother Catoes me thinkes then there is no difference betwext me and Sippius This Sippius was at that time noted and pointed at for his fine and curious effeminate life After that Cato was once chosen Apolloes Priest he went from his brother and tooke his portion of the goods of his father which amounted to the summe of a hundred and twentie talentes Then he liued more hardly then he did before For he fell in acquaintaunce with Antipater TYRIAN a Stoicke Philosopher and gaue him selfe chiefly vnto the studie of morall and ciuill Philosophie imbracing all exercise of vertue with suche an earnest desire that it seemed he was prickt forward by some god but aboue all other vertues he loued the seueritie of iustice which he would not wrest for any gift nor fauor He studied also to be eloquent that he might speake openly before the people bicause he would there should be certaine warlike forces entertained in ciuill Philosophie as also in a great citie Notwithstanding he would not exercise it before any bodie neither would he euer haue any man to heare him speake when he did learne to speake For when one of his frends told him one day that men did mislike he spake so litle in company it skilleth no matter q he so they can not reproue my life for I will beginne to speake when I can say some thing worthy to be spoken Hard by the market place there was the common pallace or towne house of the citie called Basilica Porcia the which Porcius Cato the elder had built in the time of his Censorship There the Tribunes were wont to keepe their audience and bicause there was a piller that troubled their seates they would either haue taken it away or else haue set it in some other plate That was the first cause that made Cato against his will to goe into the market place and to get vp into the pulpit for orations to speake against them where hauing geuen this first proofe of his eloquence and noble minde he was maruelously esteemed of For his oration was not like a young man counterfeating finenes of speache
hath gotten together against one man naked and vnarmed There withall he straight went forward with his companion Thermus vnto that place and they that kept the degrees opened of them selues to let him passe but they would let no other goe vp but himselfe But Cato with much a doe taking Minutius by the hand got him vp with him and when he was come vp he sate him downe betwixt Metellus and Caesar to keepe them a sonder that they should not whisper one in anothers eare Neither of them both could tell what to say to him Whereuppon the noble men that considered Catoes countenaunce and boldnes wondring to see it drew neare and by their cryes willed him not to be affrayd but encoraged one another to sticke by him that stoode for defence of their libertie So there was a seruaunt that tooke the written law in his hand and would haue red it to the people but Cato woulde not let him Then Metellus tooke it him selfe in his handes to reade it but Cato also snatched it out of his handes Metellus notwithstanding hauing it perfect without booke would needes declare the effect of it by harte But Thermus clapped his hande before his mouthe to keepe him that he shoulde not speake Metellus seeing these two men bent by all meanes to keepe this law from passing and that the people did leane on their side he beckned to his men to goe for the armed men which were at home in his house that they should come with terror and cryes to make them affrayd and so they did The people thereuppon were dispersed here and there for feare that Cato was left alone in the market place and they threwe stones at him from beneath But then Muraena who had before accused Cato for buying of the Consulshippe forsooke him not in that daunger but holding his longe gowne before him cryed out vnto them beneath that threwe at Cato to leaue So shewing him the daunger he had brought him selfe vnto holding him still by the armes he brought him into the temple of Castor and Pollux Then Metellus seing the pulpit for orations voyded and his enemies flying out of the market place he thought he had wonne the gole Whereuppon commaunding his souldiers to depart then proceeding gently he attempted to passe his lawe But his enemies that fled for feare being gathered againe together in the market place beganne a freshe to cry out against Metellus with greater boldnes and corage then before Then Metellus and his adherents being affrayd and amazed doubting that their enemies had gotten weapons and were prouided and therefore were the bolder they fled and all of them left the pulpit for orations So when Metellus and his company were gonne Cato came agayne to the pulpit for orations and greatly commended the people for the good will they had shewed and perswaded them to continue in their well doing Whereuppon the common people were then against Metellus and the Senate also being assembled gaue order that Cato should haue better ayde then he had before and that by all meanes possible they should resist Metellus lawe which onely tended to moue sedition ciuill warre in ROME For Metellus selfe he was yet vehemently bent to followe his attempt and enterprise but perceiuing that his friendes were maruelously affraide of Cato as a man whom they thought inuincible he sodainely name into the market place and assembling the people told them many reasons in his oration supposing to bringe Cato in disgrace with the people and amongest other thinges he sayd that he would withdraw him selfe out of this tyrannie all power of Catoes and his conspiracie against Pompey the which peraduenture the citie before it were long should repent for that they had shamed and defaced so noble a man After that he presently departed ROME and went into ASIA to informe Pompey of all this matter Cato on thother side was greatly estemed for his doings for that he had freed the common wealth from the great trouble of such a foolish Tribune and by ouerthrowing Metellus he had also suppressed the power of Pompey But he was yet much more commended when he was against the Senate who would haue noted Metellus of infamie and depriued him of his office the which he would not suffer them to doe The common people thought him of a curteous and gentle nature bicause he would not treade his enemie vnder his foote when he had the vpper hand of him nor be reuenged of him when he had ouercome him but wise mē iudged it otherwise that it was wisely done of him not to prouoke Pompey About this time returned Lucullus from the warre of the which it semed that Pompey had taken the honor glory from him for the ending of it was likely also to haue bene put from his honor of triumph for that Caius Memmius was his aduersary who layed many accusations against him before the people rather to please Pompey then for any malice els he had towards him But Cato both for that Lucullus was his brother in law and had maried his owne sister Seruilia as also for that he saw they did him wrong resisted this Memmius defended many accusations against him So that in the end though Memmius had labored that Cato should be depriued of his office as from a tyrannicall power yet Cato compelled Memmius at the last to leaue of his accusations and to prosecute law no more against him Thus Lucullus hauing obteined honor of triumph did embrace Catoes friendship more then before taking him for a sure bulwarcke defense against the power of Pompey the great But Pompey shortly after returning home againe with great honor from his conquests trusting that for respect of his welcome he should be denyed nothing at the peoples hands when he came home sent before vnto the Senate to pray them for his sake to deferre the election of the Consuls vntill he came to ROME that being present he might fauor Pisoes sute suing to be Consul Thereunto the most part of the Senate gaue their consent but Cato on thother side was against it not that the deferring of the time was a matter of such importance but to cut all hope from Pompey to goe about to attempt any newe deuises insomuch that he made the Senate chaunge opinion againe and Pompeys request was denied Pompey being maruelously troubled withall and perceiuing that Cato would be against him in all things if he found not some deuise to winne him he sent for his friend Munatius by his meanes to demaund Catoes two Neces of him which were mariable the eldest for him self the yoūgest for his sonne Others say also that they were not his Neces but his own daughters Munatius did Pompeys message brake the matter vnto him his wife to his sisters who maruelously desired Pompeys alliance for the greatnes and dignitie of his person But Cato making no farther delay without other deliberation as not greatly pleased
neuertheles he told them that he would talke with the three hundred and so returning againe into VTICA he spake vnto them But they then not regarding the reuerēce vnto Cato dissembling no lenger said openly that they would not like of him whatsoeuer he were that should compel them to make warre with Caesar both bicause they would not nor could not doe it Further there were some of them that mumbled to them selues that the Senators should be kept there till Caesar came Cato ouerheard them for in deede his hearing was not very quicke At that very instant one came to him and tolde him that the horsemen were going their way Cato therefore fearing least these three hundred marchants would lay hands apon the Senators he went vnto them him selfe with his frends and perceiuing they were gone a great way of he tooke his horse and rode after them They reioycing to see him come receiued him among them and prayed him to saue him selfe with them But Cato prayed them againe to saue the Senators that with such affection as it forced teares in him besides he held vp his hands vnto them tooke their horses by the bridles them selues by their weapons that at length he obtained of them that they woulde remaine there one daye at the least to helpe the Senators to saue them selues So Cato returning with them into the city he appointed some of them to ward at the gates put others also in garrison into the castell so that the three hūdred marchants quaked for feare least he would haue bene reuenged of them bicause of their returne with him Thereuppon they sent vnto Cato humbly to praye him to come vnto them in any case But the Senators flocking about him would not suffer him to go said that they would not cast away their sauior and protector to put him into traitors hands Then doutles all that were within VTICA plainly saw the vertue simplicity of Cato and found that there was no frawde nor deceite in him who hauing long time resolued to kill him selfe he only tooke that extreame paines care for others that their liues being saued he might then rid him selfe of his owne For men might easely see though he dissembled it that he was resolued to dye Whereupon hauing comforted the Senators he yeelded vnto the requests of the three hundred marchants went him selfe alone vnto them Then they thanked him much for his cōming and prayed him to commaund them boldly to trust them so that he would pardon them if they could not be all Catoes and would take pity of their faint harts though they were not so constant noble minded as he For they were determined to send vnto Caesar specially to intreate him for him and if that they could not obteine pardon for him then they were assured they could haue none for them selues and therfore would fight for the safety of him while they had any breath in their bodies Cato thanking them for their good wills answered that they should send quickely to craue pardon for them selues but to aske none for him For sayd he men that be ouercome haue offended it standeth them vpon to make humble sute and to craue pardon but for him selfe he was neuer ouercome in his life and yet had ouercome as much as he desired and had alwayes bene better then Caesar in iustice who only not him selfe was now taken and ouercome the thing being apparantly proued in sight against him which he had alwaies denied to haue practised against his contry When he had made this answere vnto the three hundred marchants he departed from them Newes being brought that Caesar was in his way with all his armie comming towards VTICA O goddes sayd he then he commeth against vs as against men Then turning vnto the Senators he gaue them counsell quickely to saue them selues whilest the horsemen were yet in the city So shutting all the gates of the city sauing that towards the hauen he appointed shippes for them all and set euery thing at a stay without tumult or disorder no man hauing iniurie offered him and gaue euerie one money to make way for their safetie When Marcus Octauius who came with two legions and camped hard by VTICA sent vnto Cato to determine which of them two should be Generall◠he made no aunswere but turning to his frends said How can we wonder any more that all goeth to wracke with vs fith there is suche ambition amongst vs for the gouernmēt euen now when we are at the last cast In the meane time word was brought him how the horsemen going their way were spoyling of the citizens goods as a lawfull pray in warre He straight ran thither him selfe and the first he met withall he tooke from them that they had gotten The rest before he came vnto them threw downe that they were carying away hanging downe their heades for shame they went their way and said nothing Then Cato calling all the citizens of VTICA together prayed them not to incense nor moue Caesar against the three hundred but rather to craue of him pardon for thē all Then he went againe to the peere and there imbracing his frends taking his leaue of them all he brought them to their shippes Now for his sonne he did not coūsell him to go neither did he thinke it mete to vrge him to forsake his father Furthermore there was one Statilius a young man in his companie of a noble corage that was determined to follow the inuincible constancy of Cato who counselled him to take the sea and to saile away with the rest bicause he knew he was Caesars mortall enemy Statilius said he would not go Then Cato turning him vnto Apollonides a Stoick Philospher vnto Demetrius a Peripatetick Philosopher said you must take this stowt young man to perswade him to obey vnto necessity Cato him selfe in the meane time sent away the rest did minister iustice vnto them that required it spending all that night the next day about those matters Then Lucius Caesar the kinseman of Iulius Caesar the conqueror being chosen by the three hundred to goe make sute vnto him for them all came and prayed Cato to help him to make his oration which he should say vnto Caesar for them all and as for thee Cato said he I will kisse his hands and fall downe on my knees before him to intreate him for thee Nay said Cato thou shalt not do so For if I would saue my life by Caesars grace I could do it if I would but go vnto him howbeit I will not be bound to a tyran for iniustice For it is an iniustice in him to take vpō him as a Lord soueraine to saue a mans life when him selfe hath no authority to commaund But yet let vs consider if thou wilt what thou shalt say to craue pardon for the three hundred So they were a while together considering
be the better beliked and to be fine and trimme in his apparell and to cast vpon him a plaine spanish cape taking pleasure in the dyet bathes and manner of the auncient LACONIAN life and openly boasted besides that he would not desire to be king but onely for the hope he had to restore the auncient LACONIAN life by his authority Then began the state of LACEDAEMON first to be corrupted and to leaue her auncient discipline when the LACEDAEMONIANS hauing subdued the Empire of the ATHENIANS stored them selues contry both with plenty of gold siluer But yet reseruing still the lands left vnto them by succession from their fathers according vnto Lycurgus first ordinaunce institucion for diuision of the landes amongest them which ordinaunce and equalitie being inuiolably kept amongest them did yet preserue the common wealth from defamation of diuers other notorious crimes Vntil the time of the authoritie of Epitadeus one of the Ephores a seditious man and of prowde conditions who bitterly falling out with his own sonne preferred a law that euery man might lawfully giue his landes and goods whilest he liued or after his death by testament vnto any man whom he liked or thought well of Thus this man made this law to satisfie his anger others also did confirme it for couetousnes sake and so ouerthrew a noble ordinaunce For the riche men then began to buy lands of numbers and so transferred it from the right lawful heires whereby a few men in short time being made very riche immediatly after there fell out great pouertie in the citie of SPARTA which made all honest sciences to cease brought in thereuppon vnlawfull occupacions who enuyed them that were wealthy Therefore there remayned not aboue seuen hundred naturall Citizens of SPARTA in all of them not aboue a hundred that had lands and inheritance for all the rest were poore people in the citie and were of no countenaunce nor calling besides that went vnwillingly to the warres against their enemies looking euery day for sturre and chaunge in the citie Agis therefore thinking it a notable good acte as in deede it was to replenish the citie of SPARTA againe and to bringe in the old equalitie he moued the matter vnto the Citizens He found the youth against all hope to giue good eare vnto him and very well giuen vnto vertue easily chaunging their garments life to recouer their libertie againe But the oldest men which were now euen rotten with couetousnes and corruption they were affraid to returne againe to the straight ordinaunces of Lycurgus as a slaue and ronneagate from his Maister that trembleth when he is brought back againe vnto him Therefore they reproued Agis when he did lament before them their present miserable estate and wishe also for the former auncient honor and true dignitie of SPARTA Howbeit Lysander the sonne of Lybis and Mandroclidas the sonne of Esphanes and Agesilaus also greatly commended his noble desire and perswaded him to goe forward withall This Lysander was of great authoritie and estimation amongest them in the citie Mandroclidas was also very wise and carefull about any matter of counsell and with his wisedom and policy very valiant Agesilaus in like manner the kings Vncle and an eloquent man was very effeminate and couetous and yet prickt forward to giue his furtherance to this attempt as it appeared by his sonne Hippomedon who was a notable good souldier and could doe very much by meanes of the loue and good will the younge men did beare him But in deede the secret cause that brought Agesilaus to consent vnto this practise was the greatnes of his dette which he ought of the which he hoped to be discharged by chaunging of the state and common wealth Now when Agis had wonne him he fought by his meanes to drawe his mother also vnto the matter which was Agesilaus sister She could doe very much by the number of her friendes followers and detters in the citie by whose meanes she ruled the most part of the affayres of the citie after her owne pleasure But the young man Hippomedon making her priuie vnto it at the first she was amased withall and bad him hold his peace if he were wise and not medle in matters vnpossible and vnprofitable But when Agesilaus had told her what a notable acte it would be and how easily it might be brought to passe with maruelous great profit and that king Agis beganne also to strayne her with great intreatie that she would willingly depart with her goods to winne her sonne honor and glory who though he could not in money and riches come to be like vnto other kinges bicause the slaues and factors onely of the kinges Seleucus and Ptolomy had more money then all the kings of SPARTA had together that euer raigned yet if in temperance thriftines noble mind exceeding all their vanities he could come to restore the LACEDAEMONIANS againe vnto equalitie that then in deede he should be counted a noble king These women being stirred vp with ambition by these perswasions of the younge man seeing him so nobly bent as if by the goddes their mindes had secretly bene inflamed with the loue of vertue did presently alter their mindes in such sort that they them selues did pricke forward Agis and sent for their friends to pray and intreate them to fauor his enterprise and furthermore they brought on other women also knowing that the LACEDAEMONIANS did euer heare and beleeue their wiues suffering them to vnderstand more of the affayres of the state then they them selues did of their priuate estate at home Herein is to be considered that the most part of the riches of LACEDAEMON was in the handes of the women and therefore they were against it not onely bicause thereby they were cut of from their finenes and excesse in the which being ignorant of the true good in deede they put all their felicitie but also bicause they sawe their honor and authoritie which they had by their riches cleane troden vnder foote Therefore they comming to Leonidas they did perswade him to reproue Agis bicause he was elder man then he and to let that this enterprise went not forward Leonidas did what he could in fauour of the riche but fearing the common people who desired nothing but alteracion he durst not openly speake against him but secretly he did the best he could to hinder Agis practise talking with the Magistrates of the citie and accusing Agis vnto them he told them how he did offer the riche mens goods vnto the poore the diuision of their landes and the abolishing of all detts for rewarde to put the tyrannie into his handes and that thereby he got him a stronge gard vnto him selfe but not many Citizens vnto SPARTA This notwithstanding king Agis hauing procured Lysander to be chosen one of the Ephores he presently preferred his lawe vnto the counsell The articles whereof were these
against him he allured Cleombrotus his sonne in law being also of the kings blood to make title to the crowne Leonidas being affraid of the successe hereof tooke sanctuary in the temple of Iuno surnamed Chalceoecos his Daughter with him who forsooke her husband Cleombrotus Leonidas then being cited to appeare in person making default they deposed him made Cleombrotus king In the meane time Lysanders office expired the new Ephori which succeded him deliuer Leonidas againe and accused Lysander Mandroclidas because against the law they had abolished all debts had againe made newe diuision of lands When they sawe they were openly accused they incensed both the kinges that ioyning together they shoulde make the Ephores ordinaunces of no effect declaring that their authority was onely erected for the discord of the two kings bicause they should giue their voices vnto that king that had the best iudgemēt reason whē the other would wilfully withstand both right reason And therfore that they two agreing together might lawfully do what they would without cōtrolment of any person that to resist the kings was a breaking of the lawe sith that by right the Ephori had no other priuileage authority but to be iudges arbitrators betwene thē when there was any cause of iarre or controuersie Both the kings being caried away by this perswasion went into the market place accōpanied with their frends plucked the Ephores from their seates put others in their roomes of the which Agesilaus was one Furthermore they armed a great number of yong men opening the prisons did set the prisoners as liberty the which made their aduersaries affraid of thē doubting some great murther would haue followed vpon it howbeit no man had any hurt For Agesilaus being bent to kill Leonidas who fled vnto the city of TEGEA hauing also laid men in waite for him by the way king Agis hearing of it sent thither other frends of his in whom he put great confidence they did accōpany Leonidas brought him safely vnto the city of TEGEA Thus their purpose taking effect no man cōtrarying thē one man only Agesilaus ouerthrew all dashed a noble LACONIAN law by a shamful vice which was couetousnes For he being a great landed man hauing the best lands of any man in the contry owing a great summe of money besides would nether pay his detts nor let go his land Wherfore he perswaded king Agis that if he wēt about to stablish both together he should raise a great vptore in the city withall if he did first winne them that were landed men preferring at the beginning the cutting of of dets only then that they would easily willingly also accept the law for partition of lands Lysander was also of his opinion wherby king Agis he both were deceiued by Agesilaus subtlety So they cōmaunded al the creditors to bring their bonds obligations bils of det which the LACEDAEMONIANS do cal Claria into the market place and there laying them on a heape together they did set fire of them When the vsurers creditors saw their writings obligatory afire they departed thence with heauy harts but Agesilaus mocking thē said he neuer saw a brighter fire in his life The people then requiring that the lands also should be presently deuided the kings likewise commaūding in Agesilaus stil interposing some cause of lex delaied time vntill oportunitye serued that king Agis should go to the warres for that the ACHAIANS their confederats had praied aide of LACEDAEMON being bound thereunto by the league confirmed betwene them bicause they looked daily that the AETOLIANS cōming through the contry of MEGARA would inuade PELOPONNESVS Aratus general of the ACHAIANS had leauied a great army to withstād their inuasion had also written vnto the Ephores that they should send thē aide Wheruppon they presently sent king Agis perceiuing also the readines and good wil of the souldiers which were appointed to go with him For the most of thē were young men needy who seing thē selues discharged of the feare of their dets hoping also at their return that the lāds likewise should be deuided among thē they went with glad harts were obedient vnto king Agis So that the cities where through they passed wondred how they came through all PELOPONNESVS from the one side to the other very quietly without noyse or offence to any man Likewise many GRAECIANS calling to mind the aūcient times told one another that it was a noble fight then to see the army of LACEDAEMON whē they were led by Agesilaus Lysander Leonidas famous captaines sith now they saw so great obedience vnto Agis by his souldiers who was in maner the yōgest mā of all his campe Who also glorying to be cōtēt with litle to away with paines not to be more costly apparelled armed thē any priuat souldier he had he wanne him self therby a maruelous loue of the people Howbeit the rich mē liked not this chaung were affraid lest Agis should giue other people example to rise also to do the like with theirs as he had done Agis meting with Aratus by the city of CORINTHE euen as he was consulting whether he should fight with his enemy or not shewed him self in his coūsel then no rash but a resolute valiant man. For he told him that for his opinion he thought it better to fight not to suffer the warre to come any futher leauing the entry into PELOPONNESVS free to their enemy neuertheles that he would do what Aratus thought good bicause he was the elder and general also of the ACHAIANS whom he came not to cōmaund but to aide thē But Baton SINOPIAN writeth that king Agis would not fight though Aratus was willing howbeit he had not red that which Aratus had writtē for his excuse iustificatiō alleaging there that the farmers husbādmē hauing brought all the corne into their barnes he thought it better to suffer the enemies to come further into the contry rather then to hazard battel to the losse of the whole cōtry of PELOPONNESVS that therfore he licenced al the confederats to depart brake vp his army So king Agis returned home again greatly honored of al thē that serued with him in this iorney finding the city of SPARTA thē in great broile trouble For Agesilaus at that time being one of the Ephores finding him self rid of the feare which before kept him vnder cared not what iniury or mischief he did to any citizen so he might get money For amongest other things that very yere he made thē pay beyond al reason the tallages taxes due vnto the cōmō wealth for thirtene moneths adding to the thirtenth moneth aboue the ordinary time of the yere Wherfore perceiuing euery mā hated him being affraid of thē he had offended he kept souldiers about him
and minstrells that came from MESSINA he sette vp a stage within the enemies contrie made a game of 40. Minas for the victor and sate a whole day to looke apon them for no pleasure he tooke in the sight of it but more to despite the enemies withall in making them see how muche he was stronger then they to make such a Mayegame in their owne contrie in despite of them For of all the armies otherwise of the GRAECIANS or kinges in all GRAECE there was no armie onely but his that was without players minstrells fooles and iugglers for his campe only was cleane of such rabble and foolerie and all the young men fell to some exercise of their bodies and the old men also to teache them And if they chaunced to haue any vacant time then they would pleasauntly be one merie with an other in geuing some pretie fine mocke after the LACONIAN manner And what profit they got by that kinde of exercise we haue written it at large in Lycurgus life But of all these things the king him selfe was their schoolemaister and example shewing him selfe very temperate of life and plaine without curiositie no more then any priuate souldier of all his campe the which were great helpes vnto him in his enterprises he made in GRAECE For the GRAECIANS hauing cause of sute and negociacion with other kings and Princes did not wonder so much at their pompe and riches as they did abhorre and detest their pride and insolencie so disdainfully they would aunswere them that had to doe with them But contrarily when they went vnto Cleomenes who was a king in name and deede as they were finding no purple robes nor stately mantells nor rich imbrodered beddes nor a Prince to be spoken to but by messengers gentlemen vshers and supplications and yet with great a doe and seeing him also come plainly apparelled vnto them with a good countenaunce and curteously aunswering the matters they came for he thereby did maruelously win their harts and good wills that when they returned home they said he only was the worthy king that came of the race of Hercules Now for his dyet at his bord that was very straight and LACONIAN like keping only three bords and if he chaunced to feast any Ambassadors or other his frendes that came to see him he then added to two other bords and besides made his men to see that his fare should be amended not with pastrie and conserues but with more store of meate and some better wyne then ordinarie For he one day reproued one of his frendes that bidding straungers to supper he gaue thē nothing but blacke broth browne bread only according to their LACONIAN maner Nay said he we may not vse straungers so hardly after our maner The bord being taken vp an other litle table was brought with three feete whereupon they set a bolle of copper full of wyne and two siluer cuppes of a pottell a peece and certaine other fewe siluer pottes besides so euery man dranke what they lifted and no man was forced to drinke more then he woulde Furthermore there was no sporte nor any pleasaunt song soung to make the companie merie for it needed not For Cleomenes selfe would entertaine them with some pretie questions or pleasaunt tale whereby as his talke was not seuere and without pleasure so was it also pleasaunt without insolencie For he was of opinion that to winne men by gifts or money as other kings and Princes did was but base and cloynelike but to seeke their good wills by curteous meanes and pleasauntnes and therewith to meane good faith that he thought most fit and honorable for a Prince For this was his minde that there was no other difference betwext a frend and hyerling but that the one is wonne with money and the other with ciuility good entertainment The first therefore that receiued king Cleomenes into their citie were the MANTINIANS who opened him the gates in the night and helping him to driue out the garrison of the ACHAIANS they yeelded them selues vnto him But he referring them to the vse and gouernment of their owne lawes and libertie departed from thence the same day and went vnto the citie of TEGEA Shortly after he compassed about ARCADIA and came vnto PHERES in ARCADIA determining one of the two either to geue the ACHAIANS battell or to bring Aratus out of fauor with the people for that he had suffred him to spoyle and destroy their contry Hyperbatas was at that time Generall of the ACHAIANS but Aratus did beare all the sway and authoritie Then the ACHAIANS comming into the field with all their people armed and encamping by the citie of DYMES neere vnto the temple of Hecatombaum Cleomenes going thither laye betwext the citie of DYMES that was against him and the campe of his enemies which men thought a verie vnwise parte of him Howebeit valliantly prouoking the ACHAIANS he procured them to the battell ouerthrew them made them flie and slue a great number in the field and tooke many of them also prisoners Departing from thence he went and set apon the citie of LANGON and draue the garrison of the ACHAIANS out of it and restored the citie againe vnto the ELIANS The ACHAIANS being then in verie hard state Aratus that of custome was wont to be their Generall or at the least once in two yeares refused now to take the charge notwithstanding the ACHAIANS did specially pray and intreate him the which was in ill act of him to let an other steere the rudder in so daungerous a storme and tempest Therefore the ACHAIANS sent Ambassadors vnto Cleomenes to treate peace vnto whome it seemed he gaue a verie sharpe aunswere After that he sent vnto them and willed them only to resigne the signiorie of GRAECE vnto him and that for all other matters he would deale reasonably with them and presently deliuer them vp their townes prisoners againe which he had taken of theirs The ACHAIANS being glad of peace with these condicions wrote vnto Cleomenes that he shoulde come vnto the citie of LERNA where the dyet and generall assemblie shoulde be kept to consult thereupon It chaunced then that Cleomenes marching thither being very hotte dranke cold water and fell of suche a bleeding withall that his voyce was taken from him and he almost stifled Wherefore he sent the ACHAIANS their chiefest prisoners home againe proroging the parlament till an other time and returned backe to LACEDAEMON It is supposed certainly that this let of his comming to the dyet was the onely cause of the vtter destruction of GRAECE the which otherwise was in good way to haue risen againe and to haue bene deliuered from the present miseries and extreame pride and couetousnes of the MACEDONIANS For Aratus either for that he trusted not Cleomenes or for that he was affrayed of his power or that he otherwise enuied his honor prosperitie to see him risen to such
thought Tiberius a wise man for that he dyed and left her behind him She remayning widow king Ptolomy made sute vnto her and would haue made her his wife and Queene But she refused and in her widowehed lost all her children but one Daughter whome she bestowed vpon the younger Scipio African and Tiberius and Caius whose liues we presently write Those she so carefully brought vp that they being become more ciuill and better conditioned then any other ROMANES in their time euery man iudged that education preuailed more in them then nature For as in the fauors and pictures of Castor and Pollux there is a certaine difference discerned whereby a man may know that the one was made for wrestling and the other for running euen so betwene these two young brethren amongest other the great likenes betwene them being both happely borne to be valiant to be temperate to be liberall to be learned and to be nobly minded there grew notwithstanding great difference in their actions and doings in the common wealth the which I thinke conuenient to declare before I proceede any farther First of all for the sauor of the face the looke and mouing of the bodye Tiberius was much more milde and tractable and Caius more hotte and earnest For the first in his orations was very modest and kept his place and the other of all the ROMANES was the first that in his oration ietted vp and downe the pulpit and that plucked his gowne ouer his showlders as they write of Cleo ATHENIAN that he was the first of all Orators that opened his gowne and clapped his hand on his thighe in his oration Furthermore Caius wordes and the vehemencie of his perswasion were terrible and full of passion but Tiberius wordes in contrary manner were mild and moued men more to compassion beeing very propper and excellently applyed where Caius wordes were full of finenes and curiositie The like difference also was betwene them in their fare and dyet For Tiberius alwayes kept a conuenient ordinarie and Caius also in respect of other ROMANES liued very temperately but in respect of his brothers fare curiously and superfluously Insomuch as Drusus on a ryme reproued him bicause he had bought certayne Dolphyns of siluer to the value of a thowsand two hundred and fiftie Drachmas for euery pownd waight And now as touching the manners and naturall disposition of them both agreeing with the diuersitie of their tongues the one being milde and plausible and the other hotte and chollerike insomuch that otherwile forgetting him selfe in his oration agaynst his will he would be very earnest and strayne his voice beyond his compasse and so with great vncomelines confound his wordes Yet finding his owne fault he deuised this remedye He had a seruaunt called Licinius a good wise man who with an instrument of Musicke he had by the which they teache men to ryse and fall in their tunes when he was in his oration he euer stoode behinde him and when he perceyued that his Maisters voyce was a litle too lowde and that through choller he exceeded his ordinary speache he played a softe stoppe behinde him at the sownde whereof Caius immediately fell from his extreamitie and easily came to him selfe agayne And here was the diuersitie betweene them Otherwise for their hardines against their enemies the iustice vnto their tennaunts the care and paynes in their offices of charge and also their continencie against voluptuousnes in all these they were both alike For age Tiberius was elder by nyne yeares by reason whereof their seuerall authoritie and doings in the common wealth fell out at sundry times And this was one of the chiefest causes why their doings prospered not bicause they had not both authoritie in one selfe time nether could they ioyne their power together the which if it had mette at one selfe time had bene of great force peraduenture inuincible Wherefore we must write perticularly of them both but first of all we must begin with the elder He when he came to mans state had such a name and estimacion that immediatly they made him fellow in the colledge of the Priest which at ROME are called Augures being those that haue the charge to consider of signes and predictions of things to come more for his valiantnes then for nobility The same doth Appius Clodius witnesse vnto vs one that hath bene both Consul and Censor also President of the Senate and of greater authoritie then any man in his time This Appius at a supper when all the Augures were together after he had saluted Tiberius made very much of him he offered him his daughter in mariage Tiberius was very glad of the offer and therewithall the mariage was presently concluded betwene them Thereuppon Appius comming home to his house at the threshold of his dore he called a lowd for his wife and told her Antistia I haue bestowed our Daughter Clodia She wondring at it ô goddes sayd she and what needed all this haste what couldest thou haue done more if thou haddest gotten her Tiberius Gracchus for her husband I know that some refer this historie vnto Tiberius father of these two men we write of and vnto Scipio the AFRICAN but the most part of writers agree with that we write at this present And Polybius him selfe also writeth that after the death of Scipio AFRICAN his friendes beeing met together they chose Tiberius before all the other younge men of the citie to marye him vnto Cornelia being free and vnpromised or bestowed apon any man by her father Now Tiberius the yonger being in the warres in AFRICAN vnder Scipio the second who had maryed his sister lying in his tent with him he found his Captaine indued with many noble giftes of nature to allure mens harts to desire to follow his valiantnes So in a short tyme he did excell all the younge men of his tyme aswell in obedience at in the valiantnes of his person insomuch that he was the first man that scaled the walles of the enemies as Fannius reporteth who sayeth that he scaled the walles with him and did helpe him to that valiant enterprise So that being present all the campe were in loue with him when he was absent euery man wished for him againe After this warre was ended he was chosen Treasorer and it was his chaunce to goe against the NVMANTINES with Caius Mancinus one of the Consuls who was an honest man but yet had the worst lucke of any Captaine the ROMANES had Notwithstanding Tiberius wisedome and valiantnes in this extreame ill lucke of his Captaine did not onely appeare with great glorye to him but also most wonderfull the great obedience and reuerence he bare vnto his Captaine though his misfortunes did so trouble and grieue him that he could not tell him selfe whether he was Captaine or not For when he was ouerthrowen in great foughten fieldes he departed in the night and left his campe The
accused did nether did he weare any mourning gowne the which was as it seemed one of the chiefest causes that condemned him Yet many held opinion that this timerousnes of Cicero came rather of the goodwill he bare vnto his friends then of any cowardly minde of him selfe He was also chosen one of the Priestes of the Soothesayers which they call Augures in the roome of P. Crassus the younger who was slayne in the Realme of PARTHIA Afterwardes the prouince of CILICIA being appoynted to him with an armie of twelue thowsand footemen and two thowsand fiue hundred horsemen he tooke the sea to goe thither So when he was arriued there he brought CAPPADOCIA agayne into the subiection and obedience of king Ariobarzanes according to his commission and commaundement giuen by the Senate moreouer both there and elsewhere he tooke as excellent good order as could be deuised in reducing of thinges to quietnes without warres Furthermore finding that the CILICIANS were growen somewhat stowt and vnruly by the ouerthrowe the ROMANES had of the PARTHIANS and by reason of the rising and rebellion in SYRIA he brought them vnto reason by gentle perswasions and neuer receiued giftes that were sent him no not from Kinges and Princes Furthermore he did disburden the prouinces of the feastes and banckets they were wont to make other gouernors before him On the other side also he woulde euer haue the company of good and learned men at his table and would vse them well without curiositie and excesse He had neuer porter to his gate nor was seene by any man in his bed For he would alwayes rise at the breake of daye and would walke or stande before his dore He would curteously receiue all them that came to salute and visite him Further they report of him that he neuer caused man to be beaten with roddes nor to teare his owne garments In his anger he neuer reuiled any man nether did dispightfully set fine vpon any mans heade Finding many thinges also belonging to the common wealth which priuate men had stollen and imbecelled to their owne vse he restored them agayne vnto the cities whereby they grewe very riche and wealthie and yet did he saue their honor and credit that had taken them away and did them no other hurte but onely constrayned them to restore that which was the common wealthes He made a litle warre also and draue away the theeues that kept about the Mountayne Amanus for the which exployte his souldiers called him Imperator to saye chiefe Captaine About that tyme there was an Orator called Caecilius who wrote vnto him from ROME to praye him to sende him some Leoperds or Panthers out of CILICIA bicause he woulde shewe the people some pastyme with them Cicero boasting of his doinges wrote to him agayne that there were no more Leoperds in CILICIA but that they were all fledde into CARIA for anger that seeing all thinges quiet in CILICIA they had leasure now to hunte them So when he returned towardes ROME from the charge of his gouernment he came by RHODES and stayed a few dayes at ATHENS with great delight to remember how pleasauntly he liued there before at what time he studied there Thither came to him the chiefest learned men of the citie and his frendes also with whom he was acquainted at his first being there In fine hauing receiued all the honorable enterteinment in GRAECE that could be he returned vnto ROME where at his arriuall he found great factions kindled the which men saw plainly would growe in the ende to ciuill warre Thereuppon the Senate hauing decreed that he should enter in triumphe into the citie he aunswered that he would rather all parties agreed follow Caesars coche in triumphe So he trauelled verie earnestly betwene Pompey and Caesar eftsoones wryting vnto Caesar and also speaking vnto Pompey that was present seeking all the meanes he coulde to take vp the quarrell and misliking betwext them two But it was so impossible a matter that there was no speeche of agreement woulde take place So Pompey hearing that Caesar was not farre from ROME he durst no lenger abide in ROME but fled with diuers of the greatest men in ROME Cicero would not followe him when he fled and therefore men thought he would take parte with Caesar but this is certaine that he was in a maruelous perplexitie and could not easely determine what way to take Whereuppon he wrote in his Epistells what way should I take Pompey hath the iuster and honester cause of warre but Caesar can better execute and prouide for him selfe and his frendes with better safetie so that I haue meanes enow to flie but none to whome I might repaire In all this sturre there was one of Caesars frendes called Trebatius which wrote a letter vnto Cicero and told him that Caesar wished him in any case to come to him and to run with him the hope fortune he vndertooke but if he excused him selfe by his age that then he should get him into GRAECE and there to be quiet from them both Cicero marueling that Caesar wrote not to him him selfe aunswered in anger that he would doe nothing vnworthie of his actes all the dayes of his life thitherto to this effect he wrote in his letters Now Caesar being gone into SPAYNE Cicero imbarked immediatly to go to Pompey So when he came vnto him euery man was very glad of his comming but Cato Howbeit Cato secretly reproued him for comming vnto Pompey saying that for him selfe he had bene without all honestie at that time to haue forsaken that parte the which he had alwayes taken and followed from the beginning of his first practise in the common wealth but for him on thother side that it had bene better for the safetie of his contrie and chiefly for all his frendes that he had bene a newter to both and so to haue taken thinges as they had fallen out and that he had no maner of reason nor instant cause to make him to become Caesars enemie and by comming thither to put him selfe into so great perill These perswasions of Cato ouerthrewe all Ciceroes purpose and determination besides that Pompey him selfe did not employe him in any matter of seruice or importance But hereof him selfe was more in fault then Pompey bicause he confessed openly that he did repent him he was come thither Furthermore he scorned and disdained all Pompeys preparacions and counsells the which in deede made him to be had in gealousie and suspicion Also he would euer be steering and gybing at those that tooke Pompeys parte though he had no list him selfe to be merie He would also goe vp and downe the campe very sad and heauy but yet he woulde euer haue one geast or other to make men laugh although they had as litle lust to be merie as he and surely it shall doe no hurte to call some of them to minde in this place Domitius being verie desirous to
GRAECIANS doings adding thereunto all the fables and deuises which they doe write and reporte he was hindered of his purpose against his will by many open and priuate troubles that came vpon him at once whereof notwithstanding he him selfe was cause of the most of them For first of all he did put away his wife Terentia bicause she had made but small accompt of him in all the warres so that he departed from ROME hauing no necessarie thing with him to enterteine him out of his contrie and yet when he came backe againe into ITALIE she neuer shewed any sparke of loue or good will towardes him For she neuer came to BRVNDVSIVM to him where he remeyned a long time and worse then that his daughter hauing the hart to take so long a iorney in hand to goe to him she neither gaue her company to conduct her nor money or other furniture conuenient for her but so handled the matter that Cicero at his returne to ROME founde bare walles in his house and nothing in it and yet greatly brought in det besides And these were the honestest causes alleaged for their diuorse But besides that Terentia denyed all these Cicero him selfe gaue her a good occasion to cleere her selfe bicause he shortly after maried a young maiden being fallen in fancie with her as Terentia sayd for her beawtie or as Tyro his seruaunt wrote for her riches to th ende that with her goods he might pay his dets For she was very rich Cicero also was appointed her gardian she being left sole heire Now bicause he ought a maruelous summe of money his parents and frends did counsell him to mary this young maiden notwithstanding he was too olde for her bicause that with her goodes he might satisfie his creditors But Antonius speaking of this mariage of Cicero in his aunswers Orations he made against the PHILIPPIANS he doth reproue him for that he put away his wife with whome he was growen olde being merie with him by the way for that he had bene an idle man and neuer went from the smoke of his chimney nor had bene abroade in the warres in any seruice of his contrie or common wealth Shortly after that he had maried his second wife his daughter dyed in labor of child in Lentulus house whose seconde wife she was being before maried vnto Piso who was her first husband So the Philosophers and learned men came of all sides to comfort him but he tooke her death so sorowfully that he put away his second wife bicause he thought she did reioyce at the death of his daughter And thus muche touching the state and troubles of his house Nowe touching the conspiracie against Caesar he was not made priuie to it although he was one of Brutus greatest frendes and that it grieued him to see thinges in that state they were brought vnto and albeit also he wished for the time past as much as any other man did But in deede the conspirators were affrayed of his nature that lacked hardinesse and of his age the which oftentimes maketh the stowtest and most hardiest natures faint harted cowardly Notwithstanding the conspiracie being executed by Brutus and Cassius Caesars frendes beinge gathered together euerie man was affrayed that the citie woulde againe fall into ciuill warres And Antonius also who was Consul at that time did assemble the Senate and made some speache and mocion then to draw things againe vnto quietnes But Cicero hauing vsed diuers perswasions fit for the time in the end he moued the Senate to decree following the example of the ATHENIANS a generall obliuion of thinges done against Caesar and to assigne vnto Brutus and Cassius some gouernmentes of prouinces Howbeit nothing was concluded for the people of them selues were sorie when they sawe Caesars bodie brought through the market place And when Antonius also did shew them his gowne all be bloodied cut throst through with swordes then they were like madde men for anger and sought vp and downe the market place if they coulde meete with any of them that had slaine him and taking fire brandes in their handes they ranne to their houses to set them a fire But the conspirators hauing preuented this daunger saued them selues and fearing that if they taried at ROME they should haue many such alaroms they forsooke the citie Then Antonius began to looke aloft and became fearefull to all men as though he ment to make him selfe king but yet most of all vnto Cicero aboue all others For Antonius perceiuing that Cicero began againe to increase in credit and authoritie and knowing that he was Brutus very frend he did mislike to see him come neere him and besides there was at that time some gealousie betwext them for the diuersitie and difference of their manners and disposicions Cicero being affrayed of this was first of all in minde to go with Dolabella to his prouince of SYRIA as one of his Lieutenaunts But they that were appointed to be Consuls the next yeare following after Antonius two noble citizens Ciceroes great frends Hircius Pansa they intreated him not to forsake them vndertaking that they would plucke downe this ouergreat power of Antonius so he would remaine with them But Cicero neither beleuing not altogether mistrusting them forsooke Dolabella and promised Hircius and Pansa that he would spend the sommer at ATHENS and that he would returne againe to ROME so soone as they were entred into their Consulship With this determination Cicero tooke sea alone to goe into GRAECE But as it chaunceth oftentimes there was some let that kept him he could not saile and newes came to him daily from ROME as the manner is that Antonius was wonderfully chaunged and that nowe he did nothing any more without the authoritie consent of the Senate that there lacked no thing but his person to make all things well Then Cicero condemning his dastardly feare returned foorthwith to ROME not being deceiued in his first hope For there came suche a number of people out to meete him that he coulde doe nothing all day long but take them by the handes and imbrace them who to honor him came to meete him at the gate of the citie as also by the way to bring him to his house The next morning Antonius assembled the Senate and called for Cicero by name Cicero refused to goe and kept his bedde fayning that he was werie with his iorney and paines he had taken the day before but in deede the cause why he went not was for feare and suspicion of an ambushe that was layed for him by the way if he had gone as he was informed by one of his verie good frends Antonius was maruelously offended that they did wrongfully accuse him for laying of any ambush for him and therefore sent souldiers to his house and commaunded them to bring him by force or else to sette his house a fire After that time Cicero and he were
alwayes at iarre but yet coldly enough one of them taking heede of an other vntill that the young Caesar returning from the citie of APOLLONIA came as lawfull heire vnto Iulius Caesar Dictator and had contencion with Antonius for the summe of two thowsande fiue hundred Myriades the which Antonius kept in his handes of his fathers goodes Thereuppon Philip who had maried the mother of this young Caesar and Marcellus who had also maried his sister went with young Caesar vnto Cicero and there agreed together that Cicero should helpe young Caesar with the fauour of his authoritie and eloquence as well towardes the Senate as also to the people and that Caesar in recompence of his good will should stande by Cicero with his money and souldiers For this young Caesar had many of his fathers old souldiers about him that had serued vnder him Now there was an other cause that made Cicero glad to imbrace the frendshippe of this young Caesar and that was this Whilest Pompey and Iulius Caesar were aliue and in good case Cicero dreamed one night that the Senators sonnes were called into the Capitoll bicause Iupiter had appointed to shew them him that one day should come to be Lord and king of ROME and that the ROMANES being desirous to see who it should be ranne all vnto the temple and that all the children likewise were waiting there in their goodly garded gownes of purple vntill that sodainly the dores of the temple were open then that al the children rose one after an other went and passed by the image of Iupiter who looked vpon them all and sent them discontented sauing this young Caesar vnto whom he put foorth his hand as he passed by and sayd My Lordes of ROME this childe is he that shall end all your ciuill warres when he commeth to be Lord of ROME Some say that Cicero had this vision in his dreame and that he caried in good memory the looke of this child howbeit that he knew him not and that the next morning he went of purpose into the fielde of Mars where these young boyes did exercise them selues who when he came thither had broken vp from playing and were going home and that amongest them he first saw him whom he had dreamed of and knew him verie well and musing at him the more asked him whose sonne he was The boy aunswered that he was the sonne of one Octauius a man otherwise of no great calling of Accia the sister of Iulius Caesar who hauing no childe made him his heire by his last will and testament and left him all his landes and goodes After that time it is reported that Cicero was verie glad to speake to him when he met with him and that the boy also liked Ciceroes frendshippe and making of him for by good happe the boy was borne the same yeare that Cicero was Consul And these be the reasons alleaged why Cicero did fauor this young Caesar. But in truth first of all the great malice he bare vnto Antonius and secondly his nature that was ambitious of honor were in my opinion the chiefest causes why he became young Caesars frend knowing that the force and power of his souldiers would greatly strengthen his authority and countenance in manedging the affaires of the state besides that the young man coulde flatter him so well that he called him father But Brutus being offended with him for it in his Epistells he wrote vnto Atticus he sharply reproueth Cicero saying that for feare of Antonius he flattered this young Caesar whereby it appeared he did not so much seeke for the libertie of ROME as he did procure him selfe a louing and gentle maister This notwithstanding Brutus brought with him Ciceroes sonne that studied Philosophie at ATHENS and gaue him charge of men vnder him and imployed him in great affaires wherein he shewed him selfe verie forward and valliant Now Ciceroes authoritie and power grew againe to be so great in ROME as euer it was before For he did what he thought good and so vexed Antonius that he draue him out of the citie and sent the two Consuls Hircius and Pansa against him to fight with him and caused the Senate also to decree that young Caesar should haue sergeaunts to carie roddes and axes before him and all other furniture for a Praetor as a man that fighteth for his contry After that Antonius had lost the battell and that both the Consuls were slaine both the armies came vnto Caesar. The Senate then being affraied of this young man that had so great good fortune they practised by honors and gifts to call the armies from him which he had about him and so to minish the greatnes of his power saying that their contrie now stoode in no neede of force nor feare of defence sith her enemie Antonius was fled and gone Caesar fearing this sent men secretly vnto Cicero to pray him to procure that they two together might be chosen Consuls and that when they should be in office he should doe and appoint what he thought good hauing the young man at his commaundement who desired no more but the honor only of the name Caesar him selfe confessed afterwardes that being affrayed he should haue bene vtterly cast away to haue bene left alone he finely serued his turne by Ciceroes ambition hauing perswaded him to require the Consulship through the helpe and assistance that he would geue him But there was Cicero finely colted as old as he was by a young man when he was contented to sue for the Consulship in his behalfe and to make the Senate agreable to it wherefore his frendes presently reproued him for it and shortly after he perceiued he had vndone him selfe and together also lost the libertie of his contrie For this young man Octauius Caesar being growen to be verie great by his meanes and procurement when he saw that he had the Consulshippe vpon him he forsooke Cicero and agreed with Antonius and Lepidus Then ioyning his armie with theirs he deuided the Empire of ROME with them as if it had bene lands left in common betwene them and besides that there was a bill made of two hundred men and vpwards whom they had appointed to be slaine But the greatest difficultie and difference that fell out betwene them was about the outlawing of Cicero For Antonius woulde hearken to no peace betwene them vnlesse Cicero were slaine first of all Lepidus was also in the same mind with Antonius but Caesar was against them both Their meeting was by the citie of BOLONIA where they continued three dayes together they three only secretly consulting in a place enuironned about with a litle riuer Some say that Caesar stuck hard with Cicero the two first dayes but at the third that he yeelded and forsooke him The exchaunge they agreed vpon betwene them was this Caesar forsooke Cicero Lepidus his owne brother Paulus and Antonius Lucius Caesar
not onely worthye the vnderstanding and riches of a king but also the forging and making by the handes of a great king For his friendes did not onely wonder at their greatnes but his very enemies also were delighted with the beautie of them And this is more true then meete to be spoken the enemies could but maruell when they sawe his gallies rowing alongest the coaste with fifteene or sixteene bankes of ores and his engines of batterie which they called Elepolis to saye engines to take cities were a spectacle of great admiration vnto those whome he beseeged as the euents following did throughly witnesse For Lysimachus who of all other kings did malice Demetrius most comming to raise the seege from the citie of SOLI in CILICIA the which Demetrius beseeged he sent vnto him to pray him to let him see his engines of batterie and his gallies rowing vppon the sea Demetrius graunting him Lysimachus returned with wonderfull admiration The RHODIANS also hauing long time defended his seege at the last made peace with him and prayed him to leaue some one of his engines with them for a perpetuall testimonie remembrance both of his power and also of their corage and valliantnes The cause why Demetrius made warre with the RHODIANS was bicause they were consederats with king Ptolomy he brought against their walles the greatest engine he had the foote whereof was like a tyle more long then broade and at the base on either side it was eyght and fortie cubits longe and three score and sixe highe rising still narrow euen to the very top so that they vpper partes were narrower then the nether within it were many prety roomes and places conueied for souldiers The forepart of it was open towards the enemie euery roome or partition had windowes out of the which they bestowed all kind of shot bicause they were full of armed men fighting with all sortes of weapons But nowe bicause it was so well framed and counterpeated that gaue no way nor reeld of ether side which way soeuer they remoued it but that it stoode fall and vpright vpon her foundacion making a terrible noyse and sownde that made the worke as wonderfull to behold as it was a maruelous pleasure for men to see it In this warre were brought vnto Demetrius two notable armors weying fortie pownd a peece and made by one Zoilus an armorer who to shewe the hardnes and goodnes of the temper suffered them to be proued and shot at at six score paces with the engines of their batterie and albeit the armors were shot at and hit yet were they neuer pearsed and but onely a litle race or skretch seene as it were of abodkin or penknife and had no more hurte Demetrius alwayes ware one of them in these warres and Alcimus ALBANIAN the other the strongest and valliantest and he had in all his hoast and that onely caried a complete armour weying sixe score pownd where all other souldiers ware none aboue threescore This Alcimus was slayne at RHODES valliantly â—â—ghting by the Theater In this seege the RHODIANS did valliantly defende them selue that Demetrius could doe no acte worthy memorie This notwithstanding although he sawe he could not preuaile but lose his tyme yet was he the more obstinately bene against them to be euen with them bicause they had taken a shippe of his in the which his wife Philâ— sent vnto him certaine hangings of tapestrie linnen apparell and letters and bicause they had sent them all vnto Ptolomy assoone as they had taken them But therein they did 〈…〉 follow the honest curtesie of the ATHENIANS who hauing intercepted certaine 〈…〉 Philips that made warre against them they opened all the letters they caried and 〈…〉 sauing onely his wife Olympiaes letters she sent him the which they sent vnto king Philip sealed as they were when they receiued them Nowe though this part did much greue and offend him yet he could not finde in his hart to serue them in that sorte when he might haue done it not longe after For by chaunce at that tyme Protogenes an excellent paynter borne in the city of CAVNVS did paynt them the draught of the citie of IALYSVS Demetrius found this table in a house in the suburbes of the citie being almost ended The RHODIANS thereuppon sending a Herauld vnto him to beseeche him to spare the defacing of so goodly a work he returned them aunswer that he would rather suffer his fathers images to be burnt then so excellent and passing a worke as that to be loste and brought to nothing For it is reported that Protogenes was seuen yeares drawing of the same and it is also sayde that Apelles himselfe when he sawe it did so wonder at it that his speeche fayled him and he stoode must a longe tyme and at last sayde surely there is a wonderfull peece of worke and of great labor yet they want those graces and ornaments whereby those that I paynt doe reache vnto heauen This table afterwardes being brought to ROME and hanged vp with others was in the ende burnt by fire Nowe as the RHODIANS were desirous to be rid of this warre and that Demetrius also was willing to take any honest occasion to doe it the Ambassadors of the ATHENIANS came happely to serue both their desires who made peace betweene them with these condicions That the RHODIANS shoulde be confederats with Antigonus and Demetrius against all men but Ptolomy onely The ATHENIANS sent for Demetrius vpon Cassander comming to laye seege to their citie Whereuppon Demetrius immediatly hoysed sayle towards ATHENS with three hundred and thirty gallies and a great number of men of warre besides so that he did not only driue Cassander out of the prouince of ATTICA but followed him euen to the straight of THERMOPYLES and there ouerthrew him in set battell and receiued the â—â—tie of HERACLEA which willingly yelded vnto him and sixe thowsand MACEDONIANS that came vnto him to take his part So in his returne backe he set all the GRAECIANS at libertie on this side the straight he made league with the BOEOTIANS and tooke the citie of CENECHâ—â—ES and the castells of PHYLE and PANACTOS in the fronters and confines of ATTICA in the which Cassander had left garrisons to keepe the contry in subiection and after he had dr 〈…〉 them out of the contry he rendred the forts againe vnto the ATHENIANS Therefore though it seemed the ATHENIANS had before bestowed to their vttermost power all kinds of honors that could be offered him euery man striuing for life to preferre the same yet they found out new deuises to flatter and please him For they ordeyned that the place behind the temple of Minerua called Parthenon as who would say the temple of the virgin should be prepared for his house to lye in and they sayd that the goddesse Minarua did lodge him with her But to say truely he was too vnchast
was many tymes also out of fauor as at that present tyme when he had no authoritie nor estimation he deuised a stratageame whereby he saued the king and all his campe In this contry of the CADVSIANS there were two kinges in the field with their armies both of them camped a sonder one from the other Tiribazus after he had spoken with king Artaxerxes and had tolde him what he ment to doe he went vnto one of the kinges and at the selfe same tyme also secretly sent his sonne vnto the other king and told either of them that the other king had sent Ambassadors vnto Artaxerxes to make peace with him vnwitting to his companion and therefore he counselled him if they were wise one of them to seeke to preuent another with all the possible speede he could and promised them both one after another to helpe them the best he could Both the one and the other of the kings gaue credit to his wordes either of them both mistrusting one another so that the one speedily sent his Ambassadors vnto king Artaxerxes with Tiribazus and the other also his Ambassadors with his sonne But Tiribazus tarying long in his iorney king Artaxerxes beganne somewhat to suspect him his enemies also did accuse him in his absence and the king grewe very chollerycke and repented him that he had trusted him so farre and was willing to heare euery man that spake against him Howbeit Tiribazus at length returned and his sonne also and either of them brought with them the Ambassadors of the CADVSIANS and so peace was taken with them both Then was Tiribazus aloft againe and in greater credit then euer he was and so departed with the king The king then shewed plainely that cowardlines proceedeth not of pompe and curiositie as some take it beleuing that it doth effeminate mens harts but rather of a vile base mind that commonly followeth euill and the worst counsell For nether the iewells of gold the kingly robes nor other sumptuous ornaments which the king euer ware about him worth twelue thousand talents as it is reported did not hinder him at that tyme to trauaile and to take as much payne as any man in all his army For he him selfe marched a foote the foremost man carying his owne trufle in a scarfe vppon his shoulders and his target on his arme and trauelled through highe stony mountaines So that his souldiers seeing the corage and payne the king him selfe tooke they marched so nymbly that it seemed they had wings for he dayly marched aboue two hundred furlongs Now the king at length by sore trauell came to one of his owne houses where there were goodly arbors and parkes with goodly trees passingly sette forth but all the contry besides was naked and barren so that there was not a tree a great way from thence and it was maruelous cold The king suffred his souldiers to hewe downe the goodly pynes and cypres trees in his parkes and bicause they durst not presume to touch them he him selfe as he was tooke an axe in his hande and beganne to bewe downe the goodliest tree there The souldiers seeing that fell euery man of them also to hewing so that in a very short tyme they had prouided themselues well with wodde and made them great fires in euery place and so past ouer the night quietly by the fires side This notwithstanding he lost a great number of valliant men in this voyage and almost all his horses Therefore thinking his men would mocke him bicause he did fayle of his purpose he beganne to growe mistrustfull and to suspect the chiefest noble men he had about him so that in a rage he put many of them to death but much more of them remayned whome he mistrusted For there is nothing more cruell nor a greater bloud sucker then a cowardly tyrant as in contrary manner nothing is more curteous and lesse suspicious then a valliant and hardy man And therefore brute beastes that be neuer made tame nor mastered are commonly cowardly and timerous and the other to the contrary that are noble and coragious are bold straight and doe come to knowe a man bicause they haue no feare nether doe they frie from their clapping and making much of them as they doe Afterwards king Artaxerxes being growen very olde heard that there was great sturre and contencion betwene his sonnes which of them should be heire after his death and that this contencion fell out also amonge his friends and men of great calling The wisest of them wished that as he him self came vnto the crowne as his fathers eldest sonne so that he likewise should after his death leaue it vnto his eldest sonne called Darius But the younger which was called Ochus being a valliant man and of a whoe stirring nature had some in the Court also that tooke his parte and hoped to attayne to his purpose by the meanes of his sister Atossa whome he loued and honored promising to mary her and to make her Queene if he might come to be king after his fathers dissease And besides there went a report abroad that in their fathers life time he secretly kept her howbeit Artaxerxes neuer vnderstoode it Now bicause he would betimes put his sonne Ochus out of all hope to succeede him in the kingdom least this expectacion might make him to goe about to practise that which Cyrus did and that by this meanes his Realme should growe into faction and ciuill warres he proclaymed his eldest sonne Darius being fiftye yeare olde king after his death and furthermore gaue him leaue from thenceforth to weare the poynt of his hat right vp In PERSIA the custome is that when any commeth to be proclaymed successor and heire apparant to the crowne he should require a gifte of him that proclaymeth him successor The which the other doth graunt him whatsoeuer it be that he asketh so it be not impossible Darius then asked his father a concubine called Aspasia who was first with Cyrus in greatest fauor with him aboue all the rest but then was for the kings own bodye She was borne in the contry of IONIA of free parents and being vertuously brought vp she was brought one night vnto Cyrus as he was at supper with other women who sate them downe without too curious bidding hard by him and were verie glad when Cyrus offered to play and be merie with them geuing euerie one of them some pleasaunt word and they made it not coy But Aspasia stoode on her feete by the table and sayd neuer a word and notwithstanding that Cyrus called her she woulde not come at him Moreouer when one of the groomes of his chamber would haue taken her to haue brought her to him the first saith she that layeth hands on me shall repent it Thereuppon all those that were present said she was a foolish thing and simply brought vp and could not tell what was comely for her Howbeit Cyrus being
one called Sophrosynè and the other Areté Of them Dionysius eldest sonne maried Sophrosynè and Areté was maried vnto his brother Thearides after whose death Dion maried her being his Nece Now when Dionysius her father fell sicke not likely to escape Dion would haue spoken with him for his children he had by his sister Aristomaché Howbeit the Phisitions about him to currie sauor with the next heire and successor of the tyrannie would neuer let him haue any time or oportunitie to speake with him For as Timaus writeth they gaue Dionysius the elder as he had commaunded them a strong opiat drinke to cast him in a sleepe and so thereby they tooke from him all his sences and ioyned death with his sleepe Notwithstanding in the first counsell and assemblie holden by his frendes to consult about the state and affaires of the younger Dionysius Dion moued matter so necessarie and profitable for that present time that by his wisedom he shewed they were all but children and by his bold and franke speach made them know that they were but slaues of the tyranny bicause they beastly and cowardly gaue suche counsell and aduise as might best please and feede the young tyrannes humor But he made them most to wonder at him when they fearing aboue all other thinges the daunger Dionysius state was in by reason of CARTHAGE he did promise them that if Dionysius would haue peace he would then goe foorthwith into AFRICKE and finde the meanes honorablie to quenche the warres or if otherwise he better liked of warre that he woulde furnishe him at his owne proper costes and charges fiftie gallies readie to rowe Dionysius wondered greatlie at the noble minde of Dion and thanked him muche for the good will he bare vnto him touching his estate But all men else taking Dions noble offer to be a reproach of their auarice and his credit and authoritie and impaire vnto theirs they presentlie vpon this liberall offer tooke occasion to accuse him not sparing any reproachefull wordes against him to moue Dionysius to be offended with him For they complayned of him and sayd that he cunninglie practised to possesse the tyrannie making him selfe strong by sea going about by his gallies to make the tyrannie fall into the handes of the children of Aristomaché his sister But the chiefest cause of all why they did malice and hate him was his straunge manner of life that he neither woulde keepe companie with them nor liue after their manner For they that from the beginning were crept in fauour and frendshippe with this younge euill brought vp tyranne by flattering of him and feeding him with vaine pleasures studied for no other thing but to enterteine him in loue matters and other vaine exercises as to riot and bancket to keepe light women companie and all suche other vile vicious pastimes and recreacions by the which the tyrannie became like iron softened by fire and seemed to be verie pleasaunt vnto the subiectes bicause the ouergreat Maiestie and seueritie thereof was somewhat milder not so muche by the bountie and goodnesse as by the follie and rechlesnes of the Lorde Thus this litle care and regarde increasing more and more still winning way with the young tyran did at length melt and breake a sunder those strong diamond chaines with the whiche Dionysius the elder made his boast that he left his Monarchie and tyrannie chained to his sonne For sometime he would be three dayes together without intermission still banketing and being dronke and all that time his Court gates were kept shut vnto graue and wise men and for all honest matters and was then full of dronkards of common playes dauncinges maskes and mommeries and full of all suche tromperie and dissolute pastimes And therefore Dion vndoubtedlie was muche enuied of them bicause he gaue him selfe to no sport nor pleasure whereupon they accused him and misnamed his vertues vices being somwhat to be resembled vnto them As in calling his grauetie pride his plainnes and boldnesse in his Oration obstinacie if he did perswade them that he accused them and bicause he would not make one in their fonde pastimes that therefore he despised them For to say truelie his manners by nature had a certeine hawtinesse of minde and seueritie and he was a sower man to be acquainted with whereby his companie was not onely troublesome but also vnplesaunt to this younger Dionysius whose eares were so fine that they could not away to heare any other thing but flatterie And furthermore diuers of his verie frendes and familiars that did like and commend his plaine manner of speache and noble minde they did yet reproue his sternenes and austere conuersation with men For it seemed vnto them that he spake too roughlie and delt ouerhardlie with them that had to doe with him and more then became a ciuill or curteous man And for proofe hereof Plato him selfe sometime wrote vnto him as if he had prophecied what shoulde happen that he should beware of obstinacie the companion of solitarinesse that bringeth a man in the ende to be forsaken of euerie one This notwithstanding they did more reuerence him at that time then any man else bicause of the state and gouernment and for that they thought him the onely man that coulde best prouide for the safetie and quietnesse of the tyrannie the which stoode then in tickle state Now Dion knew well enough that he was not so well taken and esteemed through the good will of the tyran as against his will and for the necessitie of the state and time So Dion supposing that ignoraunce and want of knowledge in Dionysius was the cause he deuised to put him into some honest trade or exercise and to teache him the liberall sciences to frame him to a ciuill life that thencefoorth he shoulde no more be affrayed of vertue and shoulde also take pleasure and delight in honest thinges For Dionysius of his owne nature was none of the worst sort of tyrans but his father fearing that if he came once to haue a feeling and conceite of him selfe or that he companied with wise and learned men he would go neere to enter into practise and put him out of his feate he euer kept him locked vp in a chamber and woulde suffer no man to speake with him Then the younger Dionysius hauing nothing else to do gaue himselfe to make litle chariots candlesticks chaires stooles and tables of wodde For his father Dionysius was so fearefull and mistrustfull of euerie bodie that he would suffer no man with a paire of barbers sissers to polle the heares of his head but caused an image maker of earth to come vnto him and with a hotte burning cole to burne his goodly bush of heare rounde about No man came into his chamber where he was with a gowne on his backe no not his owne brother nor sonne but he was driuen before he coulde come in to put of his gowne and
withstande it and rather dye then lose my libertie Cassius being bolde and taking holde of this worde why ê™ he what ROMANE is he aliue that will suffer thee to dye for the libertie What knowest thou not that thou art Brutus Thinkest thou that they be cobblers tapsters or suche like base mechanicall people that wryte these billes and scrowles which are founde dayly in thy Praetors chaire and not the noblest men and best citizens that doe it No be thou well assured that of other Praetors they looke for giftes common distribucions amongest the people and for common playes and to see fensers fight at the sharpe to shew the people pastime but at thy handes they specially require as a due det vnto them the taking away of the tyranny being fully bent to suffer any extremity for thy sake so that thou wilt shew thy selfe to be the man thou art taken for and that they hope thou art Thereuppon he kissed Brutus and imbraced him and so each taking leaue of other they went both to speake with their frendes about it Nowe amongest Pompeys frendes there was one called Caius Ligarius who had bene accused vnto Caesar for taking parte with Pompey and Caesar discharged him But Ligarius thanked not Caesar so muche for his discharge as he was offended with him for that he was brought in daunger by his tyrannicall power And therefore in his hearte he was alway his mortall enemie and was besides verie familiar with Brutus who went to see him beinge sicke in his bedde and sayed vnto him O Ligarius in what a time art thou sicke Ligarius risinge vppe in his bedde and taking him by the right hande sayed vnto him Brutus sayed he if thou hast any great enterprise in hande worthie of thy selfe I am whole After that time they beganne to feele all their acquaintaunce whome they trusted and layed their heades together consultinge vppon it and did not onelie picke out their frendes but all those also whome they thought stowt enough to attempt any desperate matter and that were not affrayed to loase their liues For this cause they durst not acquaint Cicero with their conspiracie although he was a man whome they loued dearelie and trusted best for they were affrayed that he being a coward by nature and age also hauing increased his feare he woulde quite turne and alter all their purpose and quenche the heate of their enterprise the which speciallie required hotte and earnest execucion seeking by perswasion to bring all thinges to suche safetie as there should be no perill Brutus also did let other of his frendes alone as Statilius EPICVRIAN and Faonius that made profession to followe Marcus Cato Bicause that hauing cast out wordes a farre of disputing together in Philosophie to feele their mindes Faonius aunswered that ciuill warre was worse then tyrannicall gouernment vsurped against the lawe And Statilius tolde him also that it were an vnwise parte of him to put his life in daunger for a sight of ignoraunt fooles and asses Labeo was present at this talke and maintayned the contrarie against them both But Brutus helde his peace as though it had bene a doubtfull matter and a harde thing to haue decided But afterwardes being out of their companie he made Labeo priuie to his intent who verie readilie offered him selfe to make one And they thought good also to bring in an other Brutus to ioyne with him surnamed Albinus who was no man of his handes him selfe but bicause he was able to bring good force of a great number of slaues and sensers at the sharpe whome he kept to shewe the people pastime with their fighting besides also that Caesar had some trust in him Cassius and Labeo tolde Brutus Albinus of it at the first but he made them no aunswere But when he had spoken with Brutus him selfe alone and that Brutus had tolde him he was the chiefe ringleader of all this conspiracie then he willinglie promised him the best aide he coulde Furthermore the onlie name and great calling of Brutus did bring on the most of them to geue consent to this conspiracie Who hauing neuer taken others together nor taken or geuen any caution or assuraunce nor binding them selues one to an other by any religious others they all kept the matter so secret to them selues and coulde so cunninglie handle it that notwithstanding the goddes did reueale it by manifest signes and tokens from aboue and by predictions of sacrifices yet all this woulde not be beleued Nowe Brutus who knewe verie well that for his sake all the noblest valliantest and most couragious men of ROME did venter their liues waying with him selfe the greatnesse of the daunger when he was out of his house he did so frame and facion his countenaunce and lookes that no man coulde discerne he had any thing to trouble his minde But when night came that he was in his owne house then he was cleane chaunged For either care did wake him against his will when he woulde haue slept or else oftentimes of him selfe he fell into suche deepe thoughtes of this enterprise casting in his minde all the daungers that might happen that his wife lying by him founde that there was some maruelous great matter that troubled his minde not beinge wont to be in that taking and that he coulde not well determine with him selfe His wife Porcia as we haue tolde you before was the daughter of Cato whome Brutus maried being his cosin not a maiden but a younge widowe after the death of her first husbande Bibulus by whome she had also a younge sonne called Bibulus who afterwardes wrote a booke of the actes and ieastes of Brutus extant at this present day This young Ladie being excellentlie well seene in Philosophie louing her husbande well and being of a noble courage as she was also wise bicause she woulde not aske her husbande what he ayled before she had made some proofe by her selfe she tooke a litle rasor suche as barbers occupie to pare mens nayles and causinge all her maydes and women to goe out of her chamber gaue her selfe a greate gashe withall in her thigh that she was straight all of a goare bloode and incontinentlie after a vehement feuer tooke her by reason of the payne of her wounde Then perceiuing her husbande was maruelouslie out of quiet and that he coulde take no rest euen in her greatest payne of all she spake in this sorte vnto him I being O Brutus sayed she the daughter of Cato was maried vnto thee not to be thy beddefellowe and companion in bedde and at borde onelie like a harlot but to be partaker also with thee of thy good and euill fortune Nowe for thy selfe I can finde no cause of faulte in thee touchinge our matche but for my parte howe may I showe my duetie towardes thee and howe muche I woulde doe for thy sake if I can not constantlie beare a secret mischaunce or griefe with thee
owne money that should haue kept him in his banishment Furthermore Brutus and Cassius were compelled of necessity to make warres bicause they coulde not haue liued safelie in peace when they were driuen out of ROME for that they were condemned to death and pursued by their enemies And for this cause therefore they were driuen to hazard them selues in warre more for their owne safetie then for the libertie of their contrie men Whereas Dion on the other side liuing more merily and safelie in his banishment then the tyranne Dionysius him selfe that had banished him did put him selfe to the daunger to deliuer SICILE from bondage Nowe the matter was not a like vnto the ROMANES to be deliuered from the gouernment of Caesar as it was for the SYRACVSANS to be ridde of Dionysius tyrannie For Dionysius denyed not that he was not a tyranne hauing filled SICILE with suche miserie and calamitie Howebeit Caesars power and gouernment when it came to be established did in deede much hurt at his first entrie and beginning vnto those that did resist him but afterwardes vnto them that being ouercome had receiued his gouernment it seemed he rather had the name and opinion onely of a tyranne then otherwise that he was so in deede For there neuer followed any tyrannicall nor cruell act but contrarilie it seemed that he was a mercifull Phisition whom God had ordeyned of speciall grace to be Gouernor of the Empire of ROME and to set all thinges againe at quiet stay the which required the counsell and authoritie of an absolute Prince And therefore the ROMANES were maruelous sorie for Caesar after he was slaine and afterwardes would neuer pardon them that had slaine him On the other side the cause why the SYRACVSANS did most accuse Dion was bicause he did let Dionysius escape out of the castell of SYRACVSA and bicause he did not ouerthrow and deface the tombe of his father Furthermore towching the warres Dion alway shewed him selfe a Captaine vnreprouable hauing wiselie and skilfullie taken order for those things which he had enterprised of his owne head and counsell and did amende the faults others committed and brought things to better state then he found them Where it seemeth that Brutus did not wisely to receiue the second battell considering his rest stoode vpon it For after he had lost the battell it was vnpossible for him euer to rise againe therefore his hart failed him and so gaue vp all and neuer durst striue with his euill fortune as Pompey did considering that he had present cause enough in the field to hope of his souldiers and being beside a dreadfull Lorde all the sea ouer Furthermore the greatest reproache they could obiect against Brutus was that Iulius Caesar hauing saued his life and pardoned all the prisoners also taken in battell as many as he had made request for taking him for his frende and honoring him aboue all his other frends Brutus notwithstanding had imbrued his hands in his blood wherewith they could neuer reproue Dion For on the contrarie side so long as Dion was Dionysius frende and kinseman he did alway helpe him to order and gouerne his affaires But after he was banished his contrie and that his wife was forciblie maried to an other man and his goodes also taken from him then he entred into iust and open warres against Dionysius the tyranne But in this poynt they were contrarie together For wherein their chiefest praise consisted to witte in hating of tyrannes and wicked men it is most true that Brutus desire was most sincere of both For hauing no priuate cause of complaint or grudge against Caesar he ventred to kill him onely to set his contrie againe at libertie Where if Dion had not receiued priuate cause of quarrell against Dionysius he woulde neuer haue made warre with him The which Plato proueth in his Epistells where is plainlie seene that Dion being driuen out of the tyrans Court against his will and not putting him selfe to voluntarie banishment he draue out Dionysius Furthermore the respect of the common wealth caused Brutus that before was Pompeys enemie to become his frende and enemie vnto Caesar that before was his frend only referring his frendshippe and enmitie vnto the consideracion of iustice and equitie And Dion did many things for Dionysius sake and benefit all the while he trusted him and when he beganne to mistrust him then for anger he made warre with him Wherefore all his frendes did not beleue but after he had driuen out Dionysius he would stablish the gouernment to him selfe flattering the people with a more curteous and gentle title then the name of a tyranne But for Brutus his verie enemies them selues confessed that of all those that conspired Caesars death he only had no other ende and intent to attempt his enterprise but to restore the Empire of ROME againe to her former state gouernment And furthermore it was not all one thing to deale with Dionysius as it was to haue to doe with Iulius Caesar. For no man that knew Dionysius but would haue despised him considering that he spent the most parte of his time in drinking dycing and in haunting lewde womens company But to haue vndertaken to destroy Iulius Caesar and not to haue shroncke backe for feare of his great wisedom power and fortune considering that his name only was dreadfull vnto euerie man and also not to suffer the kings of PARTHIA and INDIA to be in rest for him this could not come but of a maruelous noble minde of him that for feare neuer fainted nor let fall any part of his corage And therefore so sone as Dion came into SICILIA many thowsands of men came and ioyned with him against Dionysius But the fame of Iulius Caesar did set vp his frends againe after his death and was of suche force that it raised a young stripling Octauius Caesar that had no meanes nor power of him selfe to be one of the greatest men of ROME and they vsed him as a remedie to encounter Antonius malice and power And if men will say that Dion draue out the tyran Dionysius with force of armes and sundrie battells and that in contrarie maner Brutus slue Caesar being a naked man and without gard then doe I aunswere againe that it was a noble parte and of a wise Captaine to choose so apt a time and place to come vppon a man of so great power and to finde him naked without his gard For he went not sodainlie in a rage and alone or with a small companie to assaile him but his enterprise was long time before determined of and that with diuers men of all the which not a man of them once fayled him but it is rather to be thought that from the beginning he chose them honest men or else that by his choyse of them he made them good men Whereas Dion either from the beginning made no wise choyse in trusting of euill men or else bicause he could not
he did wonderfull great hurt to the citie and had almost lost it the AETOLIANS comming on a sodaine who were like to haue taken it Nowe Aratus was come to the state of a stripling and was greatlie esteemed for the noble house he came of and also for the great courage they founde in him which was no small matter and besides that he had a maiestie in his countenaunce being wiser then was looked for in a young man of his yeares Therefore the banished men from the citie of SICYONE repaired vnto him before any other man Nicocles for his parte also was not carelesse of his doinges but had an eye euer to see what Aratus intended although he litle mistrusted any suche bolde enterprise nor so daungerous an exployt of him but did onely coniecture that he did stirre vp the kings which had bene his dead fathers frendes And so in deede Aratus tooke that course But when he saw that Antigonus still delayed his promises and did alwayes tract time and that the hope of aide from king Ptolomy of AEGYPT was too farre of at length he determined to vndertake to destroy the tyranne him selfe So he first consulted with Aristomachus and Ecdelus of the which the one was banished from SICYONE and the other an ARCADIAN from the citie of MEGALIPOLIS a Philosopher and a valliant man of his hands and had bene scholler to Arcesilaus the Academicke in the citie of ATHENS These two men being contented to ioyne with Aratus he practised with other of the banished men also of the which there were some that were ashamed not to be partakers of his hope noble attempt and so did also ioyne with him Howbeit the most part of them did not only refuse to enter into that practise but further went about to disswade Aratus from his enterprise saying that for lacke of knowledge and experience he vnderstoode not the daunger in vndertaking such a matter altogether so vnlikelie Nowe as Aratus was thinking in his minde to keepe a certaine place in the territory of SICYONE from whence they might make warre with the tyrannes there came a prisoner vnto them out of the citie of ARGOS that had broken prison from the tyranne of SICYONE and was brother vnto Xenocles one of the banished men He being brought by the same Xenocles vnto Aratus told that in the place whereby he had saued him selfe the grounde within was almost as high as the toppe of the wall the which in that parte ioyned vnto high stonie places and that without the wall the height was not so great but that it was easelie scalable with ladders When Aratus heard that he sent two of his men Seuthas and Technon with Xenocles to viewe the wall being determined if it were true rather to proue secretlie to execute his pretended enterprise and quickely to put it to a venter then to beginne a long warre and to prepare an open armie he being a priuate man to goe against the power of a tyranne Xenocles being returned againe to Aratus after he had measured the height of the wall he reported that the place was not vnscalable but yet very hard to come to it vndiscouered bicause of certeine litle curst curres a gardiner kept hard by the wall which would neuer leaue barking Howbeit Aratus would not leaue of his enterprise so Now it was not straunge to see euerie man prepare them selues of armor and weapon bicause at that time there were great robberies and cruell murthers committed by high wayes and one would assault an other but for the ladders Euphranor that was a carpenter and maker of engines did not sticke to make them openlie bicause his common occupation did take away all suspition why they were made For this carpenter was him selfe also a banished man from SICYONE as the residue were Furthermore Aratus frendes he had in ARGOS of those fewe men they had did euerie man of them lende him tenne men and armed thirtie of his owne men beside them Aratus him selfe also did hyre some pretie number of souldiers by the practise of Xenophilus whome the Captaines of the theeues did furnish him They were geuen to vnderstand that they should be ledde to the territorie of SICYONE to take a pray of cattell and coltes of the king and they were sent before some one way some an other with commaundement all to meete together at the tower of Polygnotus where they shoulde tarie So he sent Caphesias also before without any weapons with foure companions with him who shoulde come to this gardiners house in the night like straungers and trauellers to lye in his house and to locke him vppe and his dogges bicause they had no other deuise to get in but that way But in the meane time there were certaine spialls of Nicocles the tyranne discouered that walked vp and downe the citie making no countenaunce of any matter to see what Aratus did Wherefore Aratus went out of his house early in the morning as his manner was and walked to the market place with his frendes Then he went to the shewe place or place of exercises and there stripped him selfe annoynted him and wrestled and in the ende tooke certaine of the young gentlemen home with him that were wont to make merie and to passe the time away with him and immediatly after one of his seruauntes was seene in the market place carying of garlandes of flowers An other was seene also buying of linckes and torches and an other hyering of these common dauncing and singing women which followe feastes and bankets with their instruments Nicocles spialls seeing that were deceiued for one of them laughing on an other sayd that they might easely see by that there was nothing more fearefull and timerous then a tyran considering that Nicocles being Lord of so great a citie was affrayed of a young stripling that spent all that he could rappe tend to keepe him in his banishment vpon vaine bankets and feasts at noone dayes And thus were the tyrans spialls finely mocked Aratus selfe departed immediatly after dinner out of ARGOS went vnto his souldiers whom he had appointed before to mete him at the tower of Polygnotus led them straight vnto NEMEA There he told them openly his full intent and purpose hauing before made an Oration vnto them to encourage them and also made them maruelous fayer promises Then he gaue them for their watche word Apollo fauorable and so went directly to the citie of SICYONE marching with great speede at the first bicause of the going downed of the Moone and afterwardes slackened his pace a litle so that they had Moone light all the way as they came and the Moone went not downe vntill they were come to the gardiners house that was harde by the wall So Caphesius whome he had sent before vnto the gardiners house came to meete with Aratus and brought him word that he could not take the dogges bicause they ranne away howbeit that he had
the people dwelling alongest the sea coast commonlie called the riuer of CORINTHE who yeelded vp them selues holdes and townes into his hands he then intreuched in the castell of the Acrocorinthe with a great trench Furthermore when Aratus came to the citie of SICYONE many of the ACHAIANS gathered about him and holding a counsell and assemblie he was chosen their Lieutenaunt generall hauing absolute power and authoritie to doe what he would and gaue him of their owne citizens to gard his person So he hauing managed the affaires of the state and common wealth of the ACHAIANS the space of three and thirtie yeares together and hauing all that time bene counted of all men the chiefest man of power and authoritie in GRAECE he then found him selfe in poore estate forsaken and in great miserie as in the shippewracke of his contrie beaten with storme and in great daunger of him selfe For when he sent vnto the AETOLIANS for aide they flatly denied him and would send him none Furthermore the ATHENIANS being verie desirous to send aide for Aratus sake were disswaded from it through the practise of Euclidas Micion Aratus also had a house in CORINTHE where all his money was the which king Cleomenes at the first meddled not withall neither would suffer any other to touche it but sent for his frendes and officers and charged them to looke well to it to geue Aratus a good accompt of it afterwardes Furthermore he priuately sent Tripylus vnto him and his father in law Megistonus and offered him great gifts and speciallie an annuall pencion of twelue talents which was double as much as king Ptolomy gaue him who sent him yearely six talents Besides he only prayed the ACHAIANS that they would make him their Lieutenāt general also that the garrison in the castel of the Acrocorinthe might be deuided in common betwene them Aratus made aunswere that he had no absolute power in his hands and that it was in the ACHAIANS not in him Cleomenes thinking this but a deuise and excuse of Aratus he presentlie inuaded the contrie of the SICYONIANS and destroyed all as he came and continued the space of three moneths Aratus in the meane time stoode doutfull how to determine whether he should receiue king Antigonus or not bicause Antigonus would not aide him before he deliuered him the castell of the Acrocorinthe into his handes So the ACHAIANS meeting at the citie of AEGIVM to consult vpon it they sent for Aratus thither Howebeit it was daungerous comming thither bicause Cleomenes campe lay hard by the citie of SICYONE besides also that the citizens kept Aratus and helde him by force saying that they would not let him venter him selfe in such apparaunt daunger their enemies being so neere vnto them Moreouer the women and litle children hong about him weeping and compassing him about as their common father and sauior But Aratus comforting them bad them not be affrayed and so tooke his horse with ten of his frends and his sonne that was a young stripling growen and went towards the sea and imbarked in certaine shippes that roade at ancker Thence he sailed vnto AEGIVM where the diet or parlament was kept and there it was resolued that they should sende for Antigonus and deliuer the castell of the Acrocorinthe into his hands And so it was performed for Aratus sent thither his owne sonne among the other ostages The CORINTHIANS were so sore offended withall that they made hauocke of his goods and gaue his house he had in CORINTHE vnto king Cleomenes So king Antigonus being onwardes on his way to come into PELOPONNESVS with his armie bringing with him twentie thowsand footemen all MACEDONIANS foure hundred horsemen Aratus with the greatest states and officers of the ACHAIANS vnwitting to their enemies went to meete him as farre as the citie of PEGES hauing no great trust nor confidence in Antigonus nor the MACEDONIANS For he remembred verie well that he came first to his greatnes by the iniuries he had offered them and howe that the chiefest cause of his rising was the malice he bare vnto olde Antigonus Howbeit making vertue of necessitie and weying the instant occasion of their present extremitie of Gouernors to be driuen to be subiects he put him selfe in aduenture So when Antigonus was tolde that Aratus was comen in person to him hauing with good countenance after a common sort saluted those that came in his companie to Aratus selfe at his first comming he gaue him an honorable welcome and enterteinment Afterwardes also finding him a good and discreete man he fell into inward frendshippe and familiaritie with him For Aratus was not onely skilfull to geue direction in matters of state touching good order and gouernment but moreouer his companie conuersation was verie pleasaunt to entertaine a Princes leasure with Wherefore though Antigonus was but young at that time yet seeing throughly into Aratus nature and that he was a meete man to be well thought of and esteemed about a Prince he vsed his counsell and aduise more then any other mans in all matters not onely touching the affaires of the ACHAIANS but of the MACEDONIANS also And so all things came to passe which the goddes had promised in their sacrifices For in a beast that was sacrificed there were two galles wrapped in one selfe cawle the which the Soothsayers interpreted did prognosticate that two which before were mortall enemies should nowe become assured frendes But Aratus made no account of their prediction neither did also geue any credit to the sacrifices but trusted more to his owne determination So the warres afterwardes hauing good successe and Antigonus making a feast in the citie of CORINTHE where he had bidden many ghests he would nedes haue Aratus lye vpon him at the table and a litle while after commaunded his men to bring him a couerlet and turning to him asked him if he were not a colde Aratus aunswered him it freezed Then Antigonus bad him come neerer him when the seruaunts brought a couerlet for the king they cast it ouer them both Then Aratus remēbring the sacrifice fell a laughing and told their king what a wonder he had seene in the sacrifice what interpretation the Soothsayers made of it This was long after So Antigonus and Aratus being at that time in the citie of PEGES they were sworne brethren together and then went both with all speede against the enemies Thus there fell out hot skirmishes betwene them hard by the citie of CORINTHE For Cleomenes was verie well fortified and the CORINTHIANS valliantly defended them selues In the meane time Aristoteles of ARGOS Aratus frend secretlie sent him word that he would make the citie rebell if he came him selfe with any number of souldiers Aratus tolde it vnto king Antigonus who gaue him fifteene hundred men with the which he imbarked and passed ouer with great speede from the Isthmus or barre in the straight vnto the
of either side for those they should take would serue them to no good purpose But after they were slaine one to be layed on heapes so by another that is a hard thing to iudge But now to the matter The newes of this ouerthrowe came first but obscurely vnto Otho a common thing in a matter of so great importance but afterwardes when some that were hurt came and brought him certen newes of it it was no maruell then to see Othoes friendes and familliers to comfort him who prayed him to be of good cheere and not to be discoraged for that Howbeit the wonderfull great loue and good will which the priuat souldiers shewed vnto him at that time did passe and exceede all speech and education For they forsooke him not nether went they to submit them selues to their enemies the conquerors nether tooke they any regard of them selues to see their Emperour in that dispayre but all of them ioyntly together went vnto his lodging and called him their Emperour Then he came out and they fell downe at his feete as men represented in a triumphe lying on the ground kissed his hands with the teares ronning downe their cheekes and besought him not to forsake and leaue them to their enemies but to commaund their persons whilest they had one droppe of blud left in their bodies to doe him seruice All of them together made this petition to him But amongest others there was a poore souldier drawing out his sword sayd vnto him know O Caesar that all my companions are determined to dye in this sort for thee and so slue him selfe But all these lamentable things did neuer melt Othoes hart who looking with a stowte countenaunce round about him and casting his eyes euery where spake vnto them in this maner I thinke this a more happy day for me my fellowes then that in the which you first chose me Emperour to see you loue me so well and doe me such honor with so great shew of loyaltie But yet I beseech you not to deny me of a greater fauor which is to dye valliantly and honorably for the safetie of so many honest men as you be and so good Citizens of Rome If by your election you made me worthy to take vpon me the Imperiall crowne I must now needes shewe my selfe an Emperour not sparing to spend my life for your and my contries safetie I am certen that the victorie is not altogether myne enemies For newes are come vnto me that our armies of MYSIA and PANNONIA are in their way comming to vs and that they are not farre of from the Adriatick sea ASIA SYRIA and AEGYPT and the legions that make warre in IVRY are all ours The Senate taketh our parte and our enemies wiues and children be in our handes But this warre is not against Annibal nor Pyrrhus nor againste the CIMBRES to fight who should be owners of ITALY but it is againste the ROMANES them selues For in this ciuill warre both the Conqueror and vanquished doe offend their contrye for where the Conquerors haue benefit the contry and common wealth alwayes receyueth losse Assure your selues I had rather dye then raigne Emperour considering also that my life with victorie can not so much benefit the ROMANES as the sacrifice of the same may doe my contry good for the peace and quietnes of my contry men keeping ITALY thereby from seeing such another battell as this hath bene So when he had made this oration vnto them and put those by that would haue disswaded him the contrary he commaunded all the Senators and his friendes that were present to auoyde Then he wrote letters to them that were absent and also vnto the cities wherethrough they passed to vse them very curteously and to see them safely conueyed Then came his Nephewe Cocceius to him who was yet but a younge boye and he did comfort him and bad him not to be affrayd of Vitellius for he had safely kept his mother wife and children and had bene as carefull of them as if they had bene his owne and that he would not yet adopt him for his sonne though he was desirous to doe it vntill such tyme as he sawe the ende of this warre to th end that if he ouercame he shoulde quietly raigne Emperour with him and if he were ouercome that for adopting of him he woulde not be cause of his death But this one thinge onely I commaunde and charge thee my sonne euen as the last commaundement that I can giue thee that thou doe not forget altogether nether ouer much remember that thyne Vncle hath bene Emperour When he had tolde him this tale he heard a noyse at his dore they were the souldiers that threatned the Senators which came from him and woulde kill them if they did not remayne with him but would for sake their Emperour Vpon this occasion he came out once againe among them being affrayd least the souldiers would doe the Senators some hurt and made the souldiers giue backe not by intreating of them nor speaking curteously to them but looking grymly on them and in great rage insomuch that they all shroncke backe and went away for feare So when night came he was a thirst and dranke a litle water and hauing two swordes he was prouing a great while which had the best edge In the ende he put by the one and kept the other in his armes Then he began to comfort his seruaunts and liberally to giue out his money amonge them to some more to some lesse not prodigally throwing it away without discretion as being another mans money but discreetely gaue to euery man according to his desert Then after he had dispatched them away he laid him down to sleepe al the rest of the night that the groomes of his chamber heard him snort he slept so sowndly In the morning he called one of his infranchised bondmen whom he had commaunded to helpe to saue the Senators and sent him to see if they were all safe gone So when he vnderstoode that they were all gone and that they had all they would come on said he then vnto him looke to thy selfe I reade thee and take heede the souldiers see thee not if thou wilt scape with life for sure they will kill thee thinking thou hast holpen me to kill my selfe So assoone as his infranchised bondman was gone out of his chamber he toke his sword with both his hands and setting the poynt of it to his brest he fell downe vpon it seeming to feele no other payne sauing that he fetched a sighe whereby they that were without knewe that he had done him selfe hurt Thereuppon his friendes made straight an outcry and all the campe and citie was incontinently full of teares and lamentacion The souldiers sodainly ran with a great noyse to his gates where they bitterly bewayled and lamented his death falling out with them selues that they were such Villaines so slenderly to haue garded their
Sempronius Longus the sonne of that Sempronius whome Annibal ouercame in that great ouerthrow at the battell by the riuer of Trebia They two were the first as it is reported that deuided the noble men and Senators from the people in the showe place to see pastime This separation was verie odious to the people of ROME and they were maruelouslie offended with the Consuls for it bicause they tooke it that increasing the honor of the state of the Senators they thereby did discountenaunce and imbase them Some say also that Scipio AFRICAN afterwardes repented him selfe that he had taken away the olde custome and brought in a newe At that time there fell out greate variaunce betwext Masinissa and the CARTHAGINIANS touching their borders and confines Whereuppon the Senate sent Scipio thither with two other commissioners who after they had hearde the cause of their quarrell they left the matter as they founde it and would proceede no further it And this they did bicause that the CARTHAGINIANS being troubled with ciuil warres at home should take vpon them no other warres abroade neither shoulde haue leasure to attempt any alternacion otherwise For the ROMANES had great warre with king Antiothus Annibal CARTHAGINIAN was there with him who still stirred vp the olde enemies against the ROMANES and practised to raise vp new enemies against them in all thinges to counsell the CARTHAGINIANS to cast away the yoke of bondage which the ROMANES had brought them into vnder the title of peace to proue the frendship of the kings Howbeit shortly after the ROMANES hauing obtained victorie and driuen king Antiochus out of GRAECE they intended also to conquer ASIA and therefore all their hope was in Scipio AFRICAN as a man that was borne to ende warres of great importaunce Howbeit Lucius Scipio and Caius Lalius were Consuls either of them made sute for the gouernment of ASIA The matter being consulted vpon the Senate stoode doubtfull what iudgement they should geue betwext two so famous men Howbeit bicause Laelius was in better fauour with the Senate and in greater estimacion the Senate beganne to take his parte But when P. Cornelius Scipio AFRICAN the elder brother of Lucius Scipio prayed the Senate that they would not dishonor his house so and tolde them that his brother had great vertues in him and was besides verie wise and that he him selfe also woulde be his Lieutenaunt he had no sooner spoken the wordes but the Senators receiued him with great ioy and presentlie did put them all out of doubt So it was ordayned in open Senate that Lucius Scipio should goe into GRAECE to make warre with the AETOLIANS and that from thence he shoulde goe into ASIA if he thought good to make warre with king Antiochus and also that he shoulde take his brother Scipio AFRICAN with him bicause he shoulde goe against Annibal that was in Antiochus armie Who can but wonder at the loue and naturall affection of Publius Cornelius Scipio AFRICAN the which he first shewed from his youth vnto his father Cornelius and afterwardes also vnto his brother Lucius Scipio considering the great thinges he had done For notwithstanding he was that AFRICAN by name that had ouercomen Annibal that had triumphed ouer the CARTHAGINIANS and excelled all others in praise of martiall discipline yet of his owne good nature he made him selfe inferiour to his younger brother bicause he might haue the honour of obtayninge the gouernment of that prouince from his fellowe Consul Laelius that was so well beloued and of so great estimacion Lucius Scipio the Consul brought great honor to his contrie by that warre for that he followed the sownde and faithfull counsell of his brother For first of all goinge into GRAECE he tooke truce for sixe monethes with the AETOLIANS through the aduise of his brother AFRICAN who counselled him that setting all thinges a parte he shoulde straight goe into ASIA where the warre was ryfest Afterwards also he wanne Prusias king of BITHYNIA from Antiochus frendshippe who before was wauing vp downe doutfull which side to take and all through his brother AFRICANS meanes and practise So the authoritie of the AFRICAN was verie great and all those that woulde obtaine any thing of the Consul came first to the AFRICAN to be their meane and intercessor Nowe when he came into ASIA Antiochus Ambassador and Heraclides BIZANTINE came vnto him to offer to make peace and after they had openly tolde their message perceiuing that they could not obtaine reasonable condicions of peace they priuately talked with Scipio AFRICAN as they were commaunded and practised the best they coulde to make him king Antiochus frende For they tolde him that Antiochus would sende him his younger sonne which he had taken and furthermore that he woulde willinglie make him his companion in the gouernment of all his realme only reseruing the name and title of the king Howebeit P. Scipio excelling no lesse in faithfulnesse and bountie then in many other vertues after he had aunswered them to all other matters he tolde them that for his sonne he woulde take him for a maruelous frendlie gifte and that for a priuate good turne he would doe the best he could to requite him with the like Howbeit that he would counsell the king aboue all things to leaue of thought of warre and to receiue those offers and condicions of peace which the Senate and people of ROME would offer him Shortly after Antiochus sent P. Scipio his sonne according to his promise who as it is reported had bene taken prisoner from the first beginning of the warre as he went from CHALCIDE vnto ORICVM or as other wryters say as he passed by in a pinnase Yet some holde opinion that he was taken as he went to discouer the counsell of the enemies and that he was then sent againe vnto his father lying sicke at the citie of ELEA This great curtesie of king Antiochus was maruelous well thought of of the AFRICAN and not without cause for to see his sonne after he had bene away so long it did greatlie lighten his spirites and diseased bodie But P. Scipio to shewe some token of a thankefull minde prayed the Ambassadors that came vnto him greatlie to thanke king Antiochus for the exceeding pleasure he had done him to sende him his sonne Afterwardes he gaue Antiochus aduise also that he should not geue battell till he vnderstoode of his returne from ELEA to the campe So Antiochus being perswaded by the authoritie of so worthie a man he kept close in his campe for a certaine time and determined to drawe the warre out at length hoping in the ende that he might come to speake with the Consul by the AFRICANS meanes But afterwardes the Consul camping hard by MAGNESIA did so vexe and prouoke the enemie that the king came out to battell and sette his men in battell ray It is reported that Annibal him selfe was present at the battell being one
to dye Phocion gaue money to be put to death Phocions funeralls The percentage of Cato Liuius Drusus Catoes vncle Catoes maners VVhy quicke wits haue neuer good memorie Sarpedo Catoes scholemaister Catoes austeritie The maruelous constancie of Cato when he was a child Syllaes loue vnto Cato being but a boy Catoes hate being a boy against a tyran Catoes loue to his brother Antipater the Stoicke Catoes schoolemaister Catoes act for Basilica Porcia Catoes exercises Catoes drinking Ciceroes saying of Cato Catoes mariages Attilia Catoes wife Lelius mariage Catoes first souldierfare in the ware of the bondmen Cato chosen Tribunus milâ—â—an Howe Cato trained his men made them valliant The loue of vertue from whence it proceedeth Athenodorus the stoicke Catoes frend The death of Caepio Catoes brother Catoes mourning for his brother Capioes death * It seemeth to be mens of Caesar which wrote the booke called Anticaten Catoes iorney into Asia Catoes modestie A laughing matter hapned vnto Cato Demetrius a slaue great with Pompey Cato honored of Pompey in Asia Pompey rather suspected Cato then leued him Catoes iorney vnto king Deiotarus and his abstinence 〈…〉 gisu Cato made Quaestor Catulus Luctatius what he was Cato made the Quaestorshippe of great dignity Cato was reuenged of Syllaes bloody murthers Catoes notable leauing of his office Catoes care and imegritie to the commoÌ„ wealth Catoes minde and determination to take charge in the commoÌ„ wealth Cato draue Clodius out of Rome The authoritie and credit of Cato Cato tooke Philosophers with him wheÌ„ he went into the country The office authoritie of the Tribune what it is Catoes Tribuneship Cicero definded Muraena against his accuser Cato The conspiracie of Catilin against Rome Catoes oraetion against Caesar touching Catilins conspiracie Cicero taught them how to write briefly by notes and figures Cato vnfortunate in his wiues Martia Catoes wife Platoes felowship and communitie of women Cato perswaded corne to be distributed vnto the people Cato resisteth Metellus tribune of the people Iulius Caesar Praetor Catoes noble courage and constancie Catoes doings of Lucullus Cato resisteth Pompey Cato refuseth allyance with Pompey Lex agraria The allyance and friendship betwixt Caesar and Pompey Cicero by his oration brake Catoes stifnes Cato committed to prison by Caesar. P. Clodius Tribune of the people The crafty iugling betwixt Caesar and Pompey with P. Clodius Cato sent Ambassador into Cyprus Ptolomy king of AEgypt goeth vnto Cato Catoes diligence about money in Cyprus The enuy betwixt Cato Munatius To much loue oftentymes causeth hate Money gotten together by Cato in Cyprus Cato receiued into Rome with great honor of all the people VVhy Cato sued to be Praetor Cato put from the Praetorship by Pompey Cato was against the law for the prouinces of Pompey and Crassus Cato foreshewed Pompey the things which happened vnto him by Caesar Cato chosen Praetor Cato preserved a law for vnlawfull bribing The power of iustice M. Faonius Catoes frend Cato doth set forth the playes for Faonius AEdilis Catoes wise counsell for playes Pompey was created sole Consull by Catoes sentence Cato sued to be Consull to resist Caesar. Cato was denied the Consulshippe Cicero blameth Cato Catoes opinion against Caesar. Cato inueyeth against Caesar. Cato prognosticated Caesars tyrannie Cato followeth Pompey Caesar reproueth Catoes couetousnes Cato is sent into Sicile Cato leaueth Sicile Catoes law as in Pompeys army VVhy Pompey chaunged his minde for the gouernment of the army by sea VVhy Pompey left Cato at Dyrrachivm Cato saueth Ciceroes life from Pompeis sonne Cato went into Africke Psilles be men which heale the stinging of serpents * Men in olde time bathed and washed them selues then laied them downe in their bed to suppe The modestie and noble minde of Cato Cato ioyneth with Scipio in Africke Cato was made Gouernor of the city of Vtica Scipio despiseth Catoes counsell Catoes constancy in extremity Catoes 〈…〉 vnto the Romanes at Vtica The equity of Cato Cato forsaken of three hundred Romane marchant at Vtica Catoes pitie and regard vnto the Senators Cato an earnest suter for the Senators The sinceritie of Cato Catoes minde vnconquerable Cato reproueth the ambition of man. Statilius a follower of Cato Cato would not haue pardon begged of Caesar for him Cato forbad his sonne to meddle with matters of State in a corrupt time The paradoxes of the Stoicks Platoes dialogue of the soule Catoes last wordes vnto the Philosophers his frends Cato considered his sworde wherewith he killed him selfe The death of Cato Catoes funeralls Caesars saying vnto Cato the dead The sonne of Cato what conditions he had Psyche signifieth mind The death of Porcia the Daughter of Cato the youÌ„ger and wife of Brutus The death of Statilius The fable of Ixion against ambitious persons Theophrastus for the praise of vertue Immoderat praise very daungerous Phocions saying The fable of the Dragons head and taile Plutarch excuseth the Gracchi The lynage of Agis The lynage of Leonidas Aristodemus tyrant of Megalipolis Leonidas brought superfluitie and excesse into Sparta The continency of Agis The first beginning of the Lacedaemonians fall from their auncient discipline Lycurgus the â—ra for partition of landes broken by Epitadeus law Epitadues law for deuise of landes by will. Agis goeth about to reduce the common wealth of heer auncient estate How louing the Lacedamonians were vnto their wiues Agis law Pasiphaé the Daughter of Atlas Agis maketh his goods common Leonidas resisteth king Agis King Leonidas accused by Lysander Leonidas deprived of his kingdome Leonidas flyeth vnto Tegea King Agis deceiued by Agesilaus New lawes stablished by the Lacedaemonians Aratus generall of the Achaians King Agis iorney into AchaiaÌ„ King Agis gaue place vnto Araetus King Leonidas returneth from â—â—ile into Sparta The naturall loue of Chelonis Leonidas daughter vnto her father and husband The oration of Chelonis the Daughter of Leonidas The banishment of king Cleombrotus The great vertue and loue of Chelonis to her husband Cleombrotus Amphares betrayed king Agis King Agis caried vnto prison There the reuerent regard of the heatheÌ„ vnto the person of a king abhorring in lay violens handes vpon him King Agis her mother grandmother all three straÌ„gled The enemies did not willingly kill any king of Lacedaemon Here beginneth Cleomenes life Cleomenes the sonne of Leonidas Agiatis the Daughter of Gylippus and wife to king Agis Agiatis king Agis wife maryed vnto Cleomenes Sphaerus a Philosopher of Borysthenes Cleomenes did set the Lacedaemonians and Achaians together by the eares Cleomenes iorney into the contry of the Argiues The victorie of Cleomenes against Aratus The saying of the kings of Lacedaemon touching their enemies Archidamus king Agis brother slaine Lysiadas slaine Cleomenes victorie of the Achaians Lysiadas tyranne of Megalopolis gaue ouer his tyrannie and made it a popular state The dreame of one of the Ephores Cleomenes siue the Ephores Diuers teÌ„ples at Sparta of feare death such other fancies The valliantest men are most
for both the kinges when they were in the citie did eate together in one halle Then Agesilaus knowing that Agesipolis as him selfe was geuen to loue would euer minister talke to him of the goodly young boyes of the citie intising him to loue some one of them which he him selfe did loue and therein he was both his companion and helper For in these LACONIAN loues there was no manner of dishonestie offered but a true affection and honest regarde to frame the boy beloued vnto vertue and honest condicions as we haue more amply declared in the life of Lycurgus Agesilaus by this meanes hauinge the whole authoritie aboue all men in the citie in his handes made his halfe brother Teleutias Generall by sea and him selfe with the armie by land went to besiege the citie of CORINTHE where with his brothers helpe by sea he tooke the long walls of the same The ARGIVES which kept CORINTHE at that time at Agesilaus arriuall there were solemnisinge the feast of the Isthmian games who made them flie euen as they came from sacrificing vnto the god Neptune driuing them to leaue all their preparation and solemnity Then diuers banished men of CORINTHE that were in his armie besought him that he woulde keepe these Isthmian games But he denyed them yet was contented they shoulde them selues solemnize them and so him selfe remained there during the time of the feast for their safetie Afterwardes when Agesilaus was gone thence the ARGIVES returned and did celebrate the Isthmian games and there weresome of them which hauing wonne the game at the first did also winne it at the second time and others that were victours before were this second time ouercome Whereupon Agesilaus sayd that the ARGIVES shewed them selues rancke cowardes that esteeming so much as they did these playes and sacrifices they durst not once offer to fight with him for defence of the same For him selfe touchinge such like sportes and games he euer thought it good to keepe a meane not to be too curious For he was contented to honor such solemne assemblies and common feastes with his presence as were commonly vsed in SPARTA tooke great pleasure to see the sportes betwene the yong boyes and girles of SPARTA howbeit touching the games he seemed not to be acquainted with some of them wherein others had great delight As we read that Callipides an excellent stage player wonderfully esteemed of among the GRAECIANS for a singular man in that arte meeting Agesilaus on a time at the first did his duetie to him and then arrogantly thrust him selfe amonge them that walked with him thinking the king would haue made much of him but perceiuing he made no countenaunce to him in the end he asked him O king Agesilaus doe you not know me Agesilaus looking apon him aunswered what art not thou Callipides the stage player And so made no further account of him An other time beinge desired to heare a man that naturally counterfeated the nightingalls voyce he would not heare him saying I haue oftentimes heard the nightingall it selfe An other time also when Menecrates the Phisitian hauing by good fortune cured a desperate disease called him selfe Iupiter and arrogantly vsurped that name presuminge in a letter he wrote vnto Agesilaus to subscribe it in this manner Menecrates Iupiter vnto king Agesilaus greeting Agesilaus wrote againe vnto him Agesilaus vnto Menecrates health So whilest Agesilaus was in the territorie of CORINTHE where he had taken the temple of Iuno beholding his souldiers forraging spoiling the contrie rounde about Ambassadors came to him from THEBES to pray him to make peace with the THEBANS But he that alwayes hated the THEBANS and besides that thought it then very requisite for the good successe of his doinges to make light of it seemed as he neither heard nor saw them that spake vnto him But euen at that very instant as by diuine reuenge to crie quittance there fell a great mishappe vpon him For before the Ambassadors were gone from him he had newes that one of their bandes called the mothers were slaine euery man by Iphicrates which was the greatest losse that they in long time before had susteined For they lost a great number of valliant souldiers all naturall LACEDAEMONIANS who being well armed euery man were slaine by naked or light armed hierlinges Thereupon Agesilaus went straight into the field with hope to saue them or at the least to be reuenged But receiuing certaine intelligence by the way that they were all slaine he returned againe to the temple of Iuno from whence he came and then sent for the Ambassadors of the BOEOTIANS to geue them audience But they to requite his former disdaine vnto them made no manner of speache of peace but onely requested him to suffer them to enter into CORINTHE Agesilaus being offended aunswered them if it be to see your frendes triumphe of their victorie ye may safely do it to morrow Thereupon the next morning taking the Ambassadors with him he destroyed the CORINTHIANS contrie euen to the walles of their citie And when he had made the Ambassadors see that the citizens of CORINTHE durst not come out into the field to defend their contrie he gaue them leaue to depart Then taking the remaine of that band that was ouerthrowen which by flight had escaped he brought them into LACEDAEMON againe alwayes remouing his campe before day and neuer encamped till darke night bicause the ARCADIANS their mortall enemies should not reioyce at their losse After this voyage to gratefie the ACHAIANS he entred in with them into the contry of ACARNANIA brought great spoyles from thence after he had ouercomē them in battel Moreouer when the ACHAIANS besought him to remaine with them all the winter to keepe their enemies from sowing of their grownd he made them aunswere he would not For sayde he they will be afraide of warre the next yeare when all their fieldes shall be sowen with corne and so in deede it came to passe For the army returning againe they made peace incontinently with the ACHAIANS About that time Pharnabazus and Conon with the king of PERSIENS armye being Lordes of the sea without let of any destroyed and spoyled all the coast of LACONIA Moreouer the city of ATHENS did reare vp her walls againe by helpe of Pharnabazus money wherewith he had furnished them Thereuppon the LACEDAEMONIANS thought good to make peace with the king of PERSIA and to that ende sent Antalcidas Ambassadour vnto Tiribazus most shamely and cruelly betraying to the king the GRAECIANS inhabiting in ASIA for whose libertie Agesilaus had made warres with him before So it was Agesilaus happe not to be foyled with any part of his shame for Antalcidas that was his enemie sought all the meanes he could to conclude this peace for that he saw warre did daily increase the authoritie honor and fame of Agesilaus Notwithstanding he aunswered one then that reproued him for that the LACEDAEMONIANS did