make matters wrose betwene them but they made them frendes together and diuided the Empire of ROME betwene them making the sea Ionium the bounde of their diuision For they gaue all the prouinces Eastward vnto Antonius and the contries Westward vnto Caesar and left AFRICKE vnto Lepidus and made a law that they three one after an other should make their frendes Consuls when they would not be them selues This seemed to be a sound counsell but yet it was to be confirmed with a straighter bonde which fortune offered thus There was Octauia the eldest sister of Caesar not by one mother for the came of Ancharia Caesar him self afterwards of Accia It is reported that he dearly loued his sister Octauia for in deede she was a noble Ladie and left the widow of her first husband Gaius Mercellus who dyed not long before and it seemed also that Antonius had bene widower euen since the death of his wife Fuluia For he denied not that he kept Cleopatra but so did he not confesse that he had her as his wife so with reason he did defend the loue he bare vnto this AEGYPTIAN Cleopatra Thereuppon euerie man did set forward this mariage hoping thereby that this Ladie Octauia hauing an excellent grace wisedom honestie ioyned vnto so rare a beawtie that when she were with Antonius he louing her as so worthy a Ladie deserueth she should be a good meane to keepe good loue amitie betwext her brother and him So when Caesar he had made the matche betwene them they both went to ROME about this mariage although it was against the law that a widow should be maried within tenne monethes after her husbandes death Howbeit the Senate dispensed with the law and so the mariage proceeded accordingly Sextus Pompeius at that time kept in SICILIA and so made many an inrode into ITALIE with a great number of pynnasies and other pirates shippes of the which were Captaines two notable pirats Menas and Menecrates who so scoored all the sea thereabouts that none durst peepe out with a sayle Furthermore Sextus Pompeius had delt verie frendly with Antonius for he had curteously receiued his mother when she fled out of ITALIA with Fuluia and therefore they thought good to make peace with him So they met all three together by the mount of Misena vpon a hill that runneth farre into the sea Pompey hauing his shippes ryding hard by at ancker and Antonius and Caesar their armies vpon the shoare side directly ouer against him Now after they had agreed that Sextus Pompeius should haue SICILE and SARDINIA with this condicion that he should ridde the sea of all theeues and pirats and make it safe for passengers and withall that he should send a certaine of wheate of ROME one of them did feast an other and drew cuts who should beginne It was Pompeius chaunce to inuite them first Whereupon Antonius asked him where shall we suppe There said Pompey and shewed him his admirall galley which had six bankes of owers that sayd he is my father house they haue left me He spake it to taunt Antonius bicause he had his fathers house that was Pompey the great So he cast ankers enowe into the sea to make his galley fast and then bulls a bridge of wodde to conuey them to his galley from the heade of mount Misena and there he welcomed them and made them great cheere Now in the middest of the feast when they sell to be merie with Antonius loue vnto Cleopatra Manas the pirate came to Pompey and whispering in his care said vnto him shall I cut the gables of the ankers and make thee Lord not only of SICILE and SARDINIA but of the whole Empire of ROME besides Pompey hauing pawsed a while vpon it at length aunswered him thou shouldest haue done it and nether haue told it me but now we must content vs with that we haue As for my selfe I was neuer taught to breake my faith nor to be counted a traitor The other two also did likewise feast him in their campe and then he returned into SICILE Antonius after this agreement made sent Ventidius before into ASIA to stay the PARTHIANS and to keepe them they should come no further and he him selfe in the meane time to gratefie Caesar was contented to be chosen Iulius Caesars priest and sacrificer so they ioyntly together dispatched all great matters concerning the state of the Empire But in all other maner of sportes and exercises wherein they passed the time away the one with the other Antonius was euer inferior vnto Caesar and alway lost which grieued him much With Antonius there was a soothsayer or astronomer of AEGYT that coulde cast a figure and iudge of mens natiuities to tell them what should happen to them He either to please Cleopatra or else for that he founde it so by his art told Antonius plainly that his fortune which of it selfe was excellent good and very great was altogether bleamished and obscured by Caesars fortune and therefore he counselled him vtterly to leaue his company and to get him as farre from him as he could For thy Demon said he that is to say the good angell and spirit that kepeth thee is affraied of his and being coragious high when he is alone becometh fearefull and timerous when he commeth neere vnto the other Howsoeuer it was the euents ensuing proued the AEGYPTIANS words true For it is said that as often as they two drew cuts for pastime who should haue any thing or whether they plaied at dice Antonius alway lost Oftentimes when they were disposed to see cockefight or quailes that were taught to fight one with an other Caesars cockes or quailes did euer ouercome The which spighted Antonius in his mind although he made no outward shew of it and therefore he beleued the AEGYPTIAN the better In fine he recommended the affaires of his house vnto Caesar went out of ITALIE with Octauia his wife whom he caried into GRAECE after he had had a daughter by her So Antonius lying all the winter at ATHENS newes came vnto him of the victories of Ventidius who had ouercome the PARTHIANS in battel in the which also were slaine Labienus and Pharnabates the chiefest Captaine king Orodas had For these good newes be feasted all ATHENS and kept open house for all the GRAECIANS and many games of price were plaied at ATHENS of the which he him selfe would be iudge Wherfore leauing his gard his axes and tokens of his Empire at his house he came into the show place or listes where these games were played in a long gowne and slippers after the GRAECIAN facion and they caried tippestaues before him as marshalls men do cary before the Iudges to make place and he himselfe in person was a stickler to part the young men when they had fought enough After that preparing to go to the warres he made him a
seeinge the blacke sayle a farre of being out of all hope euermore to see his sonne againe tooke such a griefe at his harte that he threw him selfe headlong from the top of a clyffe and killed him selfe So soone as Theseus was arriued at the porte named Phalerus he performed the sacrifices which he had vowed to the goddes at his departure and sent an Herauld of his before vnto the city to carie newes of his safe arriuall The Heraulde founde many of the citie mourning the death of king AEgeus Many other receiued him with great ioy as may be supposed They would haue crowned him also with a garlande of flowers for that he had brought so good ridinges that the children of the citie were returned in safetie The Heraulde was content to take the garlande yet would he not in any wise put it on his head but did winde it about his Heraulds rodde he bare in his hande and so returneth foorthwith to the sea where Theseus made his sacrifices Who perceiuinge they were not yet done did refuse to enter into the temple and stayed without for troubling of the sacrifices Afterwardes all ceremonies finished he went in and tolde him the newes of his fathers death Then he and his company mourning for sorowe hasted with speede towardes the citie And this is the cause why to this day at the feast called Oscophoria as who woulde say at the feast of boughes the Herauld hath not his heade but his rod onely crowned with flowers and why the assistantes also after the sacrifice done doe make suche cryes and exclamations Ele leuf iou iou whereof the first is the crye and voyce they commonly vse one to an other to make haste or else it is the foote of some songe of triumphe and the other is the crye and voyce of men as it were in feare and trouble After he had ended the obsequies and funeralls for his father he performed also his sacrifices vnto Apollo which he had vowed the seuenth day of the moneth of October on which they arriued at their returne into the citie of ATHENS Euen so the custome which they vse at this day to seeth all manner of pulse commeth of this that those which then returned with Theseus did seeth in a great brasse potte all the remaine of their prouision and therewith made good chere together Euen in such sorte as this came vp the custome to carie a braunch of olyue wreathed about with wolle which they call Iresione bicause at that time they caried boughes of supplication as we haue told ye before About which they hang all sortes of fruites for then barrennesse did cease as the verses they sang afterwards did witnesse Bring him good bread that is of savry tast vvith pleasaunt figges and droppes of dulcet mell Then sovvple oyle his body for to bast and pure good vvine to make him sleepe full vvell Howbeit there are some which will say that these verses were made for the Heraclides that is to say those that descended from Hercules which flying for their safety and succour vnto the ATHENIANS were entertained much made of by them for a time But the most parte holde opinion they were made vpon the occasion aforesaid The vessell in which Theseus went and returned was a galliot of thirtie owers which the ATHENIANS kept vntill the time of Demetrius the Phalertan alwayes taking away the olde peeces of wodde that were rotten and euer renewing them with new in their places So that euer since in the disputations of the Philosophers touching things that increase to wit whether they remaine alwayes one or else they be made others this galliot was alwayes brought in for an example of doubt For some mainteined that it was still one vessell others to the contrarie defended it was not so And they holde opinion also that the feast of boughes which is celebrated at ATHENS at this time was then first of all instituted by Theseus It is sayed moreouer that he did not carye all the wenches vpon whome the lotts did fall but chose two fayer young boyes whose faces were swete and delicate as maydens be that otherwise were hardie and quicke sprighted But he made them so oft bathe them selues in whotte bathes and kepe them in from the heate of the sunne and so many times to washe anointe and rubbe them selues with oyles which serue to supple and smoothe their skinnes to keepe freshe and fayer their colour to make yellowe and bright their heares and withall did teache them so to counterfeare their speache countenaunce and facion of young maydes that they seemed to be like them rather then young boyes For there was no manner of difference to be perceiued outwardly and he mingled them with the girles without the knowledge of any man Afterwards when he was returned he made a procession in which both he and the other young boyes were apparelled then as they be nowe which carie boughes on the day of the feast in their handes They carie them in the honor of Bacchus and Ariadne following the fable that is tolde of them or rather bicause they returned home just at the time and season when they gather the fruite of those trees There are women which they call Deipnophores that is to say supper caryers which are assistantes to the sacrifice done that day in representing the mothers of those vpon whom the lottes did fall bicause they in like sorte brought them both meate and drinke There they tell tales for so did their mothers tattle to their children to comforte and encorage them All these particularities were written by Demon the historiographer There was moreouer a place chosen out to build him a tēple in and he him selfe ordained that those houses which had payed tribute before vnto the king of CRETA should nowe yearely thenceforth become contributories towardes the charges of a solemne sacrifice which shoulde be done in the honor of him and he did assigne the order and administration of the same vnto the house of the Phytalides in recompence of the curtesie which they showed him when he arriued Furthermore after the death of his father AEgeus he vndertooke a maruelous great enterprise For he brought all the inhabitantes of the whole prouince of ATTICA to be within the citie of ATHENS and made them all one corporation which were before dispersed into diuerse villages and by reason thereof were very hard to be assembled together when occasion was offered to establish any order concerning the cōmon state Many times also they were at variance together by the eares making warres one vpon an other But Theseus tooke the paines to goe from village to village and from family to familie to let them vnderstand the reasons why they should consent vnto it So he found the poore people and priuate men ready to obey and followe his will but the riche and such as had authoritye in euery village all against it Neuertheles
the taking and destruction of TROYA there were certaine TROYANS which sauing them selues from the sworde tooke suche vessells as they founde at aduenture in the hauen and were by winds put with the THVSCANE shore where they anckred neere vnto the riuer of Tyber There their wiues being so sore sea sicke that possibly they could not any more endure the boisterous surges of the seas it happened one of them among the rest the noblest and wisest of the companie called ROMA to counsaill the other women of her cōpanions to set their shippes a fire which they dyd accordingly Wherewith their husbands at the first were maruelously offended But afterwards being compelled of necessitie to plant them selues neere vnto the cittie of PALLANTIVM they were appeased when they sawe things prosper better then they hoped for finding the soyle there fertile and the people their neighbours ciuill and gentle in entertaining them Wherefore amongest other honours they dyd to require this lady Roma they called their cittie after her name as from whom came the originall cause of the building and foundation thereof They saye that from thence came this custome continuing yet to this daye at ROME that the women saluting their kinsefolkes and husbands doe kisse them in the mouthe for so dyd these TROYAN ladyes to please their husbands and to winne them againe after they had lost their fauours and procured their displeasures with burning of their shippes Other saye that Roma was the daughter of Italus and of Lucaria or els of Telephus the sonne of Hercules and of the wife of AEneas other saye of Ascanius the sonne of AEneas who named the cittie after her name Other holde opinion that it was Romanus the sonne of Vlysses and of Circé that first founded ROME other will saye that it was Romus the sonne of Emathion whom Diomedes sent thither from TROYA Other write that it was one Romis a tyranne of the LATINES who draue the THVSCANS out of those partes which departing out of THESSALY went first of all into LYDIA and afterwards from LYDIA into ITALIE And furthermore they who thincke that Romulus as in deede it carieth best likelyhod was he that gaue the name to the cittie doe not agree about his auncesters For some of them write that he was the sonne of AEneas and of Dexithea the daughter of Phorbus and that he was brought into ITALIE of a litle childe with his brother Remus and that at that time the riuer of Tyber being ouerflowen all other shippes were cast awaye sauing the shippe in which the two litle boyes were which by great good happe came to a slaye vpon a very plaine euen grounde on the bancke and bicause the children beyond all hope were saued by this meanes therefore the place was afterwardes called ROMA Other saye that Roma the daughter of the first Troian ladye was maried vnto Latinus the sonne of Telemachus by whom she had Romulus Other write that it was AEmilia the daughter of AEneas and of Lauinia which was gotten with childe by the god Mars Other tell a tale of Romulus birth nothing true nor likely For it is sayed that there was sometime a king of ALBA named Tarchetius a very wicked and cruell man in whose house through the permission of the goddes appeared such a like vision that there rose vp in the harthe of his chymney the forme facion of a mans priuie member which continued there many dayes And they saye that at that time there was in THVSCANE an oracle of Thetis from whom they brought vnto this wicked king Tarchetius suche an aunswer that he should cause his daughter yet vnmaried to haue carnall companie with the straunge thing for she should beare a sonne that should be famous for his valliancie for strength of bodye and his happie successe wherein he should exceede all men of his time Tarchetius tolde this oracle vnto one of his daughters and willed her to entertaine this straunge thing but she disdaining to doe it sent one of her waiting women to vndertake the entertainement But Tarchetius was so mad at this that he caused them both to be taken to put them to death howbeit the goddesse Vesta appeared to him in his sleepe in the night and charged him he should not doe it Whereupon he dyd commaund them to make him a pece of clothe in the prisone with promise that they should be maried when they had finished it These poore maydes toyled at it all the liue longe daye but in the night there came other by Tarchetius commaundement that dyd vndoe all they had done the daye before In the meane time this waiting woman that was gott with childe by this straunge thing was deliuered of two goodly boyes or twynnes whom Tarchetius gaue vnto one Teratius with expresse commaundement he should cast them awaye This Teratius caryed them vnto the bancke of the riuer thither came a shee woulfe and gaue them sucke and certaine byrdes that brought litle crommes and put them in their mouthes vntill a swyne heard perceyuing them and wondring at the fight dyd boldly goe to the children and tooke them awaye with him These infantes being thus preserued after they were come to mans state dyd set vpon Tarchetius and slewe him One Promathion an Italian writer deliuereth this storie thus But the reporte that carieth best credit of all and is allowed of by many writers commeth from Diocles Peparethian whome Fabius Pictor followeth in many thinges who was the first that put forth this storie among the GRECIANS and specially the chiefest poynts of it Though this matter be somewhat diuersely taken yet in effect the storie is thus The right line and bloude of the kings of ALBA descended from AEneas by succession from the father to the sonne and the Kingdome fell in the ende betweene two brethern Numitor and Amulius They agreed by lotte to make diuision betweene them whereof the one to haue the Kingdome and the other all the golde syluer readye money goodes and iuells brought from TROIA Numitor by his lotte chose the Realme for his portion Amulius hauing all the golde and treasure in his handes dyd finde himselfe thereby the stronger and so dyd easely take his Realme from him And fearing least his brothers daughter might haue children which one day might thrust him out againe he made her a Nunne of the goddesse Vesta there to passe her dayes in virginitie neuer to be maried some call her Rhea other Syluia and other Ilia neuertheles not longe after she was founde with childe against the rule and profession of the Vestall Nunnes So nothing had saued her from present death but the petition of Antho the daughter of king Amulius who intreated her father for her life yet notwithstanding she was straightly locked vp that no body could see her nor speake with her least she should be brought a bedde without Amulius knowledge In the ende she was deliuered of two fayre boyes and marueilous
we ought to consider in them the diuersities of manners and passions seeing anger is vnreasonable and wrathe rashe and passionate then can we not clere the one nor excuse the other of extreme rage and passion in the facte committed by the one against his brother and by the other against his naturall sonne Howbeit the occasion and beginning of anger doth muche excuse Theseus who moued with the greatest cause that might be was put into suche choller and passion But if Romulus variaunce with his brother had proceeded of any matter of counsell or cause of the common weales there is none so simple to thincke that his wisdome would so sodainely haue set vpon him Where as Theseus in contrarie manner killed his sonne prouoked by those passions that fewe men can auoyde to wit loue ielousie and false reporte of his wife Moreouer Romulus anger went to the effect whereof the issue fell out very lamentable Theseus anger stretched no further then to roughe wordes and olde folkes curses in their heate For it seemeth cursed fortune and nought els was the cause of his sonnes only mishappe as forespoken and wished for somewhat by his father These be the speciall things maye be alledged for Theseus But for Romulus this was a noble thing in him First his beginning being very lowe and meane and his brother and he taken for bonde men and the children of hoggeheards before they were them selues all free they set at libertie in manner all the LATINES winning at one instant many titles of glorie and honour as distroyers of their enemies defenders of their parents Kings of nations founders of newe citties and no ouerthrowers of the olde where as Theseus of many habitations and houses made onely one and dyd ouerthrowe and plucke downe diuers states bearing the names of auncient Kings princes and halfe goddes of ATTICA All these also dyd Romulus afterwards and compelled his enemies whom he had ouercome to distroye their owne houses and to come and dwell with their conquerours And in the beginning he neuer chaunged nor increased any cittie that was buylt before but buylt him selfe a newe cittie out of the grounde getting all together land countrie kingdome kinred and mariages without losing or killing any man and to the contrarie rather he dyd good to many poore vacabonds who had neither countrie lands nor houses and desired nothing els but to make a people amongest them and to become cittizens of some cittie Also Romulus bent not him selfe to follow theeues and robbers but subdued by force of armes many mightie and puissant people he tooke citties and triumphed ouer Kings and Princes which he had vanquished in battell And touching the murder of Remus it is not certainely knowen of whose hands he dyed The most parte of authors doe charge other with the death of him But it is certaine that Romulus deliuered his mother from apparant death and restored his grandfather to the royall throne of AEneas who before was deposed and brought from a King to seruill obedience without any regarde of honour or dignitie to whom he dyd many moe great pleasures and seruices Besides he neuer offended him willingly no not so muche as ignorantly Contrarylie I thincke of Theseus who fayling by negligence to put out his white sayle at his returne cannot be cleared of parricide howe eloquent an oration soeuer could be made for his excuse yea though it were before the most fauorable iudges that could be Wherefore an ATHENIAN very well perceyuing that it was an harde thing to excuse and defend so fowle a faulte dothe fayne that the good olde man AEgeus hauing newes brought him that his sonnes shippe was at hand dyd ronne in so great haste to his castell to see his sonne arriue a farre of that as he ranne his foote hit against some thing and ouerthrewe him as though he had none of his people about him or that neuer a man seeing him ronne so hastely to the sea side dyd make haste to attende and wayte vpon him Furthermore Theseus faults touching women and rauishements of the twaine had the lesse shadowe and culler of honestie Bicause Theseus dyd attempt it very often for he stale awaye Ariadne Antiope and Anaxo the Troezenian Againe being stepped in yeres and at later age and past mariage he stale awaye Helen in her minoritie being nothing neere to consent to marye Then his taking of the daughters of the TROEZENIANS of the LACEDAEMONIANS and the AMAZONES neither contracted to him nor comparable to the birthe and linadge of his owne countrie which were at ATHENS and descended of the noble race and progenie of Erichtheus and of Cecrops dyd geue men occasion to suspect that his womannishenes was rather to satisfie lust then of any great loue Romulus nowe in a contrarie manner when his people had taken eight hundred or thereabouts of the Sabyne women to rauishe them kept but onely one for him selfe that was called Hersilia as they saye and deliuered the reste to his best and most honest cittizens Afterwardes by the honour loue and good entertainment that he caused them to haue receyue of their husbands he chaunged this violent force of rauishement into a most perfect bonde and league of amitie which dyd so knyt and ioyne in one these two nations that it was the beginning of the great mutuall loue which grewe afterwards betwext those two people and consequently of the ioyning of their powers together Furthermore time hath geuen a good testimonie of the loue reuerence constancie kyndenes and all matrimoniall offices that he established by that meanes betwext man and wife For in two hundred and thirtie yeres afterwards there was neuer man that durst forsake or put awaye his wife nor the wife her husband And as among the GRECIANS the best learned men and most curious obseruers of antiquities doe knowe his name that was the first murderer of his father or mother euen so all the ROMAINES knewe what he was which first durst put away his wife It was one called Spurius Caruilius bicause his wife was barren and had no children The effects also doe agree with the testimonie of the time For the Realme was common vnto Kings of both nations and through the alliance of these mariages that beganne first of rauishements both nations liued peaciblie and in equalitie vnder one ciuill policie and well gouerned common weale The ATHENIANS contrariewise by Theseus mariages dyd get neither loue nor kynred of any one persone but rather they procured warres enmities the slaughter of their citizens with the losse in the ende of the cittie of APHIDNES and yet very hardely and by the mercie of their enemies whom they honored as godds they escaped for him the daunger which the TROIANS suffered afterwards for the self acte done by Alexander Paris So it fell out at the last that his mother was not only in daunger but euen feelingly suffered like miserie and captiuitie which Hecuba dyd
which had happened before to a most well beloued man of the goddes Some laye Lycurgus died in the cittie of CIRRHA But Apollothemis sayeth he died in ELIDA Timaeus and Aristoxenus write he ended his dayes in CRETA And Aristoxenus sayeth further that those of the I le of CRETA doe shewe his graue in the place which they call Pergami◠by the broade highe wayes side He left one onely begotten sonne named Antiorus who died without issue so that his house and name fayled with him But his neere kinsemen and famillier friendes did set vp a company or brotherhood in memorie of him which continued a long time and the dayes wherein they assembled were called the Lycurgides There is another Aristocrates the sonne of Hipparchus who sayeth that he being dead in CRETA his friendes burned his bodie and afterwardes threwe his ashes into the sea according as he had prayed and requested them For he feared that if any parte of him should at any time haue bene brought to SPARTA the inhabitans would haue sayed he was returned againe and thereby would haue thought them selues discharged of their othe and might haue lawfully altered the lawes which he had appointed And this is the discourse and ende of Lycurgus life The end of Lycurgus life THE LIFE OF Numa Pompilius THE Historiographers differ maruelously of the time in which Numa Pompilius raigned King albeit some will deriue from him many noble houses descēded in ROME For one Clodius who wrote the booke intituled the table of time affirmeth that the auncient registers of the cittie of ROME were lost when it was taken and sacked by the GAVLES and that those which are extant at this daye be not true but were only made by men desirous to gratifie some which haue thrust in auncient houses and families of the first ROMAINES that concerne nothing them whom they ment to represent On the other side although the common opinion be that Numa was as familier friend and scholler of Pythagoras the philosopher yet some saye he was neuer learned nor had any knowledge at all in the Greeke tongue And yet mainteining that it is possible enough that he was so well borne and had suche perfection in all kind of vertue that he neuer neded any master though he had neded they had rather attribute the honour of the instructing of this King vnto some other foreane person that was more excellent then Pythagoras Other saye that Phythagoras the philosopher was long time after the raigne of Numa well nighe fiue ages after him How beit other saye there was another Pythagoras borne in SPARTA who hauing wonne the pryse of running at the games Olympicall in the sixtenth Olympiade the third yere of Numaes raigne did come into ITALIE where he kept much about Numa did assist helpe him in the gouerning ordering of his Realme By meanes whereof there be many customes yet of the LACONIANS mingled with the ROMAINES which this second Pythagoras was sayed to haue taught him Neuertheles his not confessed that Numa was borne of the SABYNES which they saye are descended from the LACEDAEMONIANS So it falleth out very hard to agree certainly of the time when Numa was and chiefly for suche as will followe the rolle or table of those which from Olympiades to Olympiades haue wonne the pryses of games Olympicall considering the rolle or table that they haue at this present was very lately published by one Hippias an Elian who deliuereth no reason or argument of necessitie why it should be taken for an vndoubted trothe which he in that sorte hath gathered Yet we will not leaue to put in writing those things worthie of memorie which we could gather by any meanes of king Numa beginning at that place which we thought to be meetest It was nowe sithence ROME was buylt seuen and thirtie yeres for so long time raigned Romulus when Romulus the fifte of the moneth of Iuly which they call the Nones of the goates made a solemne sacrifice without the cittie neere to a certaine place commonly called the goate marshe As all the whole Senate with the most parte of the people were present at this sacrifice sodainely there rose in the ayer a very great tempest and a maruelous darcke thicke clowde which fell on the earthe with suche boysterous windes stormes lightnings and thunder that the poore common people being affrayed of so fore a tempest dispersed them selues sodainely running here and there for succour and therewithall king Romulus vanished awaye in suche sorte that he was neuer after seene aliue not dead This brought the Senatours and noble men whom they called Patricians into great suspition And there ranne a fowle tale among the common people howe they had a long time borne very impaciently to be subiects to a King bicause them selues would haue had and taken vpon them some soueraine authoritie and that for this cause they had killed king Romulus Adding somewhat more vnto it howe a litle before he had vsed them more roughely and commaūded them more straightly then he was wont or accustomed Neuertheles they found the meanes to quenche all these bruites and murmurings by doing diuine honour and sacrifice vnto him as one not dead but passed to a better life To confirme this one of the noblest men among them called Proclus came in and by othe affirmed before all the people that he sawe Romulus ascending vp into heauen armed at all peces and that he heard a voyce saye from thenceforth call him Quirinus This being thus appeased there sprange vp another trouble to knowe whom they should choose in his place For the straungers which were come then from other places to dwell in ROME were not yet throughly ioyned to the naturall borne ROMAINES in so muche as the common people dyd not only wauer and stagger vp and down in opinion but the Senatours also that were many of diuers nations did enter into a suspition one of another These things notwithstāding they all agreed in this that of necessitie they must choose a King howbeit in the rest they differed much not only whom they should choose but also of what nation he should be For those which were the first founders and buylders of the cittie of ROME with Romulus could in no wise abide norsuffer that the SABYNES to whom they had diuided parte of their landes and a moytie of their cittie should attempt and presume to commaund them whom they dyd receyue and associate into their company and felowshippe The SABYNES alledged on thother side for them a good reason and such as caried great probabilitie Which was that neuer sence the death of their king Tatius they neither had in any thing disobeyed nor disquieted king Romulus but had suffered him to raigne peaceably and therefore Romulus being nowe deceased reason would that the newe King should be chosen of their nation And that albeit the ROMAINES had receyued them into their cittie they could
not say therefore that in time of this association they were lesse to be reckoned of in any thing than them selues Further they added that in ioyning with them the ROMAINES had doubly increased their might and power and had made a bodie of a people which deserued the honour and title of a cittie These were the causes of their contention But to preuent that of this contention there might growe to confusion in the cittie if it should remaine without an head to commaund the Senatours which were a hundred and fiftieth number gaue counsell that euery one of them by turnes one after another should carie the royall state of the King and all the showes and ornaments of his maiestie and should doe the ordinarie sacrifices of the King and dispatche all causes sixe howers in the daye and sixe howers in the night as the King before had vsed Thus they thought it best to deuide the rule that one might haue asmuch power as the other aswell in respect of them selues as also for regarde of the people For they imagined that the chaunging and remouing thus of this regall dignitie and passing it from man to man would clene take awaye enuie among them and make euery of them to rule temperately and vprightly see that in one and that selfe same daye and night euery of them should be a King and priuate persone also The ROMAINES call this manner of regiment in vacation Interregnum as you would saye rule for the time Nowe albeit their gouernment was very modest and ciuill yet they could not for all that keepe them selues from falling into the suspition and slaunder of the people who gaue it out straight that this was a fine deuise of theirs to chaunge by this meanes the rule of the Realme into a fewe noble mens handes to the ende that the whole authoritie and gouernment of all publicke causes should remaine still in them selues bicause it grieued them to be subiect to a king And in the ende the two partes of the cittie came to this agreement that the one parte should choose one of the bodie of the other to be the king This course they liked very well aswell for the pacification of present sturre and dissention amongest them selues as for procuring equalitie of affection and sturring vp a likenes of goodwill in the King that thus indifferently should be chosen whereby he should loue the one parte for that they had chosen him and likewise the other parte for that he was of their nation The SABYNES were the first which referred the election to the ROMAINES choyse and the ROMAINES thought it better to chuse one of the nation of the SABYNES then to haue a ROMAINE chosen by the SABYNES After they had consulted they determined amongest them selues and did choose Numa Pompilius one of the bodye of the SABYNES to be King who was none of the number of them which came to dwell at ROME howbeit he was a man so famous for his vertue that the SABYNES so soone as they named him did receyue him more willingly then they who had chosen him After they had thus published their election the first and chiefest persones of the one the otherside were chosen out to goe vnto him Now Numa Pompilius was borne in one of the chiefest and best citties which the SABYNES had called Cures whereupon the ROMAINES and their fellowes the SABYNES were called afterwardes Quirites and he was the sonne of Pomponius a noble man the youngest of foure brethern being by the secret worcking of the goddes borne on the very daye on the which ROME was first founded by Romulus which was the one and twenty daye of Aprill This man being naturally geuen and inclined vnto all vertue did yet increase the same by studie and all kynde of good discipline and by the exercise thereof and of true pacience and right philosophie he did maruelously adorne him selfe and his manners For he did not only clere his soule and minde of all passions and vices commonly vsed in the worlde but he conquered in him selfe all heates violence couetousnes And would neither seeke nor vsurpe that which was an other mans a thing at that time honoured among the most barbarous people but thought that to be the true and right victorie in man first to conquer and commaund him selfe by iudgement reason then to subdue all couetousnes greedines Hauing therfore this opinion he would in no wise haue in his house any superfluity or finenes He became to euery man that would employe him aswell straunger as his owne countrie man a wise coūsaillour an vpright iudge He bestowed his leysure not to followe his owne delight or to gather goods together but to serue the goddes to behold their celestiall nature and power as much as mans reason vnderstāding could cōprehend Thereby he got so great a name reputation that Tatius which was king of ROME with Romulus hauing but one onely daughter called Tatia made him his sonne in law Howbeit this mariage put him in no such iolity that he would dwel at ROME with his father in lawe but rather kept at home at his own house in the countrie of the SABYNES there to serue cherishe his olde father with his wife Tatia who for her parte also liked better to liue quietly with her husbād being a priuate mā then to goe to ROME where she might haue liued in much honour and glorie by meanes of the King her father She died as it is reported 13. yeres after she was maried After her deathe Numa leauing to dwell in the cittie was better contēted to liue in the country alone solitarie gaue himself to walke much in the fields woddes consecrated to the godds as one desirous to leade alone life farre from the cōpanie of men Whereupon was raised in my opiniō that which is spoken of him of the goddesse Egeria That it was not for any straungenes or melancholines of nature that Numa withdrew him self from the cōuersation cōpany of men but bicause he had found another more honorable holy society of the Nymphe goddesse Egeria who had done him as they saye that honour as to make him her husbād with whō as his beloued darling it is sayed he enjoyed happy dayes by dayly frequenting of her company he was inspired with the loue knowledge of all celestiall things Surely these deuises are much like vnto certain old fables of the Phrygiās which they hauing learned from the father to the sonne doe loue to tell of one Atis of the Bithynians of one Herodotus of the ARCADIANS of one Endymion and of many other such like men who in their liues were taken for sayntes and beloued of the goddes Notwithstanding it is likely that the goddes loue neither birdes nor horse but men and haue sometimes a liking to be familliar with perfect good men and doe not disdaine
Or els they are so called bicause Ancon signifieth an elbow vpon which they carie them All these deriuations are written in the historie of Iuba who in any case will haue this word Ancylia to be drawen out of the Greeke tongue And it maye be also they were so called bicause the first came from aboue which the GRECIANS call Anecathen or els for healing the sicke which is called Acesis Or els for ceasing of the drines which in Greke is called Anchmon Lysis Or for the ending of all diseases and euills for which cause the ATHENIANS call Castor and Pollux Anacas if they lust to geue this word his deriuation from the Greeke tongue Now the reward which Mamurius the goldsmithe had for the making of these targets was that the Sal◠vnto this daye doe make mention of him in their songe which they singe going through the cittie dauncing of their daunce all armed Howbeit some thincke they saye not Veturius Mamurius but veterem memoriam auncient memorie But Numa after he had ordeined and instituted these orders of priests built his palace neere vnto the temple of Vesta which holdeth his name Regia at this daye to saye the Kings palace In which he remained most part of his life studying either to sacrifice to the goddes or to teache the Priestes what they should doe or howe with them he should best contēplate all heauenly things It is true that he had another house on the hill which they call at this daye Quirinall the place whereof is yet to be seene But in all these sacrifices ceremonies and processions of the Priestes there were allwayes husshers that went before crying to the people kepe silence and tend vpon diuine seruice For they saye the Pythagorians thought it good that men should not worshippe the godds nor make prayers to them in passing by or doing any other thing but they thought it mete that men should of purpose goe out of their houses to serue praye vnto them Euen so king Numa thought it not meete that his subiects should come to see and heare diuine seruice negligently as it were for a facion and only to be ryd of it as heeding an other thing but he would haue them set a side all other busines and employ their thoughts harts only vpon the principall seruice of religion deuotion towards the godds So that during seruice time he would not haue heard any noise any knocking boūsing or any clapping as they commonly heare in all artificers shoppes of occupation whereof at this daye yet they see some signes and tokens remaining in their sacrifices at ROME For all the time the Augure beholdeth the flying of the birds or that he is doing any sacrifice the vergers crie alowde Hoc age which meaneth tend this And it is a warning to those that are present to call their wittes home to thincke on that which is in hand Also there are many of his orders like the preceptes of the Pythagorians For as they dyd warne men not to sit vpon a litle busshell not to cut fire with a sword not to looke behinde them when they goe abroade to sacrifice to the celestiall godds in an odde number and to the goddes of the earth in an euen number of which precepts they would not haue the common people to haue any knowledge or vnderstāding Euen so there are many institutions of Numa the reasons whereof are hidden and kept secret as not to offer wine to the godds of the vine neuer cut not to sacrifice vnto them without meale to turne a turne about when they doe reuerence to the godds to sit down after they haue worshipped them And as touching the two first ordinances it seemeth that by them he did recōmend clemēcy humanity as being a parte of the deuotion towards the godds But as for the turning which he willeth them to make that worshippe the goddes they saye it representeth the turning which the element maketh by his mouing But me thincketh it should rather come of this for that the tēples being set to the east he that worshippeth entring into the tēple sheweth his backe to the West for this cause turneth towardes that parte afterwards returneth againe towards god doing the whole turne ending the consummation of his prayer by this double adoration which he maketh before behinde Onles peraduenture that he ment secretly to signifie geue them to vnderstande by this turning chaūging of their looke that which the EGYPTIANS figured by their wheels in showing therby that these wordly things were neuer constant in one state And therfore that we should take it thankfully paciētly beare it in what sorte soeuer it pleased god to chaunge or alter our life And where he cōmaunded that they should sit after they had worshipped god they sayed it was a token of a good hope vnto them that prayed that their prayers should be exalted and that their goods should remaine safe sticke by thē Other saye that this ease sitting is a separating thē frō doing therfore he would they should sit in the tēples of the godds to shew they had done that which they had in hād before to the end to take of the godds the beginning of another And it maye well be also that it was referred to the thing we spake of a litle before That Numa would accustome his people not to serue the godds nor to speake to them at all as they passed by or did any other thing or were in haste but would haue them praye vnto the godds when they had time leysure all other busines at that time set a parte By this good instruction training them vnto religion the cittie of ROME by litle litle came to be so tractable had the great power of king Numa in such admiratiō that they tooke all to be as true as the gospell that he spake though it had no more likelyhood of trothe then tales deuised of pleasure Furthermore they thought nothing incredible or vnpossible to him if he would haue it And for proofe hereof there goeth a tale of him that he hauing bidden a great company of the cittizens of ROME to come suppe with him caused them to be serued with plaine grosse meate in very poore homely vessell And when they were set and beganne to fall to their meate he cast out words sodainely vnto them how the goddesse with whom he accōpanied was come to see him euen at that instant that sodainely the hall was richely furnished the tables couered with all sortes of excellent fine delicate meates Howbeit this farre passed all the vanity of lying which is foūd written of him about his speaking with Iupiter The hill Auētine was not at that time inhabited nor inclosed within the walles of ROME but was full of springs shadowed groues whether cōmonly repaired to solace them felues the two
Iupiter Olympian only remained vnperfect so the wisdome of Plato amongest many goodly matters of his that haue come abroade left none of them vnperfect but the only tale of the Iles ATLANTIDES Solon liued long time after Pisistratus had vsurped the tyrannie as Heraclides Ponticus writeth Howbeit Phanias Ephesian writeth that he liued not aboue two yeres after For Pisistratus vsurped tyrannicall power in the yere that Comias was chief gouernour in ATHENS And Phanias writeth that Solon dyed in the yere that Hegestratus was gouernour which was the next yere after that And where some saye the ashes of his bodie were after his death strawed abroade through the I le of SALAMINA that seemeth to be but a fable and altogether vntrue Neuertheles it hath bene written by many notable authours and amongest others by Aristotle the philosopher The ende of Solons life THE LIFE OF PVBLIVS Valerius Publicola NOWE we haue declared what Solon was we haue thought good to compare him with Publicola to whom the ROMAINE people for an honour gaue that surname for he was called before Publius Valerius descended from that auncient Valerius who was one of the chiefest worckers and meanes to bring the ROMAINES and the SABYNES that were mortall enemies to ioyne together as one people For it was he that most moued the two Kings to agree and ioyne together Publicola being descended of him whilest the Kings dyd rule yet at ROME was in very great estimation aswell for his eloquence as for his riches vsing the one rightly and freely for the maintenaunce of iustice and the other liberally and curteously for the relief of the poore So that it was manifest if the Realme came to be conuerted into a publicke state he should be one of the chiefest men of the same It chaunced that king Tarquine surnamed the prowde being come to the crowne by no good lawfull meane but contrary lie by indirect and wicked wayes and behauing him selfe not like a King but like a cruell tyrante the people much hated and detested him by reason of the death of Lucretia which killed her selfe for that she was forcibly rauished by him so the whole cittie rose and rebelled against him Lucius Brutus taking vpon him to be the head and captaine of this insurrection and rebellion dyd ioyne first with this Valerius who dyd greately fauour and assist his enterprise and did helpe him to driue out king Tarquine with all his house familie Nowe whilest they were thincking that the people would chuse some one alone to be chief ruler ouer them in stead of a King Valerius kept him selfe quiet as yelding willingly vnto Brutus the first place who was meetest for it hauing bene the chief authour and worcker of their recouered libertie But when they sawe the name of Monarchie as much to saye as soueraintie alone was displeasaunt to the people and that they would like better to haue the rule deuided vnto two and how for this cause they would rather choose two Consuls Valerius then begāne to hope he should be the seconde persone with Brutus Howbeit this hope fayled him For against Brutus will Tarquinius Collatinus the husband of Lucretia was chosen Cōsul with him not bicause he was a man of greater vertue or of better estimation than Valerius But the noble men of the cittie fearing the practises of the Kings abroade which sought by all the fayer flattering meanes they could to returne againe into the cittie dyd determine to make such an one Consul whom occasion forced to be their hard and heauy enemie persuading them selues that Tarquinius Collatinus would for no respect yeld vnto them Valerius tooke this matter greuously but they had a mistrust in him as if he would not doe any thing he could for the benefit of his countrie notwithstanding he had neuer any priuate iniurie offered him by the tyrannes Wherfore he repaired no more vnto the Senate to pleade for priuate men and wholy gaue vp to medle in matters of state insomuch as he gaue many occasion to thincke of his absence and it troubled some men much who feared least vpon this his misliking and withdrawing he would fall to the Kings side and so bring all the cittie in an vprore considering it stoode then but in very tickle termes But when Brutus who stoode in iealousie of some would by othe be assured of the Senate had appointed them a daye solemnely to take their othes vpon the sacrifices Valerius then with a good cheerefull countenaunce came into the market place and was the first that tooke his othe he would leaue nothing vndone that might preiudice the Tarquines but with all his able power he would fight against them and defend the libertie of the cittie This othe of his maruelously reioyced the Senate gaue great assuraunce also to the Consuls but specially bicause his dedes dyd shortly after performe his wordes For there came ambassadours to ROME which brought letters from king Tarquine full of sweete lowly speaches to winne the fauour of the people with commission to vse all the mildest meanes they could to dulce and soften the hardened harts of the multitude who declared how the King had left all pryde and crueltie ment to aske nought but reasonable things The Consuls thought best to geue them open audience and to suffer them to speake to the people But Valerius was against it declaring it might perill the state much and deliuer occasion of new sturre vnto a multitude of poore people which were more affrayed of warres then of tyrannie After that there came other ambassadours also which sayed that Tarquine would from thenceforth for euer geue ouer and renounce his title to the Kingdome and to make any more warres but besought them only that they would at the least deliuer him and his friends their money and goods that they might haue wherewithall to keepe them in their banishment Many came on a pace and were very ready to yeld to this request and specially Collatinus one of the Consuls who dyd fauour their motion But Brutus that was a fast and resolute man and very fierce in his harte ranne immediately into the market place crying out that his fellowe Consul was a traytour and contented to graunt the tyrannes matter and meanes to make warre vpon the cittie where in deede they deserued not so much as to be relieued in their exile Hereupon the people assembled together and the first that spake in this assembly was a priuate man called Gaius Minutius who speaking vnto Brutus to the whole assembly sayed vnto them O noble Consul Senate handle so the matter that the tyrannes goods be rather in your custodie to make warre with them than in theirs to bring warre vpon your selues Notwithstāding the ROMAINES were of opinion that hauing gotten the liberty for which they fought with the tyrannes they should not disapoint the offered peace with keeping backe their goodes but rather
they should throwe their goods out after them Howbeit this was the least parte of Tarquines intent to seeke his goodes againe but vnder pretence of that demaund he secretly corrupted the people and practised treason which his ambassadours followed pretending only to get the Kings goodes and his fauourers together saying that they had already solde some parte and some parte they kept and sent them daylie So as by delaying the time in this sorte with such pretences they had corrupted two of the best and auncientest houses of the cittie to wit the familie of the Aquilians whereof there were three Senatours and the familie of the Vitellians whereof there were two Senatours all which by their mothers were Consul Collatinus nephewes The Vitellians also were allied vnto Brutus for he had maried their owne sister had many children by her Of the which the Vitellians had drawen to their stringe two of the eldest of them bicause they familiarly frequented together being cosin germaines whom they had intised to be of their conspiracie allying them with the house of the Tarquines which was of great power and through the which they might persuade them selues to rise to great honour preferment by meanes of the Kings rather than to trust to their fathers willfull hardnes For they called his seueritie to the wicked hardnes for that he would neuer pardone any Furthermore Brutus had fayned him selfe mad and a foole of long time for safety of his life bicause the tyrannes should not put him to death so that the name of Brutus only remained After these two young men had geuen their consent to be of the confederacie and had spoken with the Aquilians they all thought good to be bounde one to another with a great and horrible othe drincking the bloude of a man and shaking hands in his bowells whom they would sacrifice This matter agreed vpon betweene them they met together to put their sacrifice in execution in the house of the Aquilians They had fittely pickt out a darke place in the house to doe this sacrifice in where almost no bodye came yet it happened by chaunce that one of the seruants of the house called Vindicius had hidden him selfe there vnknowing to the traytours and of no set purpose to spye and see what they dyd or that he had any manner of inckling thereof before but falling by chaunce vpon the matter euen as the traytours came into that place with a countenaunce to doe some secret thing of importaunce fearing to be seene he kept him selfe close and laye behinde a coffer that was there so that he sawe all that was done and what they sayed and determined The conclusion of their counsell in the ende was this that they would kill both the Consuls and they wrote letters to Tarquinius aduertising the same which they gaue vnto his ambassadours being lodged in the house of the Aquilians were present at this conclusion With this determination they departed from thence and Vindicius came out also as secretly as he could being maruelously troubled in minde at a maze howe to deale in this matter For he thought it daungerous as it was in deede to goe and accuse the two sonnes vnto the father which was Brutus of so wicked and detestable a treason and the nephewes vnto their vncle which was Collatinus On the other side also he thought this was a secret not to be imparted to any priuate persone and not possible for him to conceale it that was bounde in duety to reueale it So he resolued at the last to goe to Valerius to bewraye this treason of a speciall affection to this man by reason of his gentle and curteous vsing of men geuing easy accesse and audience vnto any that came to speake with him and specially for that he disdained not to heare poore mens causes Vindicius being gone to speake with him and hauing tolde him the whole conspiracy before his brother Marcus Valerius and his wife he was abashed and fearefull withall whereupon he stayed him least he should slippe awaye and locked him in a chamber charging his wife to watche the doore that no bodie went in nor out vnto him And willed his brother also that he should goe and beset the Kings palace round about to intercept these letters if it were possible and to see that none of their seruants fled Valerius selfe being followed according to his manner with a great traine of his friendes and people that wayted on him went straight vnto the house of the Aquilians who by chaunce were from home at that time and entering in at the gate without let or trouble of any man he founde the letters in the chamber where king Tarquines ambassadours laye Whilest he was thus occupied the Aquilians hauing intelligence thereof ranne home immediately and founde Valerius cōming out at their gate So they vould haue taken those letters from him by force and strong hande But Valerius and his company dyd resist them and moreouer hudded them with their gownes ouer their heads and by force brought them doe what they could into the market place The like was done also in the Kings palace where Marcus Valerius founde other letters also wrapt vp in certaine fardells for their more safe cariage and brought away with him by force into the market place all the Kings seruants he founde there There the Consuls hauing caused silence to be made Valerius sent home to his house for this bondman Vindicius to be brought before the Consuls then the traytours were openly accused and their letters redde and they had not the face to aunswer one worde All that were present being amazed honge downe their heades and beholde the grounde and not a man durst once open his mouth to speake excepting a fewe who to gratifie Brutus beganne to say that they should banishe them and Collatinus also gaue them some hope bicause he fell to weeping and Valerius in like manner for that he held his peace But Brutus calling his sonnes by their names come on sayed he Titus and thou Valerius why doe you not aunswer to that you are accused of and hauing spoken thryse vnto them to aunswer when he sawe they stoode mute and sayed nothing he turned him to the sergeants and sayed vnto them They are now in your handes doe iustice So soone as he had spoken these wordes the sergeants layed holde immediately vpon the two young men and tearing their clothes of their backs bounde their hands behinde them and then whipped them with roddes which was such a pittiefull sight to all the people that they could not finde in their hartes to behold it but turned them selues another waye bicause they would not see it But contrariwise they saye that their owne father had neuer his eye of them neither dyd chaunge his austere and fierce countenaunce with any pittie or naturall affection towards them but stedfastly dyd beholde the punishment of his owne children vntill they were
the people also it was graunted her that she might marie if she thought it good but yet she would not accept the benefit of that offer Thus you heare the reporte how this thing happened Tarquinius then being past hope of euer entring into his Kingdome againe went yet vnto the THVSCANS for succour which were very glad of him and so they leauied a great armie together hoping to haue put him in his Kingdome againe The Consuls also hearing thereof went out with their armie against him Both the armies presented them selues in battell raye one against another in the holy places consecrated to the goddes wherof the one was called the wodde Arsia and the other the meadowe AEsuuia And as both armies beganne to geue charge vpon eche other Aruns the eldest sonne of king Tarquine and the Consul Brutus encoūtered together not by chaunce but sought for of set purpose to execute the deadly fode and malice they dyd beare eache other The one as against a tyrante and enemie of the libertie of his countrie the other as against him that had bene chief authour worker of their exile and expulsion So they set spurres to their horses so soone as they had spyed eche other with more fury then reason and fought so desperately together that they both fell starke dead to the ground The first onset of the battell being so cruell the end thereof was no lesse bloudy vntill both the armies hauing receyued and done like damage to eche other were parted by a maruelous great tempest that fell vpon them Nowe was Valerius maruelously perplexed for that he knewe not which of them wanne the field that daye seeing his souldiers as sorowfull for the great losse of their men lying dead before them as they were glad of the slaughter and victorie of their enemies For to viewe the multitude of the slaine bodies of either side the number was so equall in sight that it was very hard to iudge of which side fell out the greatest slaughter so that both the one and the other viewing by the eye the remaine of their campe were persuaded in their opinion that they had rather lost then wōne coniecturing a farre of the fall of their enemies The night being come such things fell out as maye be looked for after so terrible a battell For when both campes were all layed to rest they saye the wodde wherein they laye incamped quaked and trembled and they heard a voyce saye that onely one man more was slaine on the THVSCANS side than on the ROMAINES parte Out of doubt this was some voyce frō heauen for the ROMAINES thereupō gaue a shrill showte as those whose hartes receyued a newe quickening spirite or corage The THVSCANS on the contrarie parte were so affrayed that the most parte of them stole out of the campe scattered here and there there remained behind about the number of fiue thousand men whom the ROMAINES tooke prisoners euery one and had the spoile of their campe The carkasses were viewed afterwards they found that there were slaine in that battell eleuen thousand and three hundred of the THVSCANS and of the ROMAINES so many sauing one This battell was sought as they saye the last daye of Februarie and the Consul Valerius triumphed being the first of the Consuls that euer entered into ROME triumphing vpon a chater drawen with foure horses which sight the people found honorable goodly to beholde were not offended withall as some seeme to reporte nor yet dyd enuy him for that he beganne it For if it had bene so that custome had not bene followed with so good acceptatiō nor had cōtinued so many yeres as it dyd afterwards They much commended also the honour he dyd to his fellowe Consul Brutus in setting out his funeralles obsequies at the which he made a funerall oration in his praise They did so like please the ROMAINES that they haue euer since continued that custome at the buriall of any noble man or great personage that he is openly praised at his buriall by the worthiest man that liueth among them They reporte this funerall oration is farre more auncient then the first that was made in GRECE in the like case onles they will confirme that which the orator Anaximenes hath written that the manner of praising the dead at their funeralls was first of all instituted by Solon But they dyd most enuye Valerius and beare him grudge bicause Brutus whom the people did acknowledge for father of their libertie would neuer be alone in office but had procured twise that they should appoint Valerius fellowe Consul with him This man in contrariwise sayed the people taking vpon him alone the rule soueraintie sheweth plainely he will not be Brutus successour in his Consulshippe but Tarquinius self in the Kingdome For to great purpose was it to praise Brutus in wordes to followe Tarquinius in deedes hauing borne before him selfe only all the mases the axes and the roddes when he cometh abroade out of his owne house which is farre greater and more stately then the Kings palace which he him self ouerthrewe And to saye truely Valerius dwelt in a house a litle to sumptuously built seated vpon the hāging of the hill called mount Velia bicause it stoode highe it ouerlooked all the market place so that any man might easely see from thence what was done there Furthermore it was very ill to come to it but when he came out of his house it was a maruelous pompe and state to see him come downe from so highe a place with a traine after him that caried the maiestie of a Kings courte But herein Valerius left a noble example shewing howe much it importeth a noble man magistrate ruling weighty causes to haue his eares open to heare and willingly to receyue free speache in steade of flatteries playne trothe in place of lyes For being enformed by some of his friēds how the people misliked complained of it he stoode not in his owne conceit neither was angrie with them but forthwith set a worlde of workmen vpon it earely in the morning before breake of daye cōmaunded them to plucke down his house to rase it to the ground Insomuch as the next day following whē the ROMAINES were gathered together in the market place sawe this great sodaine ruine they much commended the noble acte minde of Valerius in doing that he dyd but so were they angrie and sorie both to see so fayer and stately a buylt house which was an ornament to the cittie ouerthrowen vpon a sodaine Much like in comparison to a man whom through spite and enuie they had vniustly put to death and to see their chief magistrate also like a straunger and a vacabonde compelled to seeke his lodging in another mans house For his friends receyued him into their houses vntill such time as the people had geuen him a place
cittie of CVMA he perceyued that all the coastes by sea were layed for him to apprehende him and that he had many spyalls vpon him among the which these were two speciall noted men Ergoteles and one Pythodorus the reward being very great for men that sought their gayne any waye they could For the king of PERSIA had proclaymed by sound of trūpet two hundred talēts to him that brought him Themistocles Whereupon he fled vnto a litle towne of AEOLIA called AEGES where no liuing bodie knewe him but his host only called Nicogenes who was the richest man of all the AEOLIANS and knewe all the noble men of authoritie that were about the king of PERSIA Themistocles continued hidden certen dayes in his house in which time on a night after the feast of a sacrifice one Olbius schoolemaster to Nicogenes children by some secret working of the goddes sodainely fell besides him selfe and beganne to singe these verses out alowde Doe thou beleeue vvhat so the night tells and geue thy voyce thy counsell and conceipts Vnto the night in darcksomnes that dvvells thereon also thy victorie avvaits The next night following Themistocles being fast asleepe in his bed dreamed that a snake wounde it selfe round about his bellie and glided vpwardes to his necke vntill it touched his face and sodainely then it became an eagle and imbraced him with his winges and so at length dyd lifte him vp into the ayer and caried him a maruelous waye of vntill he thought he sawe a golden rodde suche as Herauldes vse to carie in their handes whereupon the eagle dyd set him and so was deliuered of all this feare and trouble he thought him selfe in The trothe was Nicogenes had this deuise in his heade howe he might bring him safe to the king of PERSIAES courte The Barbarous nations for the most parte and specially the PERSIANS are of a very straunge nature and maruelous iealous ouer their women and that not onely of their wiues but also of their bonde women and concubines which they keepe so straightly locked vp that no man euer seeth them abroade at any time but are allwayes like housedoues kept within doores And when they haue any occasion to goe into the country they are caried in close coches couered all about that no man can looke into them Themistocles was conueyed into one of these coches drest after this manner and had warned his men to aunswer those they met by the waye that asked whom they caried howe it was a young GRECIAN gentlewoman of the countrie of IONIA which they caried to the courte for a noble man there Thucydides and Charon Lampsacenian saye he went thither after the death of Xerxes and spake with his sonne there But Ephorus Dino Clitarchus Heraclides and many other write that he spake with him selfe Yet notwithstanding it appeareth that Thucydides wordes doe best agree with the chronicles tables recording the succession of times although they be of no great certaintie Themistocles being come nowe to the swordes pointe as it were and to the extremitie of his daunger dyd first present him selfe vnto one Artabanus Colonell of a thousand footemen and sayed vnto him Syr I am a GRECIAN borne and desire to speake with the King I haue matters of importance to open to his maiestie and such as I knowe he will thanckefully receyue Artabanus aunswered him in this manner My friend syr straunger the lawes and customes of men are diuers and some take one thing for honest others some another thing but it is most honestly for all men to keepe and obserue the lawes and manners of their owne countrie For you GRECIANS haue the name to loue libertie and equalitie aboue all things for vs amongest all the goodly lawes and customes we haue we esteeme this aboue the rest to reuerence and honour our King as the image of the god of nature who keepeth all things in their perfect life and state Wherefore if thou wilt facion thy selfe after our manner to honour the King thou mayest both see him and speake with him but if thou haue another minde with thee then must thou of necessitie vse some thirde persone for thy meane For this is the manner of our countrie the King neuer geueth audience to any man that hath not first honoured him Themistocles hearing what he sayed aunswered him againe My lord Artabanus the great good will I bear vnto the King and the desire I haue to aduaunce his glorie and power is the only cause of my present repaire vnto his courte therefore I meane not only to obey your lawes since it hath so pleased the goddes to rayse vp the noble empire of PERSIA vnto this greatnes but will cause many other people also to honour the King more then there doe at this present Therefore let there be no staye but that my selfe in persone maye deliuer to the King that I haue to saye vnto him Well sayed Artabanus whom then shall we saye thou arte For by thy speache it seemeth thou art a man of no meane state and condition Themistocles aunswered him as for that Artabanus none shall knowe before the King him selfe Thus doth Phanias reporte it But Eratosthenes in his booke he wrote of riches addeth further howe Themistocles had accesse vnto this Artabanus being recommended to the King by a woman of ERETRIA whom the King kept Themistocles being brought to his presence after he had presented his humble duety and reuerence to him stoode on his feete and sayed neuer a worde vntill the King commaūded the interpreter to aske him what he was and he aunswered Maye it please your maiestie ô noble King I am Themistocles the Athenian a banished man out of my country by the GRECIANS who humbly repayreth to your highnes knowing I haue done great hurt to the PERSIANS but I persuade my self I haue done them farre more good then harme For I it was that kept the GRECIANS backe they dyd not follow you whē the state of GRECE was deliuered from thraldome and my natiue country from daunger and that I knew I stoode then in good state to pleasure you Nowe for me I finde all mens good willes agreable to my present misery and calamitie for I come determined most humbly to thancke your highnes for any grace and fauour you shall shewe me also to craue humble pardone if your maiesty be yet offended with me And therfore licence me most noble King to beseche you that taking mine enemies the GRECIANS for witnesses of the pleasures I haue done the PERSIAN nation you will of your princely grace vse my harde fortune as a good occasion to shewe your honorable vertue rather then to satisfie the passion of your heate and choller For in sauing my life your maiestie saueth an humble suter that put him selfe to your mercie and in putting me to death you shall ryd away an enemy of the GRECIANS Hauing spoken thus these words he sayed further That the goddes
by diuers signes and tokens had procured him to come to submit him selfe vnto him and tolde the King what vision he had seene in his dreame in Nicogenes house and declared also the oracle of Iupiter Dodonian who had commaunded him that he should goe vnto him that was called as a god and howe he thought it was the persone of his maiestie bicause that god and he in trothe were called both great Kings The King hauing thus heard him speake gaue him then no present aunswer againe notwithstanding he maruelously wondred at his great wisedome and boldenes But afterwardes amongest his familliars the King sayed he thought him selfe very happy to mete with the good fortune of Themistocles comming to him and so besought his great god Arimanius that he would allwayes send his enemies such mindes as to banishe the greatest wisest men amongest them It is reported also he did sacrifice vnto the goddes to geue them thankes therefore and disposed him selfe presently to be mery Insomuch as dreaming in the night in the middest of his dreame he cried out three times together for ioye I haue Themistocles the Athenian The next morning the King hauing sent for the chiefest lordes of his courte he made Themistocles also to be brought before him who looked for no goodnes at all specially when he sawe the souldiers warding at the gates geue him ill countenaunce and language both when they behelde him and vnderstoode his name Moreouer Roxanes one of the captaines as Themistocles passed by him going to the King who was set in his chayer of state and euery man keeping silence softely sighing sayed vnto him O thou Greekishe serpent subtill and malicious the Kings good fortune hath brought thee hether Neuertheles when he came to the King had once againe made him a very humble and lowe reuerence the King saluted him spake very curteously to him saying I am nowe your detter of two hundred talents for presenting your self It is good reason I should deliuer you the money promised him that should haue brought you but I geue you a further warrante be bolde I charge you speake your minde freely saye what you thinke of the state of GRECE Themistocles then aunswered him That mens wordes did properly resemble the stories and imagery in a pece of arras for both in the one in the other the goodly images of either of them are seene when they are vnfolded and layed open Contrariwise they appeare not but are lost when they are shut vp close folded whereupon he sayed to the King he must nedes require some further time of aunswer The King liked his comparison passingly well willed him to appointe his owne time Themistocles asked a yere in which time hauing pretily learned the Persian tongue he afterwards spake to the King him selfe without any interpreter So suche as were no courtiers thought he only talked with the King of matters of GRECE But bicause the chaunge alteration of the courte sell out great at that time the noble men imagined he had bene so bolde to comon with the King of them also Thereupon they greatly enuied him afterwardes murmured much against him For in deede the king dyd honour Themistocles aboue all other straūgers whatsoeuer they were On a time the king had him out a hunting with him he made him see his mother with whom he grewe familliar and by the kings owne commaundement he was to heare the disputations of the wise men of PERSIA touching secret philosophie which they call magike Demaratus the LACEDAEMONIAN being at that time in the courte of PERSIA the king willing him to aske what gifte he would He besought the king to graūt him this fauour to licēce him to goe vp down the cittie of SARDIS with his royall hat on his head as the kings of PERSIA doe Mithropaustes the kings cosin taking him by the hād sayed vnto him Demaratus the kings hatte thou demaundest and if it were on thy heade it would couer but litle wit Naye though Iupiter dyd geue thee his lightning in thy hande yet that would not make thee Iupiter But the king gaue him so sharpe a repulse for his vnreasonable request was so angrie with him for it that it was thought he would neuer haue forgeuen him howbeit Themistocles was so earnest a suter for him that he brought him into fauour againe And the reporte goeth that the kings successours which haue bene since that time vnder whom the PERSIANS haue had more dealings with the GRECIANS then in former dayes when they would retaine any great state or personage of GRECE into their seruice they wrote vnto him and promised him they would make him greater about them then euer was Themistocles about Xerxes That which is written of him doth also confirme it For he being stept vp to great countenaunce and authoritie followed with great traines of suters after him by reason of his greatnes seing him self one daye very honorably serued at his table with all sortes of daintie meates he turned him to his childrē sayed vnto them My sonnes we should haue bene vndone if we had not bene vndone The most writers doe agree that he had giuen him the reuenue of 3. citties for his allowance of bread wine vittailes to wit MAGNESIA LAMPSACVS MYVNTA But Neāthes Cyziceniā Phanias doe adde two other citties more PERCOTA PALESCEPSIA the one to defraye his charges of apparell the other for his lodging Afterwards Themistocles going into the lowe countries towards the sea to take order against the practises of the GRECIANS there was a PERSIAN lord called Epixies gouernour of highe PHRYGIA that had layed a traine to kill him hauing of long time hiered certaine murderers of PISIDIA to doe it so soone as he should come into a towne of his gouernment called the Lyons head But as he slept on a daye in his house in the after none the mother of the goddes appeared vnto him and sayed Themistocles goe not to the Lyons heade for feate thou mete with the Lyon and for this warning I doe aske thy daughter Mnesiptolema for my seruante Themistocles waking sodainely out of his dreame made his prayer vnto the goddesse and turning out of the highe waye fetched another compasse about Afterwardes hauing passed that towne he tooke his lodging being benighted but one of the beastes which caried his tente fell by the waye vnfortunatly in a riuer and all his arras and tapestry hangings being throughly wet his seruaunts were driuen to laye them out a drying by moone light The Pisidians that laye in wayte and could not discerne by moone light that they were hangings layed out to drye thought it had bene the very tente Themistocles selfe dyd lye in whereupon they went vnto it with their swordes drawen in their handes hoping to haue taken him sleeping But when they were come thither and beganne to lifte vp a pece of the hangings some of
Conon fled and the other being not much lesse then two hundred in number were euery one of them taken and caried awaye with three thousand prisoners whom Lysander put to death Shortely after he tooke the cittie self of ATHENS and rased their long walles euen to the ground After this great and notable victorie Alcibiades fearing sore the LACEDAEMONIANS who then without let or interruption of any were only Lords and Princes by sea and by lande he went into the countrie of BITHYNIA and caused great good to be brought after him and tooke a maruelous sūme of money with him besides great riches he left also in the castells of THRACIA where he dyd remaine before Howbeit he lost much of his goodes in BITHYNIA which certaine THRACIANS dwelling in that countrie had robbed him of taken from him So he determined to repaire forthwith vnto king Artaxerxes hoping that when the King had once proued him he should finde him a man of no lesse seruice then he had found Themistocles before him besides that the occasion of his going thither should be muche iuster then his was For he dyd not goe thither to make warre against the cittie of ATHENS and his countrie as Themistocles did but of a cōtrarie intent to make intercession to the King that it would please him to ayde them Now Alcibiades thinking he could vse no better meane then Pharnabazus helpe only to see him safely conducted to the Kings courte he proposed his iorney to him into the countrie of PHRYGIA where he abode a certaine time to attēd vpon him was very honorably entertained and receyued of Pharnabazus All this while the ATHENIANS founde them selues desolate in miserable state to see their empire lost but then much more when Lysander had taken all their liberties and dyd set thirtie gouernours ouer their cittie Now to late after all was lost where they might haue recouered againe if they had bene wise they beganne together to bewaile and lament their miseries and wretched state looking backe apon all their wilfull faultes and follies committed emong which they dyd reckon their second time of falling out with Alcibiades was their greatest faulte So they banished him only of malice and displeasure not for any offense him selfe in persone had committed against them sauing that his lieutenaunt in his absence had shamefully lost a fewe of their shippes and they them selues more shamefully had driuen out of their cittie the noblest souldier and most skilfull captaine that they had And yet they had some litle poore hope lefte that they were not altogether cast awaye so long as Alcibiades liued and had his health For before when he was a forsaken man and led a banished life yet he could not liue idely and doe nothing Wherefore now much more sayed they to them selues if there be any helpe at all he will not suffer out of doubt the insolencie pryde of the LACEDAEMONIANS nor yet abyde the cruelties and outrages of these thirtie tyrauntes And surely the common people had some reason to haue these thoughts in their heades considering that the thirtie gouernours them selues dyd what they could possiblie to spye out Alcibiades doinges and what he went about In so muche as Critias at the last declared to Lysander that so long the LACEDAEMONIANS might reckon them selues Lordes ouer all GREECE as they kept from the common people the rule and authoritie of the cittie of ATHENS And further he added that notwithstanding the people of ATHENS could well awaye to liue like subiects vnder the gouernment of a fewe yet Alcibiades whilest he liued would neuer suffer them so to be reigned ouer but would attempt by all deuise he could to bring a chaunge and innouation emong them Yet Lysander would not credit these persuasions before speciall commandement was sent to him from the Senate of LACEDAEMON vpon his allegiaunce that he should deuise to kill Alcibiades by all meanes he could procure either bicause in trothe they feared the subtiltie of his wit and the greatnes of his corage to enterprise matters of great weight and daunger or els that they sought to gratifie king Agis by it Lysander being thus straightly commaunded dyd send and practise incontinently with Pharnabazus to execute the facte who gaue his brother Magaeus and his vncle Sosamithres commission to attempt the matter Now was Alcibiades in a certen village of PHRYGIA with a concubine of his called Timandra So he thought he dreamed one night that he had put on his concubines apparell and how she dandling him in her armes had dressed his head friseling his heare and painted his face as he had bene a woman Other saye that he thought Magaeus strake of his head and made his bodie to be burnt and the voyce goeth this vision was but a litle before his death Those that were sent to kill him durst not enter the house where he was but set it a fire round about Alcibiades spying the fire got suche apparell and hanginges as he had and threwe it on the fire thincking to haue put it out and so casting his cloke about his left arme tooke his naked sworde in his other hande and ranne out of the house him selfe not once touched with fyer sauing his clothes were a litle singed These murderers so sone as they spied him drewe backe and stoode a sonder and durst not one of them come neere him to stande and fight with him but a farre of they bestowed so many arrowes and dartes of him that they killed him there Now when they had left him Timandra went and tooke his bodie which she wrapped vp in the best linnen she had and buried him as honorably as she could possible with suche things as she had and could get together Some holde opinion that Lais the only famous curtisan which they saye was of CORINTHE though in deede she was borne in a litle towne of SICILIA called HYCCARA where she was taken was his doughter Notwithstanding touching the death of Alcibiades there are some that agree to all the rest I haue written sauing that they saye it was neither Pharnabazus nor Lysander nor the LACEDAEMONIANS which caused him to be slaine but that he keeping with him a young gentlewoman of a noble house whom he had stolen awaye and instised to follie her brethern to reuenge this iniurie went to set fire vpon the house where he was and that they killed him as we haue tolde you thinking to leape out of the fyre The ende of Alcibiades life THE LIFE OF CAIVS Martius Coriolanus THE house of the Martians at ROME was of the number of the Patricians out of the which hath sprong many noble personages whereof Ancus Martius was one king Numaes daughters sonne who was king of ROME after Tullus Hostilius Of the same house were Publius and Quintus who brought to ROME their best water they had by conducts Censorinus also came of that familie that
at all that he had cared litle for the ROMAINES he wēt and fought a battell in the meane time with the DARDANIANS where he slue tēne thousād of those barbarous people brought a maruelous great spoyle awaye with him Moreouer he procured the nation of the GAVLES dwelling vpō the riuer of Danubie which they call Bastarnae mē very warlike excellēt good horsemē did practise with the ILLYRIANS also by meane of their king Gētius to make thē ioyne with him in these warres so that there ranne a rumour all about that for money he had gotten these GAVLES to come downe into ITALIE from the highe contrie of GAVLE all alongest the Adriatick sea The ROMAINES being aduertised of these newes thought the time serued not now to dispose their offices in warres any more by grace fauour vnto those that sued for them but contrariwise that they should call some noble man that were very skilfull and a wise captaine and could discretly gouerne and performe things of great charge As Paulus AEmylius a man well stepped on in yeres being three score yere olde and yet of good power by reason of the lusty young men his sonnes sonnes in lawe besides a great number of his friends and kinsefolke So all that bare great authoritie dyd altogether with one consent counsaill him to obey the people which called him to the Consulshippe At the beginning in deede he delayed the people muche that came to importune him and vtterly denied them saying he was no meete man neither to desire nor yet to take vpon him any charge Howbeit in the ende seeing the people dyd vrge it apon him by knocking continually at his gates and calling him alowde in the streetes willing him to come into the market place and perceyuing they were angrie with him bicause he refused it he was content to be persuaded And when he stoode among them that sued for the Consulshippe the people thought straight that he stoode not there so muche for desire of the office as for that he put them in hope of assured victorie and happie successe of this begonne warre so great was their loue towardes him and the good hope they had of him that they chose him Consul againe the second time Wherefore so sone as he was chosen they would not proceede to drawing of lottes according to their custome which of the two Consuls should happen to goe into MACEDON but presently with a full and whole consent of them all they gaue him the whole charge of the warres of MACEDON So being Consul now and appointed to make warre apon king Perseus all the people dyd honorably companie him home vnto his house where a litle girle a daughter of his called Tertia being yet an infant came weeping vnto her father He making muche of her asked her why she wept The poore girle aunswered colling him about the necke and kissing him Alas father wote you what our Perseus is dead She ment it by a litle whelpe so called which was her playe fellowe In good hower my girle sayed he I like the signe well Thus doth Cicero the orator reporte it in his booke of diuinations The ROMAINES had a custome at that time that suche as were elected Consuls after that they were openly proclaimed should make an oration of thanckes vnto the people for the honour and fauour they had shewed him The people then according to the custome being gathered together to heare AEmylius speake he made this oration vnto them That the first time he sued to be Consul was in respect of him selfe standing at that time in neede of suche honour now he offred him selfe the second time vnto it for the good loue he bare vnto them who stoode in nede of a generall wherefore he thought him selfe nothing bounde nor beholding vnto them now And if they dyd thincke also this warre might be better followed by any other then by him selfe he would presently with all his harte resigne the place Furthermore if they had any trust or confidence in him that they thought him a man sufficient to discharge it then that they would not speake nor medle in any matter that concerned his duetie and the office of a generall sauing only that they would be diligent without any wordes to doe whatsoeuer he commaunded and should be necessarie for the warre and seruice they tooke in hande For if euery man would be a commaunder as they had bene heretofore of those by whom they should be commaunded then the world would more laughe them to scorne in this seruice then euer before had bene accustomed These wordes made the ROMAINES very obedient to him and conceyued good hope to come being all of thē very glad that they had refused those ambitious flatterers that sued for the charge had geuē it vnto a man that durst boldly franckly tell them the troth Marke how the ROMAINES by yelding vnto reason vertue came to comand all other to make them selues the mightiest people of the world Now that Paulus AEmylius setting forward to this warre had winde at will and fayer passage to bring him at his iorneis ende I impute it to good fortune that so quickly and safely conueyed him to his campe But for the rest of his exploytes he dyd in all this warre when parte of them were performed by his owne hardines other by his wisedome and good counsell other by the diligence of his friendes in seruing him with good will other by his owne resolute constancy and corage in extremest daunger and last by his maruelous skill in determining at an instant what was to be done I cannot attribute any notable acte or worthy seruice vnto this his good fortune they talke of so much as they maye doe in other captaines doings Onles they will saye peraduenture that Perseus couetousnes and miserie was AEmilius good fortune for his miserable feare of spending money was the only cause and destruction of the whole realme of MACEDON which was in good state and hope of continuing in prosperitie For there came downe into the countrie of MACEDON at king Perseus request tenne thousand Bastarnae a horse backe and as many footemen to them who allwayes ioyned with them in battell all mercenary souldiers depending vpon paye and enterteinment of warres as men that could not plowe nor sowe nor trafficke marchandise by sea nor skill of grasing to gaine their liuing with to be shorte that had no other occupation or marchādise but to serue in the warres and to ouercome those with whom they fought Furthermore when they came to incampe lodge in the MEDICA neere to the MACEDONIANS who sawe them so goodly great men and so well trained exercised in handling all kinde of weapons so braue and lustie in wordes and threates against their enemies they beganne to plucke vp their hartes to looke bigge imagining that the ROMAINES would neuer abide them but would be afeard to looke them
their lawes paying yerely to the ROMAINES for tribute a hundred talents where before they were wont to paye vnto their Kings tenne times as muche And he made playes and games of all sortes and dyd celebrate sumptuous sacrifices vnto the goddes He kept open courte to all commers and made noble feastes and defrayed the whole charge thereof with the treasure Perseus had gathered together sparing for no coste But through his care and foresight there was suche a speciall good order taken euery man so curteously receyued and welcommed and so orderly marshalled at the table according to their estate and calling that the GRAECIANS wondred to see him so carefull in matters of sporte and pleasure and that he tooke as great paynes in his owne persone to see that small matters should be ordered as they ought as he tooke great regard for discharge of more weighty causes But this was a maruelous pleasure to him to see that among such sumptuous sightes prepared to shewe pleasure to the persones inuited no sight nor stately shewe dyd so delight them as to enioye the sight and company of his persone So he told them that seemed to wonder at his diligence and care in these matters that to order a feast well required as great iudgement and discretion as to set a battell to make the one fearefull to the enemies and the other acceptable to his friendes But men esteemed his bountie and magnanimitie for his best vertue and qualitie For he dyd not only refuse to see the Kings wonderful treasure of golde and siluer but caused it to be told and deliuered to the custodie of the treasurers to carie to the coffers of store in ROME and only suffered his sonnes that were learned to take the bookes of the Kings librarie When he dyd rewarde the souldiers for their valliant seruice in this battell he gaue his sonne in lawe AEmylius Tubero a cuppe â—â—g fiue talents It is the same Tubero we tolde you of before who liued with sixteene oâ—â— of his kynne all in one house and of the only reuenue they had of a litle farme in the countrie Some saye that cuppe was the first pece of plate that euer came into the house of the AElians and yet it came for honour and reward of vertue but before that time neither them selues nor their wiues would euer haue or weare any gold or siluer After he had wery well ordered and disposed all things at the last he tooke leaue of the GRAECIANS and counselled the MACEDONIANS to remember the libertie the ROMAINES had geuen them and that they should be carefull to keepe it by their good gouernment and concorde together Then he departed from them and tooke his iorney towardes the countrie of EPIRVS hauing receyued commission from the Senate of ROME to suffer his souldiers who had done seruice in the battell and ouerthrowe of king Perseus to spoyle all the citties of that countrie Wherefore that he might surprise them on a sodaine and that they should mistrust nothing he sent to all the citties that they should send him by a certaine daye tenne of the chiefest men of euery cittie Who when they were come he commaunded them to goe and bring him by suche a daye all the golde and siluer they had within their citties aswell in their priuate houses as in their temples and churches and gaue vnto euerie one of them a captaine and garrison with them as if it had bene only to haue receaued and searched for the gold and siluer he demaunded But when the daye appointed was come the souldiers in diuers places and all at one time set vpon their enemies and dyd rifle and spoyle them of that they had and made them also paye ransome euery man So as by this policie there were taken and made slaues in one daye a hundred and fiftie thousand persones and three score and tenne citties spoyled and sacked euery one And yet when they came to deuide the spoyle of this generall destruction of a whole Realme by the polle it came not to euery souldiers parte aboue eleuen siluer Drachmes a pece Which made euery one to wonder greatly and to feare also the terrour of the warres to see the wealthe and riches of so great a Realme to amowunte to so litle for euery mans share When AEmylius had done this facte against his owne nature which was very gentle and curteous he went vnto the sea syde to the citty of ORICA and there imbarked with his armie bownde for ITALIE Where when he was arriued he went vp the riuer of Tyber against the streame in king Perseus chief galley which had sixteene owers on a side richely set out with the armour of the prisoners riche clothes of purple culler and other suche spoyles of the enemies so that the ROMAINES ronning out of ROME in multitudes of people to see this galley and going side by side by her as they rowed softely AEmylius tooke as great pleasure in it as in any open games or feastes or triumphe that had bene shewed in deede But when the souldiers sawe that the golde and siluer of king Perseus treasure was not deuided amongest them according vnto promise and that they had a great deale lesse then they looked for they were maruelously offended and inwardly grudged AEmylius in their hartes Neuertheles they durst not speake it openly but dyd accuse him that he had bene to straight vnto them in this warre and therefore they dyd shewe no great desire nor forwardnes to procure him the honour of triumphe Which Seruius Galba vnderstanding that had bene an olde enemie of his notwithstanding he had the charge of a thousand men vnder him in this warre he like an enuious viper tolde the people howe AEmylius had not deserued the honour of triumphe and sowed seditious wordes against him among the souldiers to aggrauate their ill will the more against him Moreouer he craued a daye of the Tribunes of the people to haue respit to bring forth suche matter as they determined to obiect against him saying the time then was farre spent the sunne being but foure howers highe and that it would require lenger time and leysure The Tribunes made him aunswer that he should speake then what he had to saye against him or otherwise they would not graunte him audience Hereupon he begganne to make a long oration in his dispraise full of railing wordes and spent all the rest of the daye in that rayling oration Afterwardes when night came on the Tribunes brake vp the assembly and the next morning the souldiers being incoraged by Galbaes oration and hauing confedered together dyd flocke about Galba in the mount of the Capitoll where the Tribunes had geuen warning they would 〈…〉 e their assembly Now being broade daye AEmylius triumphe was referred to the m 〈…〉 umber of voyces of the people and the first tribe slattly dyd denie his triumphe The Senate and the residue of the people hearing that
I passed ouer the gulfe of the Adriatike sea from BRINDES vnto CORFV in one daye And from thence in fiue dayes after I arriued in the cittie of DELPHES where I dyd sacrifice vnto Apollo And within fiue other dayes I arriued in my cāpe where I found mine armie in MACEDON And after I had done the sacrifice due ceremonies for purifying of the same I presently begāne to followe the purpose cause of my cōming so as in 15. dayes after I made an honorable ende of all those warres But yet mistrusting fortune allwayes seing the prosperous course of my affaires cōsidering that there were no other enemies nor daūgers I neded to feare I feared sorely she would chaunge at my returne when I should be vpon the sea bringing home so goodly victorious an armie with so many spoiles so many Princes and Kings taken prisoners And yet when I was safely arriued in the hauen seing all the cittie at my returne full of ioye of feastes sacrifices I still suspected fortune knowing her manner well enough that she vseth not to gratifie men so franckly nor to graunt them so great things clearly without some certen sparke of enuie waiting on them Neither dyd my minde being still occupied in feare of some thing to happen to the cōmon wealth shake of this feare behind me but that I sawe this home mishappe miserie lighted vpō me enforcing me with mine owne hands in these holy dayes of my triūphe to burie my two young sonnes one after another which I only brought vp with me for the succession of my name house Wherefore me thinkes now I may saye I am out of all daūger at the least touching my chiefest greatest misfortune doe beginne to stablish my selfe with this assured hope that this good fortune henceforth shall remaine with vs euermore without feare of other vnlucky or sinister chaunce For she hath sufficiently contervailed the fauorable victorie she gaue you with the enuious mishappe wherewith she hath plagued both me and mine shewing the cōquerour triūpher as noble an exāple of mans miserie weaknes as the party cōquered that had bene led in triūphe Sauing that Perseus yet conquered as he is hath this cōforte left him to see his childrē liuing that the cōquerour AEmylius hath lost his And this was the summe of AEmylius notable oration he made vnto the people of ROME proceeding of a noble honorable disposed minde And though it pittied him in his harte to see the straunge chaunge of king Perseus fortune and that he hartely desired to helpe him and to doe him good yet he could neuer obtaine other grace for him but only to remoue him from the common prisone which the ROMAINES call Carcer into a more clenly and sweter house where being straitly garded and looked vnto he killed him selfe by abstinence from meate as the most parte of historiographers doe write Yet some writers tell a maruelous straunge tale and manner of his death For they saye the souldiers that garded him kept him from sleepe watching him straightly when sleepe tooke him and would not suffer him to shut his eye liddes only apon malice they dyd beare him bicause they could not otherwise hurte him keeping him awake by force not suffering him to take rest vntill suche time as nature being forced to geue ouer he gaue vp the ghoste Two of his sonnes dyed also but the third called Alexander became an excellent turner and ioyner and was learned and could speake the ROMAINE tongue very well and dyd write it so trimly that afterwards he was chauncelour to the magistrates of ROME and dyd wisely and discretly behaue him selfe in his office Furthermore they doe adde to this goodly conquest of the realme of MACEDON that AEmylius conquered another speciall good thing that made him maruelously well liked of the common people that is that he brought so muche gold and siluer vnto the treasurie store of ROME as the common people needed neuer after to make contribution for any thing vntill the very time and yere that Hircius and Pansa were Consuls which was about the beginning of the first warres of Augustus and Antonius And yet AEmylius had one singular good gift in him that though the people dyd greatly loue and honour him yet he euer tooke parte with the Senate and nobilitie and dyd neuer by worde nor dede any thing in fauour of the people to flatter or please them but in matters concerning gouernment he dyd euer leane to the nobilitie and good men And this dyd Appius afterwards cast in his sonnes teethe Scipio Africanus For both of them being two of the chiefest men of their time and contending together for the office of Censor Appius had about him to fauour his sute all the Senate and Nobilitie as of auncient time the familie of the Appians had euer held on their parte And Scipio Africanus though he was a great man of him selfe yet he was in all times fauoured and beloued of the common people Whereupon when Appius sawe him come into the market place followed with men of small qualitie and base condition that had bene slaues before but otherwise could skilfully handle suche practises bring the people together and by oportunitie of cries and lowde voyces if neede were obteine what they would in the assemblies of the cittie he spake out alowde and sayed O Paulus AEmylius now hast thou good cause to sighe and mourne in thy graue where thou lyest if the dead doe know what we doe here on earth to see AEmylius a common sergeant and Licinius a pratling fellowe howe they bring thy sonne vnto the dignitie of a Censor And as for Scipio he was allwayes beloued of the common people bicause he dyd fauour them in all things But AEmylius also although he tooke euer the noble mens parte he was not therefore lesse beloued of the common people then those that allwayes flattered them doing all things as the people would to please them which the common people did witnesse aswell by other honours offices they offred him as in the dignitie of the Censor which they gaue him For it was the holiest office of all other at that time and of greatest power and authoritie specially for inquierie and reformation of euery mans life and manners For he that was Censor had authoritie to put any Senatour of the counsell and to disgrade him if he dyd not worthely behaue him selfe according to his place and calling and might name and declare any one of the Senate whom he thought to be most honest and fittest for the place againe Moreouer they might by their authoritie take from licentious young men their horse which was kept at the charge of the common weale Furthermore they be the sessours of the people and the muster masters keping bookes of the number of persones at euery mustering So there appeared numbred in the register booke AEmylius made then of
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
they had made solemne sacrifice vnto Iupiter Martiall in a certaine place in the prouince of MOLOSSIDE called PASSARON to take their othe and to be sworne to the EPIROTES that they would raigne well and iustly accordinge to the lawes and ordinaunces of the contry and to receiue the subiectes othes interchaungeably also that they would defend and maintaine them in their kingdome according to the lawes in like maner This ceremony was done in the presence of both the kinges and they with their frendes did both geue and receiue presentes eche of other At this meetinge and solemnity amonge other one Gelon a most faithfull seruaunt and assured frend vnto Neoptolemus who besides great showes of frendshippe and honor he did vnto Pyrrus gaue him two payer of draught oxen which one Myrtilus a cuppebearer of Pyrrus beinge present and seeinge did craue of his master But Pyrrus denyed to geue them vnto him whereat Myrtilus was very angry Gelon perceiuinge that Mytilus was angry prayed him to suppe with him that night Now some say he sought to abuse Myrtilus bicause he was fayer and younge and beganne to perswade him after supper to take parte with Neoptolemus and to poyson Pyrrus Myrtilus made as though he was willing to geue care to this perswasion and to be well pleased withall But in the meane time he went and tolde his master of it by whose commaundement he made Alexicrates Pyrrus chiefe cuppebearer to talke with Gelon about this practise as though he had also geuen his consent to it and was willinge to be partaker of the enterprise This did Pyrrus to haue two witnesses to proue the pretended poysoninge of him Thus Gelon beinge finely deceiued and Neoptolemus also with him both imagininge they had cunningly sponne the threde of their treason Neoptolemus was so glad of it that he could not kepe it to him selfe but told it to certaine of his frendes And on a time going to be mery with his sister he could not keepe it in but must be pratling of it to her supposing no body had heard him but her selfe bicause there was no liuing creature neere them sauing Phoenareta Samons wife the kinges chiefe heardman of all his beastes and yet she was layed apon a litle bed by and turned towards the wall so that she seemed as though she had slept But hauing heard all their talke and no body mistrusting her the next morning she went to Antigona king Pyrrus wife and told her euery worde what she had heard Neoptolemus say to his sister Pyrrus hearing this made no countenaunce of any thing at that time But hauinge made sacrifice vnto the goddes he bad Neoptolemus to supper to his house where he slue him being well informed before of the good will the chiefest men of the realme did beare him who wished him to dispatch Neoptolemus not to content him selfe with a peece of EPIRVS only but to follow his naturall inclination being borne to great thinges and for this cause therefore this suspition fallinge out in the meane while he preuented Neoptolemus and slue him first And furthermore remembringe the pleasures he had receiued of Ptolomie and Berenice he named his first sonne by his wife Antigona Ptolomie and hauing built a city in the PRESCQVE an I le of EPIRVS did name it BERENICIDA When he had done that imagining great matters in his head but more in his hope he first determined with him selfe howe to winne that which lay neerest vnto him and so tooke occasion by this meanes first to set foote into the Empire of MACEDON The eldest sonne of Cassander called Antipater put his owne mother Thessalonica to death and draue his brother Alexander out of his owne contry who sent to Demetrius for helpe and called in Pyrrus also to his ayde Demetrius being troubled with other matters could not so quickely go thither And Pyrrus being arriued there demaunded for his charge susteined the citie of NYMPHAEA with all the seacoastes of MACEDON and besides all that certaine landes also that were not belonginge to the auncient crowne and reuenues of the kinges of MACEDON but were added vnto it by force of armes as Ambracia Acarnania and Amphilochia All these the young king Alexander leauinge vnto him he tooke possession thereof and put good garrisons into the same in his owne name and conquering the rest of MACEDON in the name of Alexander put his brother Antipater to great distresse In the meane time kinge Lysimachus lacked no good will to helpe Antipater with his force but being busied in other matters had not the meane to doe it Howbeit knowinge very well that Pyrrus in acknowledginge the great pleasures he had receiued of Ptolomie woulde deny him nothinge he determined to wryte counterfeate letters to him in Ptolomies name and thereby instantly to pray and require him to leaue of the warres begonne against Antipater and to take of him towardes the defrayinge of his charges the sumine of three hundred talentes Pyrrus opening the letters knew straight that this was but a fetch and deuise of Lysimachus For king Ptolomies common manner of greeting of him which he vsed at the beginning of his letters was not in them obserued To my sonne Pyrrus health But in those counterfeate was king Ptolomie vnto king Pyrrus health Whereupon he presently pronounced Lysimachus for a naughty man neuerthelesse afterwardes he made peace with Antipater and they met together at a day appointed to be sworne vpon the sacrifices vnto the articles of peace There were three beastes brought to be sacrificed a goate a bul and a ramme of the which the ramme fell downe dead of him selfe before he was touched whereat all the standers by fell a laughinge But there was a Soothsayer one Theodotus that perswaded Pyrrus not to sweare saying that this signe and token of the gods did threaten one of the three kings with sodaine death For which cause Pyrrus concluded no peace Now Alexanders warres beinge ended Demetrius notwithstanding came to him knowing well enough at his comming that Alexander had no more neede of his aide and that he did it only but to feare him They had not bene many dayes together but th one beganne to mistrust thother and to spie all the wayes they could to intrappe eche other but Demetrius embracing the first occasion offered preuented Alexander and slue him being a young man and proclaimed him selfe king of MACEDON in his roome Now Demetrius had certaine quarrells before against Pyrrus bicause he had ouertunne the contry of THESSALIE and furthermore greedy couetousnes to haue the more which is a common vice with princes and noble men made that being so neere neighbours the one stoode in feare and mistrust of the other and yet much more after the death of Deidamia But now that they both occupied all MACEDON betwene them and were to make diuision of one selfe kingdome Now I say began the matter and occasion of quarrell to grow the greater betwene them
LACEDAEMONIANS againe labored all that they could possible to let them But in this great broyle one perceiued Pyrrus a horse backe to haue lept the trenche past ouer the strength of the cartes and make force to enter into the city Wherfore those that were appointed to defende that parte of the trench cried out straight and the women fell a shreeking and running as if all had bene lost And as Pyrrus passed further striking downe with his owne handes all that stoode before him a CRETAN shot at him strake his horse through both sides who leapinge out of the prease for paine of his wounde dying caried Pyrrus away and threw him vppon the hanging of a steepe hill where he was in great daunger to fall from the toppe This put all his seruauntes and frendes about him in a maruelous feare and therewithall the LACEDAEMONIANS seeing them in this feare and trouble ran immediatly vnto that place and with force of shotte draue them all out of the trenche After this retyre Pyrrus caused all assault to cease hoping the LACEDAEMONIANS in the end would yeelde consideringe there were many of them slaine in the two dayes past and all the rest in maner hurt Howbeit the good fortune of the citie whether it were to proue the valliantnes of the inhabitantes them selues or at the least to shew what power they were of euen in their greatest nede and distresse when the LACEDAEMONIANS had small hope left brought one Aminias Phocian from CORINTHE one of king Antigonus Captaines with a great band of men and put them into the city to aide them and straight after him as soone as he had entred king Areus arriued also on thother side from CRETA and two thowsand souldiers with him So the women went home to their houses makinge their reckening that they should not neede any more to trouble them selues with warres They gaue the olde men liberty also to goe and rest them selues who being past allage to fight for necessities sake yet were driuen to arme them selues and take weapon in hande and in order of battell placed the newe come souldiers in their roomes Pyrrus vnderstanding that newe supplies were come grewe to greater stomake then before and inforced all that he could to winne the towne by assault But in the end when to his cost he founde that he wanne nothing but blowes he gaue ouer the siege and went to spoyle all the contry about determining to lye there in garrison all the winter He coulde not for all this auoide his destenie For there rose a sedition in the city of ARGOS betwene two of the chiefest citizens Aristeas and Aristippus and bicause Aristeas thought that kinge Antigonus did fauor his enemy Aristippus he made hast to sende first vnto Pyrrus whose nature and disposition was such that he did continually heape hope vppon hope euer taking the present prosperity for an occasion to hope after greater to come And if it fell out he was a loser then he sought to recouer him selfe and to restore his losse by some other newe attempts So that neither for being conqueror nor ouercomen he would euer be quiet but alwayes troubled some and him selfe also by reason whereof he sodainly departed towardes ARGOS But king Areus hauing layed ambushes for him in diuerse places and occupied also the straightest and hardest passages by the which he was to passe gaue a charge vppon the GAVLES and MOLOSSIANS which were in the tayle of his army Now the selfe same day Pyrrus was warned by a Soothsayer who sacrificing had founde the liuer of the sacrificed beast infected that it betokened the losse of some most neere vnto him But when he heard the noyse of the charge geuen he thought not of the forwarning of his Soothsayer but commaunded his sonne to take his household seruauntes with him and to go thither as he him selfe in the meane time with as great hast as he could made the rest of his army marche to get them quickely out of this daungerous way The fraye was very hotte about Ptolomie Pyrrus sonne for they were all the chiefe men of the LACEDAEMONIANS with whome he had to doe led by a valliant Captaine called Eualcus But as he fought valliantly against those that stoode before him there was a souldier of CRETA called Oraesus borne in the citie of APTERA a man very ready of his hande and light of foote who running alongest by him strake him such a blowe on his side that he sell downe dead in the place This prince Ptolomie being slaine his company began straight to flie and the LACEDAEMONIANS followed the chase so hottely that they tooke no heede of them selues vntill they sawe they were in the plaine field farre from their footemen Wherefore Pyrrus vnto whom the death of his sonne was newly reported being a fire with sorow and passion turned so dainly vpon them with the men of armes of the MOLOSSIANS and being the first that came vnto them made a maruelous slaughter among them For notwithstanding that euery where before that time he was terrible and inuincible hauing his sword in his hande yet then he did shewe more proofe of his valliantnes strength and corage then he had euer done before And when he had sette spurres to his horse against Eualcus to close with him Eualcus turned on the toe side and gaue Pyrrus such a blowe with his sword that he missed litle the cutting of his bridle hande for he cut in deede all the raines of the bridle a sunder But Pyrrus straight ranne him through the body with his speare and lighting of from his horse he put all the troupe of the LACEDAEMONIANS to the sword that were about the body of Eualcus being all chosen men Thus the ambition of the Captaines was cause of that losse vnto their contry for nothing considering that the warres against thē were ended But Pyrrus hauing now as it were made sacrifice of these poore bodies of the LACEDAEMONIANS for the soule of his dead sonne and fought thus wonderfully also to honor his funeralls conuerting a great parte of his sorow for his death into anger and wrath against the enemies he afterwardes held on his way directly towardes ARGOS And vnderstanding that king Antigonus had already seased the hills that were ouer the valley he lodged neere vnto the city of NAVPLIA and the next morning following sent a heraulde vnto Antigonus and gaue him defyance calling him wicked man and chalenged him to come downe into the valley to fight with him to trye which of them two should be king Antigonus made him aunswer that he made warres as much with time as with weapon furthermore that if Pyrrus were weary of his life he had wayes open enough to put him selfe to death The citizens of ARGOS also sent Ambassadors vnto them both to pray them to departe sith they knew that there was nothing for them to see in the city of ARGOS and that they would let
and those that are ill fauored mere ougly and fearefull to see to And furthermore it is sayd that Aristoclitus the father of Lysander was not of the royall blood of the kinges of SPARTA though he came of the race of the Heraclides and that his sonne Lysander was very meanely and poorely brought vp being as obedient to the lawes and statutes of his contrie as any other man was showing him selfe alwayes very strong and constant against all vanitie and pleasure sauing only in matters of honor and curtesie which they offer vnto those that deserue well For they thinke it no shame nor dishonesty in SPARTA that the young men doe suffer them selues to be ouercome with that delite and pleasure but doe so bring vp their children that from their youth they would haue them to haue some tast and seeling of honor deliting to be praised and sorie to be discoÌ„mended For they make no accompt of him that is not moued with the one nor the other but take him to be of a base cowardly nature that hath no manner of minde to doe good And therefore it is to be thought that the ambition and stowtnesse that was bred in Lysander proâ—ceded of the LACONICALL discipline and education he had and not so much of his owne nature But in dede of his owne nature he was a right courtier could tell how to entertaine and flatter great states and nobility farre better then the common maner of the natural SPARTANS and moreouer for his priuate benefit he could easily beare with the stowtnes of greater men of authority then him selfe which some iudge to be a great poynt of wisedome to know how to deale in matters of state Aristotle in a place where he sayeth that the greatest wittes commonly are subiect vnto melancholye as Socrates Plato and Hercules were wryteth that Lysander in his later age fell into the melancholy disease but not in his youth He had also this singular gift aboue all other that in his pouerty he alwayes kept that honest modesty with him as he would neuer be ouercome nor corrupted with gold nor siluer and yet be filled his contrie with riches and couetousnes which lost him the reputacion he had wonne bicause him selfe made none accompt of riches nor getting For bringing store of golde and siluer into his contrie after he had ouercomen the ATHENIANS he reserued not vnto him selfe one Drachima only And furthermore when Dionysius the tyran of SYRACVSA had on a time sent goodly riche gownes out of SICILIA to his daughters he refused them saying that he was afrayed such gownes would make them fowler Neuertheless shortly after being sent Ambassador out of his contrie vnto the same tyranne Dionysius sending him two gownes praying him to choose which of the two he would cary to his daughter he answered that she her selfe could best choose which was the fitter and so caried both with him But now to come to his doings in warlike causes the warres of PELOPONNESVS fell out maruelous long For after the ouerthrow of the armie which the ATHENIANS had sent into SICILIA when euery man thought they had vtterly lost all their force by sea and that by all coniecture they shoulde soone after loose all by lande also Alcibiades returning from his exile to deale againe in matters of the state made an exceding great chaunge and alteration For he set the ATHENIANS a flote againe and made them as strong by sea as the LACEDAEMONIANS who thereupon beganne to quake for feare and to looke estsoones for a freshe warre perceiuinge that they stoode in neede of a greater power and of a better Captaine then euer they had before Whereuppon they made Lysander their Admirall who arriuing in the citie of EPHESVS founde them very well affected towardes him and maruelous willing and ready to take the LACEDAEMONIANS parte howbeit otherwise in very poore state and ready almost to take vp all the barbarous maners and facions of the PERSIANS bicause they did continually frequent them being enuironned round about with the contry of LYDIA where the king of PERSIANS Captaines were euer resident Wherefore hauing planted his campe there he brought thither marchauntes shippes out of all partes and sette vp an arsenall or store house to builde gallies in so that in shorte space by oft recourse of marchauntes that beganne to trade thither he quickened their hauens and set vp their staple againe for trafficke of marchaundise and filled euery priuate artificers house with an honest trade to make them riche by so that euer after it grewe in continuall hope to come vnto that florishinge state and greatnes in the which we see it at this present Furthermore Lysander being aduertised that Cyrus one of the great king of PERSIANS sonnes was come vnto the city of SARDIS he went thither to speake with him and to complaine of Tisaphernes who hauing commaundement geuen him from the king to aide the LACEDAEMONIANS and to helpe to expulse the ATHENIANS and to driue them from the sea seemed to deale but coldly and faintly against them for the fauor he bare to Alcibiades For furnishing the LACEDAEMONIANS very scantly with money was an occasion that all their armie by sea went to wracke Cyrus for his owne parte was very glad that he heard complaintes of Tisaphernes and that they spake against him bicause he was an ill man and the rather for that he had him selfe a litle odde grudge to him Wherfore he loued Lysander maruelous well as well for the complaintes he made of Tisaphernes as also for the pleasure he tooke in his companie bicause he was a man that could wonderfully please delite noble men by which meanes hauing wonne the fauor of this young Prince he did perswade and also incorage him to follow this warre And when Lysander was vpon his departure to take his leaue of him Cyrus feasted him and afterwardes prayed him not to refuse the offer of his liberalitie and that was that he would freely aske him what he would assuring him he should not be denied any thing Wherunto Lysander answered him Sithence I see Cyrus you are so willing to pleasant vs I beseeche you and doe also counsell you then to increase the ordinarie pay of our maryners one halfe penny a day to the end that where now they haue but three halfe pence they may thenceforth receaue two pence a day Cyrus was glad to heare Lysanders bounty and the increase that he would make and caused tenne thowsande Darickes to be deliuered him by meane whereof he added to the ordinary pay of the maryners the increase of a halfe penny day This liberality within few dayes after emptied all their enemies gallies of their men For the most parte of their maryners galley men went where they might haue the best paye and such as remained behinde became very dull lasie and seditious dayly troubling their Captaines and gouernors Now though Lysander had
together Lysander prayed him he would write an other letter vnto the Lordes of SPARTA contrary to his first how that he had done him no hurt at all and that he had no cause to complaine of him but he did not remember that he was a CRETAN as the common prouerbe sayeth that could deceaue an other CRETAN For Pharnabazus hauing promised him that he would performe his desire wrote letter openly purporting the effect of Lysanders request but behinde he had an other of contrary effect so like on the out side vnto the other that by sight no man could discerne those froÌ„ the other And when he came to put his seale he chaunged the first with the last that was hidden gaue it him When Lysander came vnto SPARTA he went as the maner is straight to the pallace where the Senate kept and gaue his letters vnto the Ephores thinking that by theÌ„ he should haue bene cleared from all daunger of the greatest accusations they could haue burdened him withall bicause that Pharnabazus was very well thought of of the Lords of LACEDAEMONIA for that he did euer shew him selfe willing and ready to helpe them in all their warres more then any other of the kinges Lieutenauntes of PERSIA The Ephori hauing read this letter they shewed it vnto him Then did Lysander plainly see that the common prouerb was true That Vlysses vvas not subtill alone Thereuppon he went home to his house maruelously troubled But within few dayes after returning to the pallace againe to speake with the Lords of the counsell he told them that he must needes make a voyage vnto the temple of Iupiter Ammon to discharge certaine sacrifices which he had vowed and promised to him before he had wonne the battells Some say that in deede Iupiter Ammon appeared to him in a dreame as he did besiege the city of the APâ—â—ODIANS in the contry of THRACIA and that by his commaundement he raised the siege and charged them of the city that they should thanke Iupiter Ammon and doe sacrifice vnto him by reason whereof they thinke that he ment good faith when he sued for licence to make this voyage into LIBYA to performe the vowes which he had made But the most parte did certainely beleue that he made sure to goe this iorney for a cloke and colour only to absent him selfe bicause he feared the Ephores and that he coulde not endure the yoke and subiection which he must abide remaining at home neither could like to be commaunded And this was the true cause of his sute to goe this voyage much like vnto a horse taken out of a freshe posture and goodly meadowes to bring him into a stable make him to be iorneyed as he was before Neuerthelesse Ephorus writeth an other cause the which I will recite hereafter In the end Lysander hauing hardly obtained licence tooke shippe and crossed saile But during his absence the kinges of LACEDAEMON remembring that he kept all the cities at his commaundement by meanes of the frendes he had in euery city whom he had made chiefe gouernors of the same that by their meanes he came in maner to be absolute prince ouer all GREECE they tooke vppon them to redeliuer the gouernment of the townes and cities againe into the handes of the people and also to put downe his frendes whome he had stablished there And hereupon fell out great insurrection againe For first of all they that were banished from ATHENS hauing surprised and taken the castell of Phyla apon the sodaine did set apon the thirty gouernors tyrans whom Lysander had placed there and ouercame them in battell Whereuppon Lysander straight returned to SPARTA perswaded the LACEDAEMONIANS to referre the gouernment to the number of a few and to punish the insolency of the people So by his procurement they sent first a hundred tallents vnto the thirty tyrans for an aide to maintaine this warre and appointed Lysander him selfe generall But the two kinges of SPARTA enuying him and fearing least he should take the city of ATHENS againe they determined that one of them would go Whereupon Pausanias went thither immediatly who in apparaunce seemed to maintaine the tyrannes against the people but in effect he did his indeuor to appease this warre for feare least Lysander by meanes of his frends and followers should once againe come to haue the city of ATHENS in his power the which he might easily doe And thus hauing agreed the ATHENIANS againe one with an other and pacified all faction and commocion among them he pluckt vp the roote of Lysanders ambition But shortly after the ATHENIANS rebelling againe against the LACEDAEMONIANS Pausanias him selfe was reproued bicause he yelded so much to the boldnes and insolency of the people which were brideled and restrained before by the authority of the small number of gouernors and to the contrary they gaue Lysander the honor to be generall who ruled not in this rebellion to please mens mindes and to content them neither with fond ostentation of glory but seuerely for the profit and commodity of SPARTA It is true he would geue great wordes and was terrible to them that resisted him As he aunswered the AEOIVES one day who contended for their confines with the LACEDAEMONIANS and seemed to alleage the best reasons Euen they sayd he that shall proue the stronger hereby shewing theÌ„ his sword shal be they that shal pleade their cause best for their confines An other time when a MEGARIAN had tolde his minde boldly enough in open counsell he aunswered him thy wordes good frend had neede of a city meaning therby that he was of too meane a towne to vse so great words And to the BOEOTIANS also who were in dout to professe them selues frends or enemies he sent vnto theÌ„ to know if he should passe through the contry with his pykes vpwardes or downewardes And when the CORINTHIANS also were reuolted from their allyance he brought his army harde vnto their walles but when he sawe his men were afrayed and made cursey whether they should goe to the assault or not by chaunce spying a hate comming out of the towne ditches he sayd vnto theme Are ye not ashamed to be afrayed to goe and assault your enemies that are so cowardly and slothfull as hares doe keepe their formes at ease within the circuite of their walles Now king Agis being deceased he left behinde him his brother Agesilaus and his supposed sonne Leotychides Wherefore Lysander that had loued Agesilaus aforetime gaue him counsell to stande for the right of the crowne as lawefull heire and next of the blood discending of the race of Hercules bicause it was suspected that Leotychides was Alcibiades sonne who secretly had kept Timea Agis wife at what time he was banished out of his contry and came then to remaine in SPARTA And Agis selfe also concluding by reckening of the time of his absence that his wife coulde not be with childe by him
profitable for thee though it be but in respect of straungers eyes that looke apon vs both After this talke betwene them Agesilaus sent him his Lieutenaunt into the contry of HELLESPONT where Lysander still kepe this anger secret in his hart against him but for all that did not leaue to doe all that he could for the benefit of his masters affaires As amongest many other thinges he caused a PERSIAN Captaine called Spithridates to rebell against his master who was a valliant men of his hands and a great enemy of Pharnabazus and had an army also which he brought with him vnto Agesilaus Now concerning this warre this was all that he did in that iorney Wherefore he returned againe to SPARTA not long after with litle honor being maruelously grieued and offended with Agesilaus and hating more then before all the state and gouernment of the citie of SPARTA by reason whereof he determined to put that in practise which he had long time thought vppon concerninge the alteracion of gouernment and his enterprise was this Amongest the ofspring and issue of Hercules who were mingled with the DORIANS and returned againe into the contrie of PELOPONNESVS the greatest number and chiefest of them dwelled in the city of SPARTA howbeit all they that came of that race had no right of succession to the crowne sauing two families only the Eurytiontides and the Agiades The other families albeit they were all for nobility of blood descended out of one selfe house yet had they no more right nor interest vnto the realme then the residue of the people for the dignities that were attained vnto by vertue were geuen vnto the inhabitauntes that could deserue them Lysander then being one of those which was discended of the true race of Hercules who notwithstanding had no interest in the crowne when he saw him selfe aloft and called to great honor through his famous actes and merites and that he had wonne many frendes and great credit and authority by dealing in matters of the state it grieued him much to see that they which were no nobler then him selfe should be kinges in that city which he had increased by his vertue and that he could not haue so much power as to take from these two houses the Eurytiontides and the Agiades the prerogatiue that the kinges should be chosen onely out of one of those two houses and to cast it apon the offspring of Hercules Some say againe that he would not only haue enlarged that prerogatiue vnto the issue of Hercules but vnto all the naturall SPARTANS also bicause that Hercules race should not only desire this reward of honor but euen they also that followed his steps in vertue which had made him equal with the gods in honor For he douted not but if they would dispose the crowne in this sorte that there was no man in the city of SPARTA that should sooner be chosen king then him selfe whereupon he attempted first to perswade his citizens by very good reasons to bring this aboue the better he conned an oration without booke penned by Cleon Halicarnasseus made him for this purpose But afterwardes weying with him selfe that so great and straunge a chaunge as he would bring in had neede of some better and stronger helpe he beganne to frame a deuise as they say to moue the people by much after the manner they vse in tragedies framing engines to bring some god to come downe from heauen vnto them and this was his fained inuention He deuised certaine oracles prophecies thinking that all Cleons rethoricke would stand him in no steade if first of all he did not fill the citizens hartes with some supersticion feare of the goddes that he might bring them afterwardes more easily vnto reason And Ephorus sayeth that he proued first to corrupt the Nunne with money that geueth all the oracles and aunswers in the temple of Apollo at DELPHES and that afterwardes he woulde haue wonne the Nunne also of the temple of DODONE with money by Pherecles practise And that he being reiected by them both went lastly vnto the temple of Iupiter Ammon and that there he spake vnto the priestes and offered them great store of money for the same purpose But they were so offended with Lysander that they sent men of purpose to SPARTA to accuse him that he would haue corrupted them with money The counsell clearing Lysander of this accusation the LIBYANS his accusers at their departing sayd we will one day iudge more iustly then you my Lordes of LACEDAEMON haue done now when you shall come to dwell in our contry of LIBYA supposing there was an auncient prophecy that sayd the LACEDAEMONIANS one day should come to dwell in the contry of LIBYA But we shall doe better to wryte the whole story at large of this practise suttelty and malicious deuise which was no matter of small importaunce nor lightly grounded but as in a mathematicall proposition there were many great coniectures and presuppositions many long circumstances to bring it to conclusion the which I will dilate from point to point deliuering that which an historiogâ—rapâ—ie and philosopher both hath wrytten There was in the marches of the realme of PONY 〈…〉 man that sayed she was gotten with childe by Apollo the which many as it is to be thought would not beleue at all and many also did beleue it so that she beinge deliuered of a goâ—â— sonne diuerse noble men and of great estate were carefull to bring him vp and to haue him taught This childe I know not whereuppon nor how was named Silenus and Lysander seeminge the plat of his deuise from thence added to all the rest of him selfe to goe on with his practise Now he had many and they no small men that made his way to frame this ieast geuing out a rumor of the birth of this childe without any suspicion gathered out of the intent of this rumor And furthermore they brought other newes from DELPHES which they dispersed abroade through the city of SPARTA to wit that the priestes of the temple kept secret bookes of very auncient oracles which they them selues durst not touch nor handle neither might any man read them onlesse he were begotten of the seede of Apollo who shoulde come after a long time and make his birth appeare vnto the priestes that kept these papers that by some secret marke token which they had amongest them thereby being knowne for Apolloes sonne he might then take the bookes read the auncient reuelacions prophecies of the same These things prepared in this sorte there was order taken that Silenus should come and aske for these bookes as though he were the sonne of Apollo and that the priestes which were priuy to this practise should make as though they did diligently examine him of euery thing and how he was borne And that at the length after they had seemed to know all they should deliuer these prophecies
vnto the castell accompanied with his younge familiars and companions caryinge a bitte of a bridle in his hande to consecrate vnto the goddesse Minerua signifyinge thereby that the citie had no neede of horsemen at that time but of mariners and sea-men And after he had geuen vp his offering he tooke one of the targettes that honge vppon the wall of the temple and hauinge made his prayer vnto Minerua came downe to the hauen and was the first that made the most parte of the citizens to take a good harte to them and coragiously to leaue the land and take the sea Besides all this he was a man of a goodly stature as Ion the Poet testifieth and had a fayer curled heare and thicke and fought so valliantlie at the day of the battell that he wanne immediatly great reputacion with the loue and good will of euerie man So that many were still about him to encorage him to be liuely and valliant and to thinke thence foorth to doe some actes worthie of the glorie that his father had gotten at the battel of MARATHON And afterwardes so soone as he beganne to deale in matters of state the people were maruelous glad of him and were wearied with Themistocles by meanes whereof Cimon was presently aduaunced and preferred to the chiefest offices of honor in the citie being very well thought on of the common people bicause of his soft and plaine nature Moreouer Aristides also did greatlie furder his aduauncement bicause he sawe him of a good gentle nature and for that he would vse him as a countrepease to controll Themistocles craft and stowtnesse Wherefore after the MEDES were fled out of GREECE Cimon being sent for by the ATHENIANS for their generall by sea when the citie of ATHENS had then no manner of rule nor commaundement but followed kinge Pausanias and the LACEDAEMONIANS he euer kept his contrie men and citizens in maruelous good order in all the viages he made and they were readier to doe good seruice then any other nation in the whole armie whatsoeuer And when kinge Pausanias had practised with the barbarous people to betraye GREECE had wrytten also to the kinge of PERSIA about it and in the meane time delt very cruelly and straightly with the confederates of his contry and committed many insolent partes by reason of the great authority he had through his foolish pride whereof he was full Cimon farre otherwise gently entertained them whom Pausanias iniured and was willing to heare them So that by this his curteous manner the LACEDAEMONIANS hauing no eye to his doinges he stale away the rule and commaundement of all GREECE from them brought the ATHENIANS to be sole Lordes of all not by force and cruelty but by his sweete tongue and gracious manner of vsing all men For the most parte of the confederates being no lenger able to away with Pausanias pride and cruelty came willingly and submitted them selues vnder the protection of Cimon and Aristides who did not only receiue them but wrote also to the counsell of the Ephores at LACEDAEMON that they should call Pausanias home for that he dishonored SPARTA and put all GREECE to much trouble and warres And for proofe hereof they say that king Pausanias being on a time in the citie of BYZANCâ— sent for Cleonice a young maiden of a noble house to take his pleasure of her Her parents durst not keepe her from him by reason of his crueltie but suffered him to cary her away The young gentlewoman prayed the groomes of Pausanias chamber to take away the lightes and thinking in the darke to come to Pausanias bed that was a sleepe groping for the bed as softly as she could to make no noyse she vnfortunately hit against the lampe and ouerthrew it The falling of the lampe made such a noyse that it waked him on the sodaine and thought straight therewithall that some of his enemies had bene comen traiterously to kill him wherupon he tooke his dagger lying vnder his beddes head and so stabbed it in the young virgine that she dyed immediatly vpon it Howbeit she neuer let Pausanias take rest after that bicause her spirite came euery night and appeared vnto him as he would faine haue slept and spake this angrily to him in verse as followeth Keepe thou thy selfe vpright and iustice see thou feare For vvoe and shame be vnto him that iustice dovvne doth beare This vile fact of his did so stirre vp all the confederates hartes against him that they came to besiege him in BIZANTIVM vnder the conduction of Cimon from whom notwithstanding he escaped and secretly saued him selfe And bicause that this maidens spirite would bene let him rest but vexed him continually he fled vnto the city of HERACLEA where there was a temple that coniured dead spirites there was the spirite of Cleonice coniured â—o pray her to be contented So she appeared vnto him told him that he should be deliuered of all his troubles so soone as he came to SPARTA signifying thereby in my opinion the death which he should suffer there Diuers wryters do thus reporte it Cimon being accompanied with the confederates of the GREECIANS which were come to him to take his parte was aduertised that certaine great men of PERSIA allyed to the king himselfe who kept the city of EIONE vpon the riuer of Strymon in the contrie of THRACIA did great hurt and damage vnto the GREECIANS inhabiting thereabouts Vpon which intelligence he tooke the sea with his armie and went thither where at his first comming he vanquished and ouerthrewe the barbarous people in battell hauinge ouerthrowen them drave all the rest into the city of EIONE That done he went to inuade the THRACIANS that dwelt on the other side of the riuer of Strymon who did commonly vittell them of EIONE and hauing driuen them to forsake the contrie he kept it and was Lord of the whole him selfe Whereupon he held them that were besieged at EIONE so straightly from vittells that Butes the king of PERSIABS Lieutenaunt dispayringe of the state of the citie set fire on the same and burnt himselfe his frendes and all the goodes in it By reason whereof the spoyle taken in that citie was but small bicause the barbarous people burnt all the best thinges in it with them selues howebeit he conquered the contrie thereaboutes and gaue it the ATHENIANS to inhabite being a verie pleasaunte and fertyle soyle In memorie whereof the people of ATHENS suffered him to consecrate and set vp openly three Hermes of stone which are foure square pillers vpon the toppes of the which they set vp heades of Mercurye vpon the first of the three pillers this inscription is grauen The people truely vvere of corage stovvte and fierce VVho hauing shut the Medes fast vp as stories do rehearce VVithin the vvalled tovvne of Eione that tyde VVhich on the streame of Strymon stands they made them there abide The force of
whither to the warres then the common people hauing no bodie to gainesay them turned and altered the gouernment of the citie topsie turuey and confounded all the auncient lawes and customes which they had obserued of long time and that by the procurement and setting on of Ephialtes For they tooke away all hearing of causes in maner from the court of Areopagus put all authoritie of matters iudiciall into the handes of the people and brought the state of the citie into a pure Democratia to say a common weale ruled by the sole and absolute power of the people Pericles being then in great credit who altogether fauored the peoples faction Wherefore Cimon at his returne finding thauthority of the Senate and counsell so shamefully defaced and troden vnder foote was maruelously offended withall and sought to restore thauncient state of iudgement againe as it was before and set vp the gouernment of the nobility called Optimacia that was established in the time of Clisthenes But then beganne his enemies againe with open mouth to crye out vpon him reuiuing the olde former naughty rumor that ranne of him before that he kept his owne sister furthermore accusing him that he did fauor the LACEDAEMONIANS And amongest other thinges there ranne in the peoples mouthes the verses of the Poet Eupolis which were made against Cimon No vvicked man he vvas but very negligent And therevvithall to vvyne much more then vnto money bent He stale somtimes avvay at Sparta for to sleepe And left poore Elpinicè his vvife at home alone to vveepe And if it be so that being thus negligent geuen to wyne he haue gotten so many cities and wonne such sundry great battells it is out of doubt then that if he had bene sober carefull there had neuer bene before him nor since any GRAECIAN Captaine that had passed him in glorie of the warres In deede it is true that from the beginning he euer loued the manner of the LACEDAEMONIANS for of two twynnes which he had by his wife Clitoria he named th one of them Lacedaemonius and thother Eleus as Stesimbrotus wryteth saying that for that cause Pericles did euer twit them in the teeth with their mothers stocke Howbeit Diodorus the Geographer wryteth that both those two and an other third called Thessalus were borne of Isodice the daughter of Euryptolemus the sonne of Megacles How soeuer it was it is certaine that Cimons credit grew the greater by the fauor and countenaunce which the LACEDAEMONIANS gaue him who had hated Themistocles of long time and for the malice they bare him were glad that Cimon being but a yoūg man did beare more sway in ATHENS then he Which the ATHENIANS perceiued well enough and were not offended withall at the beginning bicause the goodwill of the LACEDAEMONIANS towardes him did bring them great commodity For when the ATHENIANS beganne to growe of great power and to practise secretly that the confederats of the GRAECIANS should forsake the LACEDAEMONIANS to ioyne with them the LACEDAEMONIANS were not angrie withall for the honor and loue they bare vnto to Cimon who did alone in maner manedge all th affayres of GRAECE at that time bicause he was very curteous vnto the confederates and also thankefull vnto the LACEDAEMONIANS But afterwardes when the ATHENIANS were aloft and of great power and that they saw Cimon stucke not for a litle matter with the LACEDAEMONIANS but loued them more then they would haue had him they beganne then to enuy him bicause in all his matters he had to do he euer highly praised and extolled the LACEDAEMONIANS before them But specially when he would reproue them of any fault they had committed or that he would perswade them to do any thing the LACEDAEMONIANS sayd he I warrant ye do not so That as Stesimbrotus sayth made him maruelously to be maliced of the people But the chiefest thing they accused him of and that most did hurt him self out vpon this occasion The fourth yeare of the raigne of Archidamus the sonne of Zeuxidamus king of SPARTA there fortuned the wonderfullest and most fearefull earthquake in the citie of LACEDAEMON and thereabouts that ouer was heard of For the earth in many places of the contrie opened and fell as into a bottomlesse pit The mountaine Taygetum shooke so terribly that points of rockes fell downe from it All the citie was layed on the ground and ouerthrowen fiue houses only excepted the rest being wholy destroied And it is said also that a litle before this earthquake came the young men of that citie were playing with the young boyes exercising thē selues starke naked vnder a great galery couered ouer as they were sporting together there started vp a hare hard by them The young men spying her ranne after the hare starke naked and oyled as they were with great laughter They were no sooner gone thence but the top of the gallery fell downe apon the boyes that were left and squashed them all to death And in memorie of the same the tombe where they were afterwardes buried is called vnto this day Sismatias as much to say as the tombe of those which the earthquake had slaine But king Archidamus foreseeing straight vppon the sodaine the daunger that was to come by that he saw present perceiuing his citizens busie in sauing their householde stuffe and that they were running out of their houses made the trompetters to sound a hotte alarome vpon it as if their enemies had come stealingly vpon them to take the citie to th ende that all the inhabitantes should presently repayre vnto him settinge all busines aparte with armor and weapon That sodaine alarome doubtlesse saued the citie of SPARTA at that time for the ILOTAE which are their slaues and bondmen in the contrie of LACONIA and the contrie clownes of litle villages there aboutes came running armed out of all partes to spoyle and robbe them vpon the sodaine that were escaped from this earthquake But when they found them well armed in order of battell they returned backe againe as they came and then beganne afterwardes to make open warres vpon them when they had drawen certaine of their neighbors vnto their confederacie specially the MESSENIANS who made hotte warres vpon the SPARTANS Whereupon the LACEDAEMONIANS sent Periclidas vnto ATHENS to demaunde ayde whome Aristophanes the Poet mocking sayed VVith visage pale and vvanne he on the aulter sate In skarlet govvne requiring ayde to succor their estate Against whom Ephialtes also spake very much protesting that they should not ayde nor relieue a city that was an enemy vnto ATHENS but rather suffer it to fall to the ground and to spurne the pride and arrogancy of SPARTA vnder their feete But Cimon as Cricias saieth being more carefull for the benefit of SPARTA then for thenlarging and encreasing of his contry brought it to passe by his perswasion that the ATHENIANS sent him thither with a great power to helpe them And
vsed delay of time to execute and valliant expedition to winne the victory This was the cause why Mithridates made no hast to come to the battel thinking still that Lucullus had vsed his wonted policy to delay and geue backe alwaies and therefore he came by small iorneys vnto Tigranes campe But meeting at the first with a fewe of the ARMENIANS that fled as he came on his way like men that had bene frayed he straight mistrusted the ouerthrow but afterwards meeting greater troupes of them naked sore wounded then he knew how the matter went So he went to seeke out Tigranes whom he found alone forsaken of his men and in very poore estate yet did not he requite Tigranes in aduersity with that pride and disdaine he had vsed him before in his miserie but lighted of his horse to be waile with him their common misfortune and gaue him all his officers and traine of a kings court that followed him to serue him comforting him exhorting him to plucke vp his hart againe and to be coragious thenceforth Hereupon they both leauied a freshe the whole force power they could from all the partes of their dominions In the meane season there fell out great sedition in the city of TIGRANOCERTA betwene the GRAECIANS and the barbarous people for the GRAECIANS they would haue yeelded vp the towne into Lucullus hands Whereupon Lucullus geuing an assault to the city at that very instant wanne it seased vpon the kings treasure there leauing all the rest to the spoile of the souldiers in the which besides all other riches there was eight thowsand talents in ready money And yet besides all that he gaue of the spoile that was won apâ—n the enemies eight huÌ„dred Drachmas vnto euery souldier And vnderstanding that there were diuers musitians common players minstrels and such kinde of people meete for feastes and sporte whom Tigranes had sent for thither from all partes to dedicate the Theater he had made in his city he caused all theÌ„ to serue at the sports and feastes of this victory After the solempnization whereof he sent the GRAECIANS home againe vnto their contry and gaue them money to defraye their charges by the way and the barbarous people also that were brought thither by force from their natiue contries And so it fortuned that by the desolation and destruction of a city forsaken many others were built againe and stored with people bicause those cities had thereby recouered their naturall inhabitants againe who euer after did loue honor Lucullus as their benefactor and founder All other things prospered also according to his vertue and merites For Lucullus liked better the praise that came of bounty of iustice and of clemencie then that that came by force of marshall prowes cheualry For in deedes of armes he sayd his army partly deserued praise and fortune also caried the best parte away but the praise of the other were onely due vnto him selfe Whereby he shewed the valor of an excellent good man well taught and trained vp in vertue and so reaped the frute of his worthy deserts For by those good partes he wanne the hartes of the barbarous people in such sorte that the kinges of the ARABIANS came of good will to put them selues and their goods into his hands So did the nation of the SOPHENIANS also yeld them selues vnto him The GORDIAENIANS in like maner they liked Lucullus so well that they would willingly haue forsaken their cities houses contry to follow him with their wiues children vpon this occasion Zarbienus king of these GORDIAENIANS as we haue recited before had priuily entred amity with Lucullus by meanes of Appius Clodius who could no lenger away with the tyranny of Tigranes This practise was bewrayed vnto Tigranes who put Zarbienus his wife children to death before the ROMANES maine army came into the contry of ARMENIA Howbeit Lucullus did not forget it but passing through his realme gaue him very royall funeralles For hauing heaped vp a huge pyle of wodde sumptuously set out with cloth of gold and siluer other rich spoiles of Tigranes he him selfe in person would needes set it a fire and made the funerall effusions and accustomed sprincklinges at burialles with his frendes and kinsemen doing him this honor as to call him frend and confederate of the ROMANE people appointed also a great summe of money besides to erect a sumptuous tombe for him For they found great store of gold and siluer in the kinges castell and there was plenty of prouision also of three hundred thowsand bushells of wheate the which did enriche his souldiers maruelously and made Lucullus to be wondered at that hauinge receiued not one Drachma from the sparing coffers at ROME he had notwithstanding made the warre entertaine it selfe About the self same time also the king of the PARTHIANS sent Ambassadors vnto him to offer him his frendshippe and allyance which Lucullus willingly accepted and sent Ambassadors froÌ„ him also of acceptation who made reporte to Lucullus at their returne that the king of the PARTHIANS stoode doubtfull how to resolue which parte he should take and that secretly he sent vnto Tigranes to aske the realme of MESOPOTAMIA for his reward to aide him against the ROMANES Lucullus being truly enformed of the king of PARTHIAES double dealing determined to leaue Tigranes and Mithridates as two enemies wearied ouercome a litle to proue the force power of the PARTHIANS by making warres vpon theÌ„ thinking it great honor vnto him if he might discomfit and ouerthrow three so mighty kings one after an other like a valliant conqueror that had ouercome three famous Captaines together and had passed through the contries of three of the greatest Princes vnder the sunne alwayes a conqueror and neuer conquered Hereupon he wrote immediatly vnto Sornatius and other of his Captaines which he had left to keepe the realme of PONTVS that they should repayne to him with all speede with the bandes they had vnder their charge for that he was determined to departe out of the contry of GORDIAENA to go against the PARTHIANS howbeit his purpose altered by occasion For his Lieutenauntes that had many times before founde their souldiers mutinous and rebelling at their commaundements knew plainly then their cancred stomakes incorrigible disobedience For they could not possibly get them from thence by any compulsion or perswasions they could vse but contrarily they cryed out and tolde them plainly that they would no lenger tary where they were but would goe home to their contry and leaue the realme of PONTVS without gard or garrison at all And further that worst of all was when these newes were brought to Lucullus campe they gaue a full example of boldnes to his souldiers there to mutiny in such sorte hauing good will and disposition thereunto of themselues before For their purses being full and they acquainted with finenes were become so dull
About that time they say that Mithridates sawe that in a dreame which did prognosticate what should happen He thought that hauing the winde in the poope of his shippe he was vnder saile in the middest of the sea of Mare Bosphorum and that he was maruelous glad of it and reioyced with them that failed with him thinking him selfe certainly past all daunger yet sodainly againe that all this ioy left him and that he floted vp and downe the waues of the sea apon a litle peece of the shippe that was broken trusting to the mercy of the windes As he was troubled with this ill fauored dreame certaine of his familiars came to him and told him that Pompey was come so neere that there was no shift but they must needes fight to defend their campe Thereuppon his Captaines straight beganne to put his men in battell ray ready to fight Pompey vnderstanding they prepared to make defence was in dout to venter his men to fight in the darke thinking it better to compasse them in to keepe them from flying then in the morning to set vpon them more easily his men being the better souldiers But Pompeys olde Captaines were so earnestly in hand with him to perswade him they might fight that in the ende he was contented they should geue charge Now it was not so darke but they could somewhat see for the moone that was very low and vppon her setting gaue light enough to discerne the body of a man yet bicause the moone was very low the shadow which gaue out further farre then their bodies came almost euen to their very enemies which did let thē that they could not certainly iudge what space of ground was betwene them but imagining that they were hard by them they cast their dartes at the ROMANES but they hurte neuer a man for their bodies were a great way from them The ROMANES perceiuing that ran apon them with great cries But the barbarous people durst not abide their charge they were so affrayed but turned their backes and ranne away for life so that they were slaine downe right Thus were there tenne thowsand of the barbarous people slaine and more and their campe also taken As for Mithridates him selfe at the beginning of thonset he made a lane among the ROMANES with eight hundred horsemen and passed cleane through them But incontinently his men dispersed apon it some one way some an other way so that he was left alone but with three persons only whereof Hypsicratea was one of the number which had euer bene valliant and had a mans hart whereuppon for that cause Mithridates called her Hypsicrates She at that time being arrayed like a man of armes of PERSIA and mounted also on a horse after the PERSIAN maner was neuer weary with any long iorney the king made nor neuer left to waite vpon his person and to looke to his horse vntill such time as the king came to a strong castell called Inora where was great store of gold siluer and the kinges chiefest treasure Then Mithridates tooke of his richest apparell he had there gaue it amongest them that were about him at that time and a deadly poyson besides to euery one of his frendes to carie about them bicause they should not vnlesse they would them selues fall into their enemies handes aliue From thence he thought to take his iorney into ARMENIA vnto king Tigranes Howbeit Tigranes sent to let him and further proclaimed by trompet that he would geue a hundred talentes to him that could kill him Thereuppon passing by the head of the riuer of Euphrates he fled through the contry of CHOLCHIDE In the meane time Pompey inuaded the contry of ARMENIA at the request of Tigranes the younger who was reuolted against his father and went to meete with Pompey at the riuer of Araxes which hath his beginning almost about the head of Euphrates but it runneth towards the East and falleth into Mare Caspium So they both together marched on further into the contrie receiuinge such townes as yeelded vnto them But king Tigranes that not long before had bene consumed and destroyed by Lucullus vnderstanding that Pompey was of a mylde and gentle nature he receiued his garrisons into his strongest fortes and royall houses and went him selfe with his frendes and kinsemen to meete Pompey to yeeld him selfe vnto him Whē he came hard to his campe being a horse backe there came out two sergeaunts of Pompeys commaunded him to light and go in a foote for there was neuer man seene a horse backe within the ROMANES campe Tigranes did not only obey them but further plucked of his sword and gaue it them and in fine when he came almost to Pompey taking of his royall hatte frō his head he would haue layed it at Pompeys feete falling downe most shamefully on the ground imbased him selfe to imbrase Pompeys knees But Pompey him selfe preuented him and taking him by the hande made him to sit downe by him on the one side of him and his sonne on the other Then he sayd vnto them both as for the other losses you haue susteined heretofore you must thanke Lucullus for them who hath taken from you SYRIA PHOENICIA CILICIA GALATIA and SOPHENA but for that you haue left you till my comming I will let you enioy it paying to the ROMANES a fine of sixe thowsand talentes for the iniurie you had done them prouide also that your sonne haue the kingdome of SOPHENA for his parte Tigranes accepted the condicions of peace The ROMANES then saluted him king He was so glad thereof that he promised to geue euery souldier halfe a Mina euery Centener tenne Minas and to euery Colonell of a thowsand men a talent His sonne was very angry withall insomuch as Pompey sending for him to come to supper to him he aunswered againe that was not the frendshippe he looked for at Pompeys handes for he should finde many other ROMANES that would offer him that curtesie Pompey for his aunswere clapped him vp as a prisoner and kept him to be led in triumphe at ROME Shortly after Phrates king of PARTHIA sent Ambassadors to Pompey to demaunde this young Prince that was his sonne in law and to tell him that the riuer of Euphrates must be the vttermost confines of his conquestes Pompey aunswered againe that Tigraneshad more right to his sonne then the father in law and as for limiting of his borders that he would doe it with iustice So leauing Afranius in ARMENIA to keepe the contrie Pompey passed by other nations which inhabite about mount Caucasus hauing Mithridates in chace of which nations two of the chiefest and of greatest power are the ALBANIANS and IBERIANS The IBERIANS do stretch out vnto mount Moschiū to the realme of PONTVS The ALBANIANS lye towards the East and Mare Caspium These men first suffered Pompey to passe through their contrie apon his sending to thē
But winter hauing stolen apon the ROMANES while they were there they busily occupied about Saturnes feasts the barbarous people hauing leauied aboue forty thowsand fighting meÌ„ in one campe together came passed ouer the riuer of Cyrnus This riuer commeth from the mountaines of the IBERIANS and receiuing the riuer of Araxes into it which passeth through ARMENIA disperseth it selfe into twelue seuerall mouthes and so falleth into Mare Caspium Some notwithstanding holde opinion that Cyrnus receiueth not the riuer of Araxes into it but that it runneth by it selfe falleth into the same sea 〈…〉 vnto the mouthes of the other Pompey might if he had would haue kept them for comming ouer the riuer yet did he suffer them quietly to passe ouer When they were all ouer he went against them ouercame them in battell and slue a great number of them in the field Afterwardes he pardoned their kinge submittinge him selfe vnto Pompey by his Ambassadors and made peace with him Then from thence he went against the IBERIANS who were no lesse in number then the ALBANIANS were at the first and also better souldiers and were resolutely bent to doe good seruice vnto Mithridates and to driue out Pompey These IBERIANS were neuer subiect to the Empire of the PERSIANS nor of the MEDES and scaped also from being subiect to the MACEDONIANS for that Alexander neuer stayed in the contry of HYCANIA whom also Pompey ouercame in a great bloodie battell hauing slaine nine thowsand in the field and taken tenne thowsand prisoners From thence he went into the contry of COLONIDA There Seruilius met him by the riuer of Phasis with the fleete of shippes with the which he kept all Mare Ponticum Now to followe Mithridates further who had hidde him selfe amongest a people that were neighbours vnto the straightes of BOSPHORVS and the maâ—isses Maeotides he found it a hard peece of worke Furthermore also he had newes that the ALBANIANS were rebelled againe which drew him backe to be reuenged of them Thereuppon he passed again ouer the riuer of Cyrnus with great paine and daunger bicause the barbarous people had made a strong defence a great way alongest the riuer side with a maruelous number of great trees feld and layed a crosse one ouer an other Furthermore when he had with great difficulty passed thorow them he fell into an euill fauored contry where he should trauell a great way before he could come to any water Thereuppon he caused ten thowsand goates skinnes to be filled with water and so went forward to meete with his enemies whom he found by the riuer of Abas being sixe score thowsande footemen and twelue thowsande horsemen but all or the most of them ill armed with wilde beastes skinnes Their Chiefetaine was Cosis the kinges owne brother He when the battell was begonne flew upon Pompey and threwe a dart at him and hurt him in the flancke Pompey on thother side ranne him through with his launce on both sides slue starke dead Some say also that there were certaine AMAZONES at this battell which fought of the barbarous peoples side coÌ„ming from the mountaines that runne alongest the riuer of Thermodon For after the ouerthrow geuen the ROMANES spoyling the dead found targets and buskinnes of the AMAZONES but not a body of a woman among them They also doe inhabite on the side of the mountaine Caucasus that looketh towardes Mare Hyrcanium and doe not border vpon the ALBANIANS but the GELE and the LELEGES are betwene them with whom they company two moneths only euery yeare meeting together by the riuer of Thermodon and all the rest of the yeare they liue a parte by them selues After this last battell Pompey going to inuade the contrie of HYRCANIA as farre as Mare Caspium he was compelled to go backe againe for the infinite number of deadly venemous serpents which he met with being come within three dayes iorney of it So he returned backe againe into ARMENIA the lesse and there receiued presentes which were sent vnto him from the kings of the ELYMIANS and the MEDES and wrote very curteously vnto them againe howbeit he sent Afranius with parte of his armie against the king of the PARTHIANS who had inuaded the contry of GORDIENA and harried and spoiled the king of Tigranes subiects Notwithstanding he draue him out and followed him vnto Aâ—BELITIDE Furthermore all the lemmans and concubines of king Mithridates being brought vnto Pompey he would touche none of them but sent them all home againe to their parents and frendes bicause the most of them were either the daughters of Princes of noblemen of Captaines Notwithstanding Stratonice that of all the rest of his lemmans had most credit about Mithridates vnto whom he had left all the charge of his castel where the greatest part of his treasure of gold and siluer lay was a singers daughter who as they sayd was not riche but an old man She hauing song one night before Mithridates being at supper he fell in such fancy with her that he would needes haue her lye with him the same night and the old man her father went home offended bicause the king would not so much as geue him one goode word But the next morning when he rose he marueled to see the tables in his house full of plate of gold and siluer and a great company of seruing men groomes of chamber pages and that they had brought him maruelous riche apparell a horse ready as the gates brauely furnished as the kings familiars did vse when they went abroade into the city he thought it was done in mockery to haue made sporte with him and therefore would haue runne his way had not the seruing men kept him and told him that they were a great rich mans goods that dyed of late which the king had bestowed on him and that all this he saw was but a litle porcion in respect of the other goods and lands he gaue him So the old man beleuing them at the length did put on this purple gowne they brought him and got vp a horse backe riding through the streetes cried all this is mine all this is mine Certaine laughing him to scorne for it he told them masters ye may not wonder to heare me thus crie out but rather that I throw not stones at them I meete I am so madde for ioy Such was Stratonices birth and parentage as we haue told you She did then deliuer this castell into Pompeys hands and offered him many goodly riche presents but he would take none of them other then such as serued to adorne the temples of the goddes and to beawtifie his triumphe and left all the rest with Stratonice her selfe to dispose as she thought good In like manner also the king of the IBERIANS hauing sent him a bedstead a table and a chayer of cleane golde praying him to take it as a remembraunce from him he
of an armie may easily be brought from his wife and safe counsell with rumor and tumult of a few fearefull men that should perswade him it were a shame and dishonor for him if he did otherwise yet were this no straunge matter but a fault to be pardoned But for Pompey the great whose campe the ROMANES called their contrie and his tent the Senate and called all the Praetors and Consuls that gouerned at ROME rebells and traitors to the common wealth of ROME who coulde excuse him who was neuer seene commaunded by other then him selfe but had bene alwayes chiefe Captaine and Generall in any warre he made and euer had the vpper hand but that he was drawen on by the scoffes of Faonius and Domitius to hazard battell to endaunger the whole Empire and liberty of ROME only for feare they should call him king Agâ—memnon Who if he had so much regarded present infamie he should haue fought from the beginning for defence of the citie of ROME and not to haue taken example of Themistocles policie by flying and afterwards to thinke it a shame as he did to lye in THESSALIE a time without fighting Neither did God appoint them the fieldes of Pharsalia for a Theater or close campe of necessitie to fight which of them shoulde haue the Empire of ROME Further there was no Heraulde to summone him to fight as there are at games of price where he must aunswere to his name and come and fight or else to loose the honor of the crowne vnto an other But there were infinite other fieldes and townes and as a man woulde say the whole earth which the commoditie of his armie by sea gaue him choyse to conquer if he would rather haue followed the steppes of Fabius Maximus of Marius of Lucullus or of Agesilaus him selfe who did paciently abide no lesse tumultes within the citie selfe of SPARTA when the THEBANS went to summone him to come out to fight for all the rest of his contrie And in AEGYPT also he did abide many false accusations against him wherewith the king him selfe did burden him praying him alwayes to haue a litle pacience In fine hauing followed the best counsell which he had determined with him selfe from the beginning he saued the AEGYPTIANS against their willes and furthermore he did not only keepe the citie of SPARTA from so great a daunger but did also set vp tokens of triumphe in the same against the THEBANS whereby he was not compelled at that time to lead them out to the slaughter and besides that gaue his citizens occasion to obtaine victorie afterwardes Hereupon Agesilaus was highly praised of them whose liues he had saued against their wills And Pompey contrarily was blamed by them selues through whom he had offended yet some say that he was deceiued by his father in law Scipio For he meaning to keepe the most parte of the money to him selfe which he had brought out of ASIA did hasten and perswade Pompey to geue battell telling him that there was no money left The which though it had bene true a worthie Captaine should not so lightly haue bene brought into error vpon a false accompt to hazard him selfe to loose all Thus may we see what both of them were by comparing them together Furthermore for their iorneys into AEGYPT the one fled thither by force the other willingly went thither with small honor for moneys sake to serue the barbarous people with intent afterwards to make warre with the GRAECIANS Lastly in that which we accuse the AEGYPTIANS for Pompeys sake for the like matter doe they againe accuse Agesilaus For the one was cruelly put to death betrayed by them whom he trusted Agesilaus forsooke them which trusted him and went to the enemies hauing brought aide to fight against them The end of Pompeys life THE LIFE OF Alexander the great HAuing determined in this volume to write the life of king Alexander of Iulius Caesar that ouercame Pompey hauing to speake of many things I will vse none other preface but only desire the readers not to blame me though I do not declare al things at large but briefly touch diuers chiefly in those their noblest acts most worthy of memory For they must remember that my intent is not to write histories but only liues For the noblest deedes doe not alwayes shew mens vertues and vices but ofteÌ„times a light occasion a word or some sporte makes mens naturall dispositions and maners appeare more plaine then the famous battells wonne wherein a slaine tenne thowsand men or the great armies or cities wonne by siege or assault For like as painters or drawers of pictures which make no accompt of other partes of the bodie do take resemblaunces of the face and fauor of the countenauce in the which consisteth the iudgement of their maners disposition euen so they must geue vs leaue to seeke out the signes and tokens of the minde only and thereby shewe the life of either of them referring you vnto others to wryte the warres battells and other great thinges they did It is certaine that Alexander was discensed from Hercules by Caranus and that of his mothers side he came of the blood of the AEacides by Neoptolemus They say also that king Philip his father when he was a young man fell in fancie with his mother Olympias which at that time also was a younge maiden and an orphane without father or mother in the I le of SAMOTHRACIA where they were both receiued into the misterie and fraternity of the house of the religious and that afterwards he did aske her in mariage of her brother Arymbas with whose consent they were maried together The night before they lay in wedded bed the bride dreamed that lightning fell into her belly and that withall there was a great light fire that dispersed it selfe all about into diuers flames King Philip her husband also shortly after he was maried dreamed that he did seale his wiues belly and that the seale wherewith he sealed left behinde the printe of a Lyon. Certaine wisards and soothsayers tolde Philip that this dreame gaue him warning to looke straightly to his wife But Aristander TELMECIAN aunswered againe that it signified his wife was conceiued with childe for that they doe not seale a vessell that hath nothinge in it and that she was with childe with a boy which should haue a Lions hart It is reported also that many times as she lay asleepe in her bed there was seene a serpent lying by her the which was the chiefest cause as some presuppose that withdrewe Philips loue and kindnes from her and caused him that he lay not so oft with her as before he was wont to doe either for that he feared some charme or enchauntment or else for that he thought him selfe vnmeete for her company supposing her to be beloued of some god Some do also report this after an other sort as in this
Alexander to pray him to come and aide him bicause there was yet a great squadron whole together that made no countenaunce to flie Somewhat there was in it that they accused Parmenio that day to haue delt but stackely and cowardly either bicause his age had taken his corage from him or else for that he enuied Alexanders greatnes and prosperity who against his will be dame ouer great as Callisthenes sayd In fine Alexander was angry with the second message and yet told not his men truely the cause why but faining that he would haue them leaue killing and bicause also night came on he caused the trompet sound retreate and so went towards his army whom he thought to be in distresse Notwithstanding newes came to him by the way that in that place also they had geuen the enemies the ouerthrowe and that they fled euery way for life The battell hauing this successe euery man thought that the kingdom of the PERSIANS was vtterly ouerthrowen and that Alexander likewise was become only king of all ASIA whereupon he made sumptuous sacrifices vnto the goddes and gaue great riches houses lands and possessions vnto his frendes and familliars Furthermore to shewe his liberalitie also vnto the GRAECIANS he wrote vnto them that he would haue all tyrannies suppressed through out all GRAECE and that all the GRAECIANS should liue at libertie vnder their owne lawes Particularly also he wrote vnto the PLATAEIANS that he woulde reedifie their citie againe bicause their predecessors in time past had geuen their contrie vnto the GRAECIANS to fight against the barbarous people for the defence of the common libertie of all GRAECE He sent also into ITALIE vnto the GROTONIANS parte of the spoyle to honor the memory of the valliantnes and good will of Phayllus their citizen who in the time of the warres with the MEDES when all the GRAECIANS that dwelt in ITALIE had forsaken their naturall contrie men of GRAECE it selfe bicause they thought they could not otherwise scape went with a shippe of his vnto SALAMINA which he armed and set forth at his owne charges bicause he would be at the battell and partake also of the common daunger with the GRAECIANS such honor did Alexander beard vnto prowes that he loued to reward remember the worthy deedes of men Then Alexander marching with his army into the contry of BABYLON they all yeolded straight vnto him When he came into the contrie of the ECEATANIANS he marueled when he saw an opening of the earth out of the which there came continuall sparkes of fire as out of a well that hard by also the earth spued out continually a kinde of mawnd or chalkie clay somwhat lyquid of such aboundaunce as it seemed like a lake This maund or chalke is like vnto a kind of lyme or clay but it is so easie to be sette a fire that not touching it with any flame by the brightnes only of the light that commeth out of the fire it is set afire doth also set the ayer a fire which is betwene both The barbarous people of that contrie being desirous to shewe Alexander the nature of that Naptha scattered the streete that led to his lodging with some of it Then the day being shut in they fired it at one of the endes and the first droppes taking fire in the twinckling of an eye all the rest from one end of the streete to the other was of a flame and though it was darke and within night lightned all the place thereabout Alexander being in bath at that time and waited apon by a page called Steuen a hard fauored boy but yet that had an excellent sweete voyce to sing one Athenophanes an ATHENIAN that alwayes nointed bathed the king much delighted him with his pleasaunt conceites asked him if he would see the triall of this Naptha apon Steuen for if the fire tooke and went not out then he would say it had a wonderfull force and was vnquencheable The page was contented to haue it proued apon him But so soone as they had layed it on him and did but touche it only it tooke straight of such a flame and so fired his body that Alexander him selfe was in a maruelous perplexitie withall And sure had it not bene by good happe that there were many by ready with vessells full of water to put into the bath it had bene vnpossible to haue saued the boy from being burnt to nothing and yet so he escaped narrowly and besides was sicke long after Now some apply this Naptha vnto the fable of Medea saying that therwith she rubbed the crowne and lawne she gaue vnto the daughter of Creon at her mariage so much spoken of in the tragedies For neither the crowne nor the lawne could cast fire of them selues neither did the fire light by chaunce But by oyling them with this Naptha she wrought a certain aptnes to receiue more forcibly the operation of the fire which was in place where the bridesate For the beames which the fire casteth out haue ouer some bodies no other force but to heet and lighten them But such as haue an oyly drie humor and thereby a simpathy and proportionable conformitie with the nature of the fire it easily enflameth and setteth a fire by the forcible impression of his beames Howbeit they make a great question of the cause of this naturall force of Naptha or whether this liquid substance and moyst humor that taketh fine so easily doth come of the earth that is fatty and apt to conceiue fire For this contrie of BABYLON is very hot insomuch as oftentimes batley being put into the ground it bloweth it vp againe as if the earth by vehement inflammacion had a strong blast to cast it out and men in the extreamest heate of the sommer doe sleepe there vpon great leather budgets filled full of fresh water Harpalus whom Alexander left there his Lieutenaunt Gouernor of that contry desiring to set forth and beawtifie the gardens of the kings pallace walkes of the same with all maner of plantes of GRAECE he brought all the rest to good passe sauing Iuie only which the earth could neuer abide but it euer dyed bicause the heate and temper of the earth killed it and the Iuie of it selfe liketh fresh ayer and a cold ground This digression is somwhat from the matter but peraduenture the reader will not thinke it troublesome howe hard soeuer he finde it so it be not ouer tedious Alexander hauing wonne the city of SVSA he found within the castell foure thowsand talentes in ready coyne gold and siluer besides other infinite treasure and inestimable amongest the which it is sayd he found to the value of fiue thowsand talentes weight of purple HERMIONA silke which they had safe locked vp kept that â—â—ace of two hundred yeres saue ten and yet the colour kept as freshe as if it had bene newly 〈…〉 Some say that the
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
for you shall finde many that will desire no better colour nor occasion by force to take from you that they would haue bicause you vnwillingly also do graunt them the things they would nede There is a report of a prerie ieast happened him in SYRIA When he came to ANTIOCHE he found a great number of people deuided on either side of the streete standing a row one by an other verie decently the young men by them selues in fayer clokes boyes by them selues in seemely aray and priests other officers of the city also all in white garments crowned with garlands Cato thought straight they had made this solemne precession to honor him and fell out with his men he had sent before bicause they did suffer thē to make such preparacion for his comming So he made his frends light from their horses go a foote to accompany him But when they came neere to the gate of the city the maister of these ceremonies that had assembled all that company an old man hauing a rodde in his hand and a crowne on his head came to Cato without saluting of him and asked him only where they had left Demetrius and when he would come This Demetrius had bene one of Pompeis slaues bicause Pompeis fame was great with all men his seruant Demetrius also was much honored and made of aboue his deserte for that he was in great credit with Pompey Catoes frendes hearing what question the olde man asked him burst out a laughing as they went through this precession Cato being ashamed of it sayd no more then but O vnfortunate citie Afterwards notwithstanding when he told it to any body he would laugh at it him selfe So Pompey rebuked them that through ignorance had failed to honor Cato When Cato came to the citie of EPHESVS and was comming towardes Pompey to salute him being the elder man and of greater dignitie and estimacion then he who at that time also was Generall of a great and puisant armie Pompey seeing him comming towards him a farre of would not tary till he came to him sitting in his chaire of estate but rising vp went to meete him as one of the greatest and noblest persons of ROME and taking him by the hande after he had imbraced and welcomed him he presently fell in praise of his vertue before his face and afterwards also commended him in his absence when he was gone from him Whereuppon euerie man after that had him in great veneracion for those things which before they despised in him when they considered better of his noble curteous mind For men that saw Pompeis entertainment towards him knew well enough that Cato was a man which he rather reuerenced for a kinde of duty obserued more then for any loue he bare him they noted further that he honored him greatly while he was with him but yet that he was glad when Cato went from him For he sought to kepe backe all the young gentlemen of ROME that went to see him desired them to remaine with him but for Cato he was nothing desirous of his company for that in his presence he thought he could not cōmaund as he would therfore was willing to let him go recommending his wife his children to him the which he neuer did before vnto any other ROMANE that returned to ROME howbeit in dede Cato was partly allied vnto him After that time all the cities whereby he passed deuised in emulacion one of the other which of thē should honor him most made him great feasts bankets in the which he prayd his frēds to haue an eye to him least vnwares he shold proue Curioes words true For Curio somtime being his frēd a familiar of his misliking notwithstanding his seuerity asked Cato if he would go see ASIA when his charge mere expired Cato answered againe that it was his full determination Oh well sayd q Curios I hope then thou wilt returne more plesaunt and ciuill And these were Curioes wordes Furthermore Deiotarus king of GALATIA being a very old man sent for Cato to come into his contrie to recommend his sonnes house vnto him who when he arriued there had great rich presents of all sortes offered him by the king intreating him all he could to take them This so muche misliked and angered Cato that he comming thither in the euening after he had taried there one whole day onely the next morning he went his waye from thence at the thirde hower Howbeit he had not gone one dayes iorney but he found greater giftes that taried him with Deiotarus letters at the citie of PESSINVNTA in the which he instantly requested him to take them or at the least if he would refuse them him selfe that then he would let them be deuided amongest his frendes sith euery way they did deserue it but specially for his sake for that his goodes also were not so great as could content all his frends But Cato would not suffer them to take any iot of it more then before although he saw well enough that there were some of them so tender harted that they complayned of him for that he woulde not suffer them to take any of it For he tolde them that otherwise corruption and briberie could lacke no honest colour to take and for his frends they should alwayes haue parte with him of that which was his owne iustly So he returned king Deiotarus presentes backe againe Nowe when he was readie to imbarke to passe ouer the sea againe vnto BRVNDVSIVN some of his frendes perswaded him that it was better to put the ashes of his brother Capioes bones into an other shippe But he aunswered them that he would rather lose his owne life then to leaue his brothers relikes Thereuppon he presently hoysed sayle and it is reported tht he passed ouer in great daunger where other shippes arriued very safely When he was returned vnto ROME he was alwayes either talking Philosophie with Athenodorus the Philosopher or else in the market place to pleasure his frendes When his turne came that he was to make sute to be Quaestor he would neuer sue for it before he had first diligently perused all the ordinaunces touching the office of Quaestor and that he had particularly made enquierie of men of greatest experience to knowe what the authoritie of the office was So he no sooner came to his office but he presently made great alteracion amongest the clearkes and officers of the treasurie who hauing the lawes and recordes in their handes and exercising the office commonly vnder young men which were chosen treasurers who for their ignoraunce and lacke of experience stoode rather in neede of maisters to teache them then that they were able to correct others they them selues were the officers and controlled them But Cato not contenting him selfe with the name and honor of the thing did throughly vnderstande what the clearkes and registers shoulde be and
the bare name of a gouernor But in deede the perfect good and honest man should neuer couer outward glory but as a meane to bringe him to noble attempts whereby he might procure the better credit of his doings And for a younge man that coueteth honor by vertue giue him leaue a litle to glory in his well doing for as Theophrastus sayth vertue buddeth and florisheth in youth and taketh fast roote by prayses giuen as wit corage groweth in them But ouermuch praise is daungerous in euery person but chiefly in ambicious gouernors For if they be men of great power it makes them commit many desperat partes for they wil not allow that honor proceedes of vertue but that honor is vertue it selfe But in deed they should say as Phocion did vnto Antipater that requested an vnlawfull matter of him Thou canst not said he haue Phocion a friend and a flatterer both This or the very like may be sayd vnto the people you can not both haue one a Maister and a seruaunt that can commaunde and obey together Or els the mischiefe spoken of in the tale of the Dragon must needes happen which was the taile on a time fell out with the head and complained saying it would an other while go before would not alwaies come behind The head graunted the taile which fell out very ill for it not knowing howe to guide the heade and besides that the head thereby was tormented euery way beeing compelled against nature to follow that part and member which could nether heare nor see how to guide it The like matter haue we seene happen vnto many which in the administracion of the common wealth did seeke to please the humors of the multitude For when they haue once put their heads vnder their girdles to please the common people which without cause reason doe soone rebell they can by no possible meanes afterwards bridle their furie insolencie Now the reason that made vs to enter into discourse against the ambition and vaine glorye amongest the people was the consideracion I had of their greate power remembring the misfortunes of Tiberius and Caius Gracchi bothe the which comming of a noble house and hauing bene maruelous well brought vp maneging also the affayres of the common wealth with a good desire were notwithstanding in the ende cast away not so much through couetousnes of glorye as for feare of dishonor which came also of no base mind For they hauing receiued great pleasures and friendships of the people were ashamed to be indetted to them and therefore earnestly sought to exceede the people in good will by new decrees and deuises which they preferred for common benefit and the people also for their partes contended to honor them the more by how much they striued to shewe them selues thankefull So with like strife on either side they go gratifie the common people and the people also to honor them were vnwares so entangled with publike causes that they could no more follow the common prouerbe which sayth Although our deedes discent from equitie Yet can vve not desist vvith honestie This thou shalt easily finde by the declaracion of the historie With these we doe compare two other popular men both kinges of LACEDAEMON Agis and Cleomenes For they as the Gracchi seeking to increase the power of the common people and to restore the iust and honest gouernment againe of the common wealth of LACEDAEMON which of long time had bene out of vse did in like manner purchase the hate of the nobilitie which were loth to lose any part of their wonted couetousnes In deed these two LACONIANS were no brethreÌ„ borne but yet did both follow one selfe course forme of gouernment which had beginning in this sort After that couetousnes of gold and siluer crept againe into the citie of SPARTA and with riches couetousnes also and miserie and by vse voluptuousnes and licentious life SPARTA then was void of all honor and goodnes and was long time drowned in shame and dishonor vntill king Agis and Leonidas came to raigne there Agis was of the house of the Eurytiontides the sonne of Eudamidas the sixt of lineall descent after Agesilaus who had beene the greatest Prince of all GRAECE in his time This Agesilaus had a sonne slaine in ITALY by the MESSAPIANS called Archidamus before the citie of MANDONIVM Archidamus had issue two sonnes Agis and Eudamidas that was king who succeeded his brother Agis whom Antipater slue before the citie of MEGALIPOLIS and left no children behind him Eudamidas begat Archidamus which Archidamus begat another Eudamidas which Eudamidas also begat Agis whose life we now write of Leonidas also the sonne of Cleonymus was of the other familie of the Agiades the right of succession after Pausanias who slue Mardonius the kings Lieuetenant general of PERSIA in a battell fought before the citie of PLATâ—â—S This Pausanias had a sonne called Plistonax and Plistonax also an other called Pausanias who flying from SPARTA vnto the citie of TEGEA his eldest sonne Agesipolis was made king in his fathers roome who dying without issue his yonger brother Cleombrotus succeeded him in the kingdoÌ„ Cleombrotus had two sonnes Agesipolis and Cleomenes of the which Agesipolis raigned not long king and dyed without issue Then Cleomenes his brother who was king after him had two sonnes Acrotatus the elder that dyed in his fathers life time and Cleonymus the yonger which suruiued him and was not king but one Areus his Nephewe the sonne of Acrotatus This Areus dyed before the citie of CORINTHE who hauing an other Acrotatus to his sonne he succeeded him in the kingdome He also dyed at a battell before the citie of MEGALIPOLIS and was slayne there by the tyrant Aristodemus leauing his wife great with childe She beeing brought to bedde after his death of a sonne whome Leonidas the sonne of Cleonymus taught and brought vp the childe dying very young the crowne by his death was cast apon Leonidas him selfe Howbeit his maners conditions neuer liked the people For though all men generally were corrupted through the coÌ„mon wealth and cleane out of order yet Leonidas of all other exceeded deforming most the auncient LACONIAN life bicause he had bene long time brought vp in Princes houses followed also Seleucus Court from whence he had brought all the pride and pompe of those Courts into GRAECE where law reason ruleth Agis on the contrary part did not onely farre excel Leonidas in honor and magnanimitie of mind but all other almost also which had raigned in SPARTA from the time of Agesilaus the great So that when Agis was not yet twenty yeare old and being daintily brought vp with the finenes of two women his mother Agesistrata and Archidamia his grandmother which had more gold and siluer then all the LACEDAEMONIANS els he began to spurne against these womanish delights pleasures in making him selfe fayer to
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
their auncient kings that the LACEDAEMONIANS neuer inquired what number their enemies were but where they were Shortly after the ACHAIANS making warre with the ELIANS Cleomenes was sent to ayde them met with the armie of the ACHAIANS by the mountaine Lyceum as they were in their returne he setting apon them gaue them the ouerthrowe slue a great number of them and tooke many also prisoners that the rumor ranne through GRAECE how Aratus selfe was slaine Cleomenes wisely taking the occasion which this victory gaue him he went straight to the citie of MANTINEA and taking it vpon a sodaine when no man knew of his comming he put a strong garrison into it Now the LACEDAEMONIANS harts failing them and resisting Cleomenes enterprises ouerwearying them with warres he went about to sende for Archidamus king Agis brother being then at MESSENA vnto whom the kingdom of right belonged by the other house supposing that he shoulde easely weaken the power of the Ephores by the authoritie of the two kinges if both of them ioyned together Which when the murtherers of king Agis vnderstoode being affraid that Archidamus returning from exile he would be reuenged of them they secretly receiued him into the citie and founde the meanes to bring him into SPARTA But when they had him they put him straight to death whether it was vnwitting to Cleomenes as Phylarchus plainly testifieth or else with his priuitie suffring them to make him away by perswasion of his frends But it is a cleere case the citie was burdened withall bicause probable matter fell out that they had compelled Cleomenes to doe it Neuerthelesse he holding still his first determination to alter the state of the common wealth of SPARTA as soone as he could possible he so fed the Ephores with money that he brought them to be contented he should make warre He had also won many other citizens by the meanes of his mother Cratesiclea who furnisht him with money that he lacked not to honor him withall and further maried as it is reported being otherwise not ment to mary for her sonnes sake vnto one of the wealthiest men of all the citie So Cleomenes leading his army into the field wanne a place within the territorie of MEGALOPOLIS called LEVCTRA The ACHAIANS also being quickly come to their aide led by Aratus they straight fought a battell by the citie selfe where Cleomenes had the worst on the one side of his armie Howbeit Aratus woulde not suffer the ACHAIANS to follow them bicause of bogges and quauemyres but sounded the retreate But Lysiadas a MEGALOPOLITAN being angrie withall caused the horsemen he had about him to follow the chase who pursued so fiercely that they came amongest vines walls and ditches where he was driuen to disperse his men and yet coulde not get out Cleomenes perceiuing it sent the light horsemen of the TARENTINS CRETANS against him of whom Lysiadas valliantly fighting was slaine Then the LACEDAEMONIANS being couragious for this victorie came with great cries geuing a fierce charge apon the ACHAIANS ouerthrew their whole armie and slue a maruelous number of them but yet Cleomenes at their request suffered them to take vp the dead bodies of their men to burie them For Lysiadas corps he caused it to be brought vnto him and putting a purple to be apon it and a crowne on his head sent it in this aray vnto the very gates of the city of MEGALOPOLIS It was that selfe Lysiadas who geuing ouer the tyranny and gouernment of MEGALOPOLIS made it a popular state and free city and ioyned it to the ACHAIANS After this victorie Cleomenes that determined greater matters and attempts perswaded him selfe that if he might once come to stablishe the affaires of the common wealth at SPARTA to his mind he might then easely ouercome the ACHAIANS brake with his father in law Megistonus and told him that it was necessary to take away the authoritie of the Ephores and to make diuision of the landes among the SPARTANS and then being brought to equalitie to encorage them to recouer the Empire of GRAECE againe vnto the LACEDAEMONIANS which their predecessors before them held and enioyed Megistonus graunting his good will and furtherance ioyned two or three of his frendes more vnto him It chaunced at that time that one of the Ephores lying in the temple of Pasiphaé had a maruelous dreame in the night For he thought he sawe but one chaire standing where the Ephori did vse to sit to geue audience and that the other foure which were wont to be there were taken away and that maruelling at it he heard a voyce out of the temple that said that was the best for SPARTA He declaring this dreame the next morning vnto Cleomenes it somewhat troubled him at the first thinking that he came to feele him for that he had heard some inckling of his intent But when he perswaded him selfe that the other ment good faith and lyed not vnto him being bolder then before he went forward with his purpose and taking with him vnto the campe all those SPARTANS which he suspected to be against his enterprise he went and tooke the cities of HERAEA and ALSEA confederates of the ACHAIANS and vitteled ORCHOMENA and went and camped before the citie of MANTINEA In fine he so wearied ouerharried the LACEDAEMONIAMS by long iorneys that at length they besought him he would let them remaine in ARCADIA to repose them selues there In the meane time Cleomenes with his straungers which he had hyred returned againe vnto SPARTA and imparted his intent by the way vnto them he trusted best and marched at his owne ease that he might take the Ephores at supper When he came neere vnto the city he sent Euryclidas before into the halle of the Ephores as though he brought them newes out of the campe from him After him he sent also Thericion Phaebis and two other that had bene brought vp with him whom the LACEDAEMONIANS called the SAMOTHRACIANS taking with them a fewe souldiers Nowe whilest Euryclidas was talking with the Ephores they also came in apon them with their swordes drawen and did set apon the Ephores Agesilaus was hurt first of all and falling downe made as though he had bene slaine but by litle litle he crept out of the halle and got secretly into a chappell consecrated vnto Feare the which was wont euer to be kept shut but then by chaunce was left open when he was come in he shut the dore fast to him The other foure of the Ephores were slaine presently and aboue tenne moe besides which came to defende them Furthermore for them that sate still and sturred not they killed not a man of them neither did keepe any man that was desirous to goe out of the citie but moreouer they pardoned Agesilaus who came the next morning out of the chapell of Feare Amongest the LACEDAEMONIANS in the citie of SPARTA there are not
onely temples of feare and death but also of laughter and of many other such passions of the minde They do worshippe Feare not as other spirites and deuills that are hurtfull but bicause they are perswaded that nothing preserueth a common wealth better then feare Wherefore the Ephori as Aristotle witnesseth when they are created doe by publicke proclamacion commaunde all the SPARTANS to shaue their chinnes and to obey the law least they should make them feele the rigour of the law They brought in the shauing of their chinnes in my opinion to inure yoūg men to obey the Magistrates euen in trifles Moreouer it seemes that men in olde time did esteeme fortitude to be no taking away of feare but rather a feare lothnes to incurre shame For commonly those that are most affrayed to offend the law are in the field most valliant against their enemie and shunne no perill to winne fame and honest reputacion And therefore it was wisely sayd of one That feare can not be vvithout shamefastnes And so Homer in a certaine place made Hellen say vnto king Priamus Of trueth I doe confesse deere father in lavv You are the man of vvhom I stand in avv And reuerence most of all that ere I savv And in an other place speaking of the GRAECIAN souldiers he sayth thus For feare of their Captaines they spake not a vvord For men do vse to reuerence them whom they feare And this was the cause why the chappell of Feare was by the halle of the Ephores hauing in maner a princely and absolute authoritie The next morning Cleomenes banished by trompet foure score citizens of SPARTA and ouerthrew all the chaires of the Ephores but one only the which he reserued for him selfe to sit in to geue audience Then calling the people to counsell he gaue them an account of his doings and told them that Lycurgus had ioyned the Senators with the kings how the citie had bene gouerned a long time by them without helpe of any other officers Notwithstanding afterwards the city hauing great warres with the MESSENIANS the kings being alwaies employed in that warre whereby they could not attend the affaires of the common wealth at home did choose certaine of their frendes to sitte in iudgement in their steades to determine controuersies of lawe which were called Ephores and did gouerne long time as the kinges ministers howbeit that afterwards by litle and litle they tooke apon them absolute gouernment by thēselues And for manifest proofe hereof you see that at this present time when the Ephori do send for the king the first and second time they refuse to come but the third time he riseth and goeth vnto them The first man that gaue the Ephores this authoritie was Asteropus one of the Ephores many yeares after the first institucion of the kinges and yet if they had gouerned discreetely peraduenture they might haue continued lenger But they licentiously abusing their authoritie by suppressing the lawfull Gouernors instituted of old time taking apon them to banish some of their kings and putting other of them also to death without law and iustice and threatning others that desire to restore that noble and former blessed gouernment vnto SPARTA againe all these things I say are in no wise to be suffered any lenger And therefore if it had bene possible to haue banished all these plagues of the common wealth out of SPARTA brought from forreine nations I meane pleasures pastimes money dets and vsuries and others yet more auncient pouerty and riches he might then haue esteemed him selfe the happiest king that euer was if like a good Phisitian he had cured his contrie of that infection without griefe or sorrow But in that he was constrained to beginne with blood he followed Lycurgus example who being neither king nor other Magistrate but a priuate citizen only taking apon him the authoritie of the king boldly came into the market place with force and armed men and made king Charilaus that then raigned so affrayed that he was driuen to take sanctuarie in one of the temples But the king being a Prince of a noble nature and louing the honor of his contrie tooke parte with Lycurgus adding to his aduise and counsell for the alteracion of the state of the gouernment of the common wealth which he did confirme Hereby then it appeareth that Lycurgus saw it was a hard thing to alter the common wealth without force and feare the which he notwithstanding had vsed with as great modestie and discretion as might be possible banishing them that were against the profit and wealth of LACEDAEMON geuing all the lands of the contrie also to be equally deuided amongest them and setting all men cleere that were in dette And furthermore that he would make a choyse and proofe of the straungers to make them free citizens of SPARTA whom he knew to be honest men thereby to defende their citie the better by force of armes to th end that from henceforth we may no more see our contrie of LACONIA spoyled by the AETOLIANS and ILLYRIANS for lacke of men to defende them selues against them Then he beganne first him selfe to make all his goods common and after him Megistonus his father in law and consequently all his other frendes Then he caused the lands also to be deuided and ordeined euery banished man a part whom he him selfe had exiled promising that he would receiue them againe into the city when he had established all things So when he had replenished the number of the citizens of SPARTA with the choycest honest men their neighbours he made foure thowsand footemen well armed and taught them to vse their pykes with both handes in steade of their dartes with one hande and to carie their targets with a good strong handle and not buckled with a leather thong Afterwardes he tooke order for the education of children and to restore the auncient LACONIAN discipline againe and did all these things in maner by the helpe of Sphaerus the Philosopher Insomuch as he had quickely set vp againe schoole houses for children and also brought them to the old order of dyet and all but a very fewe without compulsion were willing to fall to their old institucion of life Then bicause the name of one king should not offend any man he made his brother Euclidas king with him But this was the first time that euer the two kings were of one house but then Furthermore vnderstanding that the ACHAIANS and Aratus were of opinion that he durst not come out of LACEDAEMON for feare to leaue it in perill of reuolting bicause of the late chaunge and alteracion in the common wealth he thought it an honorable attempt of him to make his enemies see the readines and good will of his armie Thereupon he inuaded the territories of the MEGALOPOLITANS and brought away a great praye and booty after he had done great hurt vnto his enemies Then hauing taken certaine players
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
place where notwithstanding they had much a doe to make it burne Tiberius seeing that to make the common people mutyne the more he put on mourning apparell and brought his sonnes before them and besought the people to be good vnto them and their mother as one that dispayred of his health and safetie About that tyme dyed Attalus surnamed Philopater and Eudemus PERGAMENIAN brought his will to ROME in the which he made the people of ROME his heires Wherefore Tiberius still to encrease the good wil of the common people towards him preferred a law immediatly that the ready money that came by the inheritaunce of this king should bee distributed amonge the poore Citizens on whose lot it should fall to haue any parte of the diuision of the landes of the common wealth to furnishe them towardes house and to set vppe their tillage Furthermore he sayd that concerning the townes and cities of the kingdome of Attalus the Senate had nothing to doe to take any order with them but that the people were to dispose of them and that he him selfe would put it out That made him againe more hated of the Senate then before insomuch as there was one Pompey a Senator that standing vp sayde that he was next neighbour vnto Tiberius and that by reason of his neighbourhed he knew that Eudemus PERGAMENIAN had giuen him one of king Attalus royall bands with a purple gowne besides for a token that he should one day be king of ROME And Quintus Metellus also reproued him for that his father being Censor the ROMANES hauing supped in the towne and repayring euery man home to his house they did put out their torches and lights bicause men seeing them returne they should not thinke they taryed too long in companie bancketing and that in contrary maner the seditious and needy rabble of the common people did light his sonne home and accompany him all night long vp and downe the towne At that tyme there was one Tiberius Annius a man that had no goodnes nor honestie in him howbeit taken for a great reasoner and for a suttell questioner and aunswerer He prouoked Tiberius to aunswer him whether he had not committed a shamefull facte to his companion and brother Tribune to defame him that by the lawes of ROME should haue bene holy vntouched The people tooke this prouocation very angrily and Tiberius also comming out and hauing assembled the people commaunded them to bringe this Annius before him that he might be endyted in the market place But he finding him selfe farre inferior vnto Tiberius both in dignitie and eloquence ranne to his fine suttill questions to take a man at his worde and prayed Tiberius before he did proceede to his accusation that he would first aunswer him to a question he would aske him Tiberius bad him saye what he would So silence being made Annius asked him if thou wouldest defame me and offer me iniurie and that I called one of thy companions to helpe me and he should ryse to take my parte and anger thee wouldest thou therefore put him out of his office It is reported that Tiberius was so grauelled with this question that though he was one of the readiest speakers and the boldest in his orations of any man yet at that tyme he held his peace and had no power to speake and therefore he presently dismissed the assemblie Afterwards vnderstanding that of al the things he did the deposing of Octauius from his office was thought not onely of the nobilitie but of the common people also as fowle and wilfull a parte as euer he played for that thereby he had imbased and vtterly ouerthrowen the dignitie of the Tribunes the which was alwayes had in great veneration vntill that present tyme to excuse him selfe therefore he made an excellent oration to the people whereby shall appeare vnto you some special poyntes thereof to discerne the better the force and effect of his eloquence The Tribuneship sayd he in deede was a holy and sacred thing as perticularly consecrated to the people and established for their benefit and safetie Where contrariwise if the Tribune doe offer the people any wronge he thereby minisheth their power and taketh away the meanes from them to declare their wills by voyces besides that he doth also imbase his owne authoritie leauing to doe the thing for the which his authority first was giuen him Or otherwise we could not choose but suffer a Tribune if it pleased him to ouerthrow the Capitoll or to set fire on the arsenall and yet notwithstanding this wicked part if it were committed he should be Tribune of the people still though a lewde Tribune But when he goeth about to take away the authoritie and power of the people then he is no more a Tribune Were not this against all reason thinke you that a Tribune when he list may take a Consul and commit him to prison and that the people should not withstand the authoritie of the Tribune who gaue him the same when he would vse his authoritie to the preiudice of the people for the people are they that doe choose both Consul and Tribune Furthermore the kingly dignitie bicause in the same is conteyned the absolute authoritie and power of all other kindes of Magistrates and offices together is consecrated with very great and holy ceremonies drawing very neare vnto the godhed and yet the people expulsed king Tarquin bicause he vsed his authoritie with crueltie and for the iniurie he offered one man onely the most auncient rule and gouernment by the which the foundacion of ROME was first layed was vtterly abolished And who is there in all the citie of ROME to be reckoned so holy as the Vestall Nunnes which haue the custodie and keeping of the euerlasting fire and yet if any of these be taken in fornication she is buried aliue for her offence for when they are not holy to the goddes they lose the libertie they haue in respect of seruing the goddes Euen so also it is vnmeete that the Tribune if he offend the people should for the peoples sake be reuerenced any more Seeing that through his owne folly he hath depriued him selfe of that authoritie they gaue him And if it be so that he was chosen Tribune by the most parte of the trybes of the people then by greater reason is he iustly depriued that by all the whole trybes together is forsaken and deposed There is nothing more holy nor inuiolate then thinges offered vp vnto the goddes and yet it was neuer seene that any man did forbid the people to take them to remoue and transport them from place to place as they thought good Euen so they may as lawfully transferre the office of the Tribune vnto any other as any other offring consecrated to the goddes Furthermore it is manifest that any Officer or Magistrate may lawfully depose him selfe For it hath bene often seene that men in office haue depriued them selues or otherwise haue
was any as well for the great fame of the Orators that pleaded in emulacion one of the other as also for the worthines of the Iudges that gaue sentence thereof who did not leaue Demosthenes to his enemies although in deede they were of greater power then he and were also supported with the fauor and good will of the MACEDONIANS but they did notwithstanding so well quit him that AEschines had not so muche as the fift parte of mens voyces and opinions in his behalfe Wherefore immediatly after sentence geuen he went out of ATHENS for shame and trauelled into the contrie of IONIA and vnto the RHODES where he did teache Rethoricke Shortly after Harpalus flying out of Alexanders seruice came vnto ATHENS being to be charged with many fowle matters he had committed by his exceeding prodigalitie and also bicause he feared Alexanders furie who was growen seuere and cruell vnto his chiefest seruauntes He comming now amongest the ATHENIANS with store of gold and siluer the Orators being greedie and desirous of the golde and siluer he had brought beganne straight to speake for him and did counsell the people to receiue protect a poore suter that came to them for succour But Demosthenes gaue counsell to the contrarie and bad them rather driue him out of the citie and take heede they brought not warres apon their backes for a matter that not onely was not necessarie but furthermore meerely vniust But within fewe daies after inuentory being taken of all Harpalus goods he perceiuing that Demosthenes tooke great pleasure to see a cuppe of the kings and considered verie curiously the facion workemanshippe vpon it he gaue it him in his hand to iudge what it weyed Demosthenes peasing it wondered at the great weight of it it was so heauie so he asked how many pownd weight it weyed Harpalus smiling answered him it will wey thee twentie talents So when night was come he sent him the cuppe with the twentie talentes This Harpalus was a verie wise man and found straight by Demosthenes countenaunce that he loued money and coulde presently iudge his nature by seeing his pleasaunt countenaunce and his eyes still vpon the cuppe So Demosthenes refused not his gift and being ouercomen withall as if he had receiued a garrison into his house he tooke Harpalus parte The next morning he went into the assemblie of the poople hauing his necke bound vp with wolle and rolles So when they called him by his name to steppe vp into the pulpit to speake to the people as he had done before he made a signe with his head that he had an impediment in his voyce that he could not speake But wise men laughing at his fine excuse tolde him it was no sinanche that had stopped his wesill that night as he would make them beleue but it was Harpalus argentsynanche which he had receiued that made him in that case Afterwardes when the people vnderstoode that he was corrupted Demosthenes going about to excuse him selfe they would not abide to heare him but made a noyse and exclamation against him Thereuppon there rose vp a pleasaunt conceited man that sayd why my maisters do ye refuse to heare a man that hath such a golden tongue The people thereuppon did immediatly banishe Harpalus and fearing least king Alexander would require an accompt of the gold and siluer which the Orators had robbed and pilfred away among them they made very diligent searche and inquirie in euery mans house excepting Callicles house the sonne of Arrenidas whose house they would haue searched by no meanes bicause he was but newly maried and had his newe spowse in his house as Theopompus wryteth Nowe Demosthenes desiring to shewe that he was in fault preferred a decree that the court of the Areopagites should heare the matter and punish them that were found faultie and therewithall straight offered him selfe to be tried Howbeit he was one of the first whom the court condemned in the summe of fiftie talents and for lacke of payment they put him in prison where he could not endure long both for the shame of the matter for the which he was condemned as also for his sickely body So he brake prison partely without the priuitie of his keepers and partely also with their consent for they were willing he should make a scape Some doe report that he fled not farre from the citie where it was told him that certaine of his enemies followed him whereuppon he would haue hidden him selfe from them But they them selues first called him by his name and comming to him prayed him to take money of them which they had brought him from their houses to helpe him in his banishment and that therefore they ran after him Then they did comfort him the best they could perswaded him to be of good cheere not to dispaire for the misfortune that was comen vnto him This did pearce his hart the more for sorow that he aunswered them why would you not haue me be sorie for my misfortune that compelleth me to forsake the citie where in deede I haue so curteous enemies that it is hard for me to finde any where so good frends So he tooke his banishment vnmanly and remained the most parte of his banishment in the citie of AEGINA or at the citie of TROEZEN where oftentimes he would cast his eyes towards the contrie of ATTICA and weepe bitterly And some haue written certeine words he spake which shewed no minde of a man of corage nor were aunswerable to the noble thinges he was wont to perswade in his Orations For it is reported of him that as he went out of ATHENS he looked backe againe and holding vp his handes to the castell sayd in this sorte O Ladie Minerua Ladie patronesse of this city why doest thou delight in three so mischieuous beastes the owle the draggon and the people Besides he perswaded the young men that came to see him and that were with him neuer to meddle in matters of state assuring them that if they had offred him two wayes at the first the one to goe into the assembly of the people to make Orations in the pulpit and the other to be put to death presently and that he had knowen as he did then the troubles a man is compelled to suffer that medleth with the affaires of the state the feare the enuie the accusacions and troubles in the same he would rather haue chosen the way to haue suffered death So Demosthenes continuing in his exile king Alexander dyed and all GRAECE was vp againe insomuch as Leosthenes being a man of great valure had shut vp Antipater in the citie of LAMBA and there kept him straightly besieged Then Phytheas and Callimedon surnamed Carabos two Orators and both of them banished from ATHENS they tooke parte with Antipater and went from towne to towne with his Ambassadors and frendes perswading the GRAECIANS not to sturre neither to take parte
both when they feared not restoring both when they hoped not But also in their ende there was no great difference th one brought to his death by his mortal enemies the others fortune not much vnlike But now to our historie Antigonus had two sonnes by his wife 〈…〉 the daughter of Corraus the one of them he named Demetrius and the other Philip after his fathers name Thus farre the most wryters doe agree howbeit some holde opinion that Demetrius was not the sonne of Antigonus but his Nephewe But bicause his father dyed leauing him a childe and that his mother was straight maried againe vnto Antigonus thereuppon came the reporte that he was Antigonus sonne Howsoeuer it was Philip that was not much younger then Demetrius dyed Now for Demetrius though he was a verie bigge man he was nothing so high as his father but yet so passing and wonderfull fayer that no painter could possibly draw his picture and counterfeat to his likenes For they saw a sweete countenance mixed with a kinde of grauetie in his face a feare with curtesie and an incomparable Princely maiestie accompanied with a liuely spirit and youth and his wit and manners were such that they were both fearefull and pleasaunt vnto men that frequented him For as he was most pleasaunt in company hauing leasure and most geuen to banketing pleasaunt life and more wantonly geuen to follow any lust and pleasure than any king that euer was yet was he alwayes very carefull diligent in dispatching matters of importance And therefore he maruelously commended and also endeuoured to follow Dionysius as much to say as Bacchus aboue all the other goddes as he that had bene a wise and valiant Captaine in warre and that in peace inuented and vsed all the pleasure that might be He maruelously loued and reuerenced his father and it seemeth that the dutiefulnes he shewed vnto his mother was more to discharge the due obedience dutie of a sonne than otherwise to enterteine his father for feare of his power or hope to be his heire And for proofe hereof we read that one day as he came home from hunting he went vnto his father Antigonus geuing audience to certain Ambassadors and after he had done his duetie to him and kissed him he sate downe by him euen as he came from hunting hauing his dartes in his hande which he caried out a hunting with him Then Antigonus calling the Ambassadors alowde as they went their way hauing receiued their aunswere my Lords sayd he you shall carie home this reporte of my sonne and me be witnesses I pray you how we liue one with an other As meaning to shewe thereby that the agreement betwext the father and the sonne together is a great safetie to the affaires of a king as also a manifest proofe of his greatnes so gealous is a king to haue a companion besides the hate and mistrust it should breede So that the greatest Prince and most auncientest of all the successors of Alexander boasted that he stoode not in feare of his sonne but did suffer him to sitte by him hauing a dart in his hand So was this house onely of all other the MACEDONIAN kinges least defiled with suche villanie many successions after and to confesse a troth in all Antigonus rase there was not one but Philip onely that slue his owne sonne But we haue many examples of diuers other houses of kinges that haue put their sonnes wiues and mothers to death and for their brethren it was an ordinarie thing with them to kill them and neuer sticke at it For like as Geometricians would haue men graunt them certaine proposicions which they suppose without proofe euen so was this holden for a generall rule to kill their brethren for the safetie of their estate But further to shewe you more plainly that Demetrius was of a noble and curteous nature and that he dearely loued his frendes we may alleage this example Mithridates the sonne of Ariobarzanes was his familiar frend and companion for they were both in maner of an age and he commonly followed Antigonus courte and neuer practised any villanie or treason to him neither was he thought such a man yet Antigonus did somewhat suspect him bicause of a dreame he had He thought that being in a goodly great fielde he sowed of these scrapinges of gold and that of the seede first of all came vp goodly wheate which had eares of gold howbeit that shortly after returning that way againe he found nothing but the straw and the eares of the wheate cut of and that he being angrie and verie sorie for it some tolde him that Mithridates bad cut of these golde eares of wheate and had caried them with him into the realme of PONY Antigonus being maruelosly troubled with this dreame after he had made his sonne sweare vnto him that he would make no man aliue priuy to that he would tell him he told him all his dreame what he had dreamed and therewith that he was determined to put this young man Mithridates to death Demetrius was maruelous sory for it and therefore the next morning this young noble Prince going as he was wont to passe the time away with Mithridates he durst not by word of mouth vtter that he knew bicause of his othe howbeit taking him aside form his other familliers when they were both together by them selues he wrote on the ground with the end of his dart Mithridates loking on him flie Mithridates Mithridates found straight what he ment and fled the very same night into CAPPADOCIA and shortly after it was his destinie to fulfill Antigonus dreame For he conquered many goodly contries and it was he onely that established the house of the kingdom of PONI the which the ROMANES afterwardes ouerthewe about the eight succession By these examples we may easily coniecture the good nature and cortesie of Demetrius For like as the elements according to Empedocles opinion are euer at strife together but specially those that are nearest eache to other euen so though all the successors of Alexander were at continuall warres together yet was it foonest kindled and most cruell betwene them which bordered nearest vnto eche other and that by being neare neighbours had alwaies occasion of brawle together as sell out at that time betwene Antigonus and Ptolomy This Antigonus lay most commonly in the contry of PHRYGIA who hauing intelligence that Ptolomy was gone into CYPRVS and that he ouerranne all SYRIA winning by force or faier meanes all the townes and cities subiect vnto them he sent his sonne Demetrius thether beeing at that time but two and twenty yeares of age and it was the first time that euer he tooke charge as generall to his father in matters of great importance But he being a young man and that had no skill of warres fighting a battell with an olde souldier trained vp in the discipline of
shall heare The ROMANES by chaunce celebrated the feast called Lupercalia Caesar being apparelled in his triumphing robe was set in the Tribune where they vse to make their orations to the people and from thence did behold the sport of the runners The manner of this running was this On that day there are many young men of noble house and those specially that be chiefe Officers for that yeare who running naked vp downe the citie annointed with the oyle of olyue for pleasure do strike them they meete in their way with white leather thongs they haue in their hands Antonius being one amonge the rest that was to ronne leauing the auncient ceremonies old customes of that solemnitie he ranne to the Tribune where Caesar was set and caried a laurell crowne in his hand hauing a royall band or diademe wreathed about it which in old time was the auncient marke and token of a king When he was come to Caesar he made his fellow ronners with him lift him vp so he did put this laurell crowne vpon his head signifying thereby that he had deserued to be king But Caesar making as though he refused it turned away his heade The people were so reioyced at it that they all clapped their hands for ioy Antonius againe did put it on his head Caesar againe refused it and thus they were striuing of and on a great while together As oft as Antonius did put this laurell crowne vnto him a fewe of his followers reioyced at it as oft also as Caesar refused it all the people together clapped their hands And this was a wonderfull thing that they suffered all things subiects should doe by commaundement of their kings yet they could not abide the name of a king detesting it as the vtter destructiō of their liberty Caesar in a rage rose out of his seate and plucking downe the choller of his gowne from his necke he shewed it naked bidding any man strike of his head that would This laurel crowne was afterwards put vpō the head of one of Caesars statues or images the which one of the Tribunes pluckt of The people liked his doing therein so well that they wayted on him home to his house with great clapping of hands Howbeit Caesar did turne thē out of their offices for it This was a good incoragemēt for Brutus Cassius to conspire his death who fel into a cōfort with their trustiest friends to execute their enterprise but yet stood doubtful whether they should make Antonius priuy to it or not Al the rest liked of it sauing Trebonius only He told them that when they rode to meete Caesar at his returne out of SPAYNE Antonius he alwaies keping company lying together by the way he felt his mind a farre of but Antonius finding his meaning would harken no more vnto it yet notwithstanding neuer made Caesar acquainted with this talke but had faithfully kept it to him self After that they cōsulted whether they should kil Antonius with Caesar. But Brutus would in no wise consent to it saying that ventring on such an enterprise as that for the maintenāce of law iustice it ought to be clere from all villanie Yet they fearing Antonius power the authoritie of his office appointed certain of the cōspiracy that when Caesar were gone into the Senate and while others should execute their enterprise they should keepe Antonius in a talke out of the Senate house Euen as they had deuised these matters so were they executed and Caesar was slaine in the middest of the Senate Antonius being put in a feare withall cast a slaues gowne vpon him and hid him selfe But afterwards when it was told him that the murtherers slue no man els and that they went onely into the Capitoll he sent his sonne vnto them for a pledge bad them boldly come downe vpon his word The selfe same day he did bid Cassius to supper and Lepidus also bad Brutus The next morning the Senate was assembled Antonius him selfe preferred a lawe that all things past should be forgotten and that they should appoint prouinces vnto Cassius and Brutus the which the Senate confirmed and further ordeyned that they should cancell none of Caesars lawes Thus went Antonius out of the Senate more praysed and better esteemed then euer man was bicause it seemed to euery man that he had cut of all occasion of ciuill warres and that he had shewed him selfe a maruelous wise gouernor of the common wealth for the appeasing of these matters of so great waight importance But nowe the opinion he conceiued of him selfe after he had a litle felt the good will of the people towards him hoping thereby to make him selfe the chiefest man if he might ouercome Brutus did easily make him alter his first mind And therefore when Caesars body was brought to the place where it should be buried he made a funeral oration in cōmendacion of Caesar according to the auncient custom of praising noble men at their funerals When he saw that the people were very glad and desirous also to heare Caesar spoken of his praises vttered he mingled his oration with lamentable wordes and by amplifying of matters did greatly moue their harts and affections vnto pitie compassion In fine to conclude his oration he vnfolded before the whole assembly the bloudy garments of the dead thrust through in many places with their swords called the malefactors cruell cursed murtherers With these words he put the people into such a fury that they presently toke Caesars body burnt it in the market place with such tables fourmes as they could get together Then whē the fire was kindled they toke firebrands ran to the murtherers houses to set thē afire to make thē come out to fight Brutus therfore his accomplices for safety of their persons were driuē to fly the city Then came all Caesars friends vnto Antonius specially his wife Calpurnia putting her trust in him she brought the moste part of her money into his house which amounted to the summe of foure thowsand talents furthermore brought him al Caesars bokes writings in the which were his memorials of al that he had done ordeyned Antonius did daily mingle with them such as he thought good and by that meanes he created newe officers made newe Senators called home some that were banished and deliuered those that were prisoners and then he sayde that all those thinges were so appoynted and ordeyned by Caesar. Therefore the ROMANES mocking them that were so moued they called them CHARONITES bicause that when they were ouercome they had no other helpe but to saye that thus they were found in Caesars memorialls who had sayled in Charons boate and was departed Thus Antonius ruled absolutely also in all other matters bicause he was Consul and Caius one of his brethren Praetor and Lucius the other Tribune Now thinges remayning in
assembled in the market place about dispatch of some affaires got vp into the pulpit for Orations where the Orators commonly vse to speake vnto the people silence being made euerie man listning to heare what he would say bicause it was a wonder to see him in that place at length he began to speake in this maner My Lordes of ATHENS I haue a litle yard in my house where there groweth a figge tree on the which many citizens haue haÌ„ged them selues bicause I meane to make some building vpon the place I thought good to let you all vnderstand it that before the figge tree be cut downe if any of you be desperate you may there in time goe hang your selues He dyed in the citie of HALES and was buried vpon the sea side Nowe it chaunced so that the sea getting in it compassed his tombe rounde about that no man coulde come to it and vpon the same was wrytten this epitaphe Heere lyes a vvretched corse of vvretched soule bereft Seeke not my name a plague consume you vvicked vvretches left It is reported that Timon him selfe when he liued made this epitaphe for that which is commonly rehearsed was not his but made by the Poet Callimathus Heere lye I Timon vvho aliue all liuing men did hate Passe by and curse thy fill but passe and stay not here thy gate Many other things could we tell you of this Timon but this litle shall suffice at this present But now to returne to Antonius againe Canidius him selfe came to bring him newes that he had lost all his armie by land at ACTIVM On thother side he was aduertised also that Herodes king of IVRIE who had also certeine legions and bandes with him was reuolted vnto Caesar and all the other kings in like maner so that sauing those that were about him he had none left him All this notwithstanding did nothing trouble him and it seemed that he was contented to forgoe all his hope and so to be ridde of all his care and troubles Thereupon he left his solitarie house he had built in the sea which he called Timoneon and Cleopatra receiued him into her royall pallace He was no sooner comen thither but he straight set all the city of rioting and banketing againe and him selfe to liberalitie and giftes He caused the sonne of Iulius Caesar and Cleopatra to be enrolled according to the maner of the ROMANES amongest the number of young men gaue Antyllus his eldest sonne he had by Fuluia the mans gowne the which was a plaine gowne without gard or imbroderie of purple For these things there was kept great feasting banketing and dauncing in ALEXANDRIA many dayes together In deede they did breake their first order they had set downe which they called Amimetobion as much to say no life comparable did set vp an other which they called Synapothanumenon signifying the order and agreement of those that will dye together the which in exceeding sumptuousnes and cost was not inferior to the first For their frendes made them selues to be inrolled in this order of those that would dye together and so made great feastes one to an other for euerie man when it came to his turne feasted their whole companie and fraternitie Cleopatra in the meane time was verÃe carefull in gathering all sorts of poysons together to destroy men Now to make proofe of those poysons which made men dye with least paine she tried it vpon condemned men in prison For when she saw the poysons that were sodaine and vehement and brought speedy death with grieuous torments in contrary maner that suche as were more milde and gentle had not that quicke speede and force to make one dye sodainly she afterwardes went about to proue the stinging of snakes and adders and made some to be applied vnto men in her sight some in one sorte and some in an other So when she had dayly made diuers and sundrie proofes she found none of all them she had proued so fit as the biting of an Aspicke the which only causeth a heauines of the head without swounding or complaining and bringeth a great desire also to sleepe with a litle swet in the face and so by litle and litle taketh away the sences and vitall powers no liuing creature perceiuing that the pacientes feele any paine For they are so sorie when any bodie waketh them and taketh them vp as those that being taken out of a sound sleepe are very heauy and desirous to sleepe This notwithstanding they sent Ambassadors vnto Octauius Caesar in ASIA Cleopatra requesting the realme of AEGYPT for her children and Antonius praying that he might be suffered to liue at ATHENS like a priuate man if Caesar would not let him remaine in AEGYPT And bicause they had no other men of estimacion about them for that some were fledde and those that remained they did not greatly trust them they were inforced to sende Euphronius the schoolemaister of their children For Alexas LAODICIAN who was brought into Antonius house and fauor by meanes of Timagenes and afterwards was in greater credit with him then any other GRECIAN for that he had alway bene one of Cleopatraes ministers to win Antonius and to ouerthrow all his good determinations to vse his wife Octauia well him Antonius had sent vnto Herodes king of IVRIE hoping still to keepe him his frend that he should not reuolt from him But he remained there and betrayed Antonius For where he should haue kept Herodes from reuolting from him he perswaded him to turne to Caesar trusting king Herodes he presumed to come in Caesars presence Howbeit Herodes did him no pleasure for he was presently taken prisoner and sent in chaines to his owne contrie there by Caesars commaundement put to death Thus was Alexas in Antonius life time put to death for betraying of him Furthermore Caesar would not graunt vnto Antonius requests but for Cleopatra he made her aunswere that he woulde deny her nothing reasonable so that she would either put Antonius to death or driue him out of her contrie Therewithall he sent Thyreus one of his men vnto her a verie wise and discreete man who bringing letters of credit from a young Lorde vnto a noble Ladie and that besides greatly liked her beawtie might easely by his eloquence haue perswaded her He was longer in talke with her then any man else was and the Queene her selfe also did him great honor insomuch as he made Antonius gealous of him Whereupon Antonius caused him to be taken and well fauoredly whipped and so sent him vnto Caesar and bad him tell him that he made him angrie with him bicause he shewed him selfe prowde and disdainfull towards him and now specially when he was easie to be angered by reason of his present miserie To be short if this mislike thee said he thou hast Hipparchus one of my infranchised bondmen with thee hang him if thou wilt or
kill him a thing so damnable wicked and cruell of it selfe that he hardlie deserued to haue bene pardoned though he had killed Cicero to haue saued his Vncles life Nowe where they falsefied and brake their othes the one making Artabazus prisoner and the other killing of Alexander Antonius out of doubt had best cause and iustest colour For Artabazus had betrayed him and forsaken him in MEDIA But Demetrius as diuers doe reporte deuised a false matter to accuse Alexander to cloke the murther he had committed and some thinke he did accuse him to whom he him selfe had done iniurie vnto and was not reuenged of him that woulde doe him iniurie Furthermore Demetrius him selfe did many noble feates in warre as we haue recited of him before and contrarilie Antonius when he was not there in person wanne many famous and great victories by his Lieutenauntes and they were both ouerthrowen being personallie in battell but yet not both after one sorte For the one was forsaken of his men being MACEDONIANS and the other contrarily forsooke his that were ROMANES for he fled left them that ventred their liues for his honor So that the fault the one did was that he made them his enemies that fought for him and the fault in the other that he so beastlie left them that loued him best and were most faithfull to him And for their deathes a man can not praise the one not the other but yet Demetrius death the more reproachefull For he suffered him selfe to be taken prisoner and when he was sent away to be kept in a straunge place he had the hart to liue yet three yeare longer to serue his mouth and bellie as brute beastes doe Antonius on the other side slue him selfe to confesse a troth cowardly and miserably to his great paine and griefe and yet was it before his bodie came into his enemies hands THE LIFE OF Artaxerxes ARtaxerxes the first of this name of all the kinges of PERSIA a noble and curteous Prince as any of all his house was surnamed long hand bicause his right hand was longer then his left and he was the sonne of king Xerxes But the seconde whose life we presentlie intend to wryte was surnamed Mnemon as muche to say great memorie and he was the sonne of the daughter of the first Artaxerxes For king Darius and his wife Parysatis had foure sonnes of the which the eldest was this Artaxerxes the seconde Cyrus and two other younger Ostanes and Oxathres Cyrus from the beginning bare the name of the former auncient Cyrus which in the PERSIAN tongue signifieth the sunne But Artaxerxes was called before Arsicas although Dinon wryteth that he was called Oarses Howebeit it is vnlikelie that Ctesias although his bookes otherwise be full of fables and as vntrue as they are founde should forget the name of the Prince with whom he dwelt whom he serued and continuallie followed both him his wife and children Cyrus from his cradell was of a hotte sturring minde and Artaxerxes in contrarie manner more mylde and gentle in all his actions and doinges He was maried to a verie fayer Ladie by his father and mothers commaundement afterwards kept her against their wills being forbidden by them For king Darius his father hauing put his sonnes wiues brother to death he woulde also haue put her to death but her husband with teares made suche humble sute to his mother for her that with muche a doe he did not onely gette pardon for her life but graunt also that she shoulde not be put from him This notwithstanding his mother alwayes loued Cyrus better then him and praied that he might be king after his fathers death Wherefore Cyrus being in his prouinces of ASIA by the sea side when he was sent for to come to the Court at what time his father lay sicke of the disease he dyed he went thither in good hope his mother had preuailed with his father that in his will he would make him his heire of the realme of PERSIA For his mother Parysatis alleaged a matter very probable and the which in old time did helpe king Xerxes in the like case through Demaratus counsell She said that Arsicas was borne before her husband Darius was king Cyrus after he was crowned king All this could not preuaile For her eldest sonne Arsicas surnamed Artaxerxes was assigned king of PERSIA Cyrus gouernor of LYDIA and the kings Lieutenant generall of all the low contries of ASIA toward the sea side Shortly after king Darius death the new king Artaxerxes went vnto Pasargades there to be consecrated and annoynted king by the Priestes of the contrie of PERSIA The place of this Pasargades is a temple dedicated vnto Minerus the goddesse of battells as I take it where the newe king must be consecrated and when he commeth into the temple he putteth of his gowne and putteth on that which the old auncient Cyrus ware before he was king Furthermore he must eate of a certaine tart or fricacie made of figges with turpentine and then he must drinke a drinke made with vineger and milke There are also certeine other secret ceremonies which they must keepe and none doe know but the verie Priestes them selues Now Artaxerxes being readie to enter into all these ceremonies Tisaphernes came vnto him brought him one of the Priestes that had bene Cyrus schoolemaister in his youth and had taught him magicke who by reason shoulde haue bene more offended then any man else for that he was not appointed king And this was the cause why they beleued him the better when he accused Cyrus For he layd that Cyrus had conspired treason against the king his brothers owne person that he ment traiterously to kill him in the temple when he should put of his gowne Some doe reporte that Cyrus was apprehended vpon this simple accusacion by word of mouth Others write also that Cyrus came into the temple and hiding him selfe he was taken with the maner and bewraied by the priest So as he going to suffer death his mother tooke Cyrus in her armes and wounde the heare of her heade about his necke and tyed him straightly to her and withall she wept so bitterly and made suche pitiefull mone vnto the king her sonne that through her intercession the king graunted him his life sent him againe into his contrie and gouernment But this satisfied not Cyrus neither did he so muche remember the king his brothers fauor vnto him in graunting him his life as he did the despite he had offred him to be made prisoner Insomuch that for this grudge and euill will he euer after had a greater desire then before to be king Some wryters alleage that he entred into actuall rebellion against his brother by force of armes bicause he had not sufficient reuenue to defray the ordinary expence of his house howbeit it is a meere folly to say so For though he had
bicause he knew her cruel reuēging mind that neuer pardoned any against whō she conceiued any grudge The king therefore to know the troth when his wife Statira was dead apprehended all his mothers houshold seruaunts officers did put them to torments to make them confesse the troth sauing Gigis whome Queene mother kept close in her chamber a long time would neuer suffer the king to haue her who earnestly requested her to deliuer her vnto him Notwithstanding Gigis her selfe at length prayed Quene mother to giue her leaue one night to go home to her house The king vnderstanding it layed waite for her and intercepted her by the way and when she was taken he condemned her to suffer the paynes of death ordeyned for poysoners the which in PERSIA is executed in this manner They make them put their head vpon a great plaine stone and with an other stone they presse and strike it so long till they haue dashed the braynes of the malefactor out of their head After this sort was Gigis put to death Now for Parysatis his mother the king did her no other hurt nor sayd no more vnto her but confined her vnto BABYLON according to her desire sware that whilest she liued he would neuer see BABYLON In this state stoode the affaires of the king But now Artaxerxes hauing done the vtmost he could to haue ouercomen the GRAECIANS which came to make warre with him in the hart of his Realme and would haue bene as glad of that as he was to haue ouercome Cyrus to keepe his crowne Realme he could neuer preuaile against them For though they had lost Cyrus that gaue them enterteinment all their priuate Captaines that led them they saued them selues notwithstanding being in the hart of his Realme and shewed the PERSIANS by experience that all their doings was nothing but gold siluer curiositie fayer women otherwise nothing but pompe vanity Hereuppon al the GRAECIANS became couragious despised the barbarous people insomuch that the LACEDAEMONIANS thought it a great shame dishonor vnto them if they did not deliuer the GRAECIANS that dwelt in ASIA from the slauery bōdage of the PERSIANS kept them from the open violence cruelty of the barbarous people For they hauing at other times attempted to doe it by their Captaine Thimbron afterwards also by Dercyllidas whom they sent thither with an army hauing done nothing worthy memory at lēgth they determined to send their king Agesilaus thither in person who passing through ASIA with his shipps began presently to make hot warre against the PERSIANS as soone as euer he had landed his army For at the first cōglict he ouerthrew Tisaphernes the king of PERSIAES Lieuetenant in battel and made the most part of the cities of GRAECE that are in ASIA to rebel against him Artaxerxes loking into this warre wisely cōsidering what way meanes he was to take to make warre with the GRAECIANS he sent into GRAECE one Hermocrates a RHODIAN of great credit about him with a maruelous sūme of gold siluer bountifully to bestow in gifts among the nobilitie chiefe rulers of the cities of GRAECE to make all the other GRAECIANS to rise against the LACEDAEMONIANS Hermocrates wisely executed his cōmission for he made the chiefest cities of GRAECE to rebel against LACEDAEMON so that all PELOPONNESVS being vp in armes and in great garboyle the Ephori at LACEDAEMON were inforced to send for Agesilaus home again Agesilaus being sory to depart out of ASIA said vnto his friends that the king of PERSIA had driuen him out of his Realme with thirty thowsand archers bicause that the PERSIAN coyne is stāped with an archer hauing a bow in his hand Artaxerxes also draue the LACEDAEMONIANS out of all their iurisdiction by sea by the meanes of Conon general of the ATHENIANS whō Pharnabazus one of his Lieuetenant had wonne to take his part For Conon after he was ouerthrowen in battel at a place called the goates riuer kept euer after in the I le of CYPRVS not so much for the safetie of his person as also for that it was a mete place to stay in vntil the wars of GRAECE were appeased He knowing that the deuise he had in his head lacked power to put it in execution on the contrary side that the power of the king lacked a man of deepe iudgemēt to be imployed he wrote letters vnto him of his deuise what he thought to doe straightly charging him whom he deliuered his letters vnto that if he could possibly he should cause the same to be deliuered vnto the king by Zenon the CRETAN one of the kings dauncers or by one Polycritus his Phisition born in the city of MENDE in both their absences then to giue it vnto Ctesias to deliuer vnto the king It chaunced so that this letter came to the hands of Ctesias who as it is reported added moreouer vnto the cōtents of the letter that the king should send him vnto Conon bicause he was a necessary man to be employed in his seruice but specially by sea Ctesias sayth not so but writeth that the king of his owne voluntary motion gaue him this charge Now after Artaxerxes had through the leading of Conon Pharnabazus won the battell by sea neare to the I le of GNIDVS that therby he had driuen all the LACEDAEMONIANS from their iurisdiction by sea all GRAECE had him in maruelous great estimation so that he gaue vnto the GRAECIANS with such cōditions as he would that so famous peace called Antalcidas peace This Antalcidas was a citizē of SPARTA the sonne of one Leon who fauoring king Artaxerxes affaires procured by the treatie of this peace that the LACEDAEMONIANS left vnto Artaxerxes all the cities of GRAECE in ASIA all the Iles conteined in the same to enioy quietly making thē pay tribute at his pleasure This peace being cōcluded with the GRAECIANS if so shameful a treason reproch common infamy to all GRAECE may be called a peace as neuer warre fell out more dishonorable infamous for the vanquished king Artaxerxes that otherwise hated the LACEDAEMONIANS to the death that estemed thē as Dinon writeth the impudentest men liuing did notwithstanding loue Antalcidas passingly wel enterteined him very honorably when he came into PERSIA vnto him It is reported that the king one day tooke a garland of flowers did wet it with the most pretious sweetest oyle of perfume that was prepared for the feast sēt the same vnto Antalcidas insomuch as euery mā maruelled to see the kīg set so much by him In deed he was a mete than to follow the vanity curiositie of the PERSIANS had wel deserued such a garland to be sent him who was so bold to daunce a daunce before the PERSIANS mocking coūterfeating Leonidas Callicratidas two of the valliantest
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
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
third part of the world as they had done in AFRICK and EVROPE Antiochus perswaded by the authority of such a man straight commaunded Polyxenidas a very seruiceable man and skilfull in sea seruice that he should goe meete with the army of the ROMANES that was comming thither Then he sent Annibal into SYRIA to leauy a great number of shippes together and afterwards made him and Apollonius one of his fauored Courtiers generalls of this armye by sea who notwithstanding that Polyxenidas was put to the worst by the ROMANES they went and set vpon the RHODIANS that were confederats with them Annibal in this battell assayling Eudamus the Captaine of the RHODIANS that led the left wing he had already compassed in the Admirall galley and doubtles had obtayned the victorie but that the other wing came in to rescue after they had followed Apollonius in chase and tooke the victorie from him that was his owne After this battell by sea which had no great good successe we doe not find that Annibal did any thing worthy memorie For king Antiochus being ouercome besides other condicions the ROMANES offred him they desired that Annibal the mortall enemy of their contry should be deliuered vnto them Annibal foreseeing this long before he sodainely stale from Antiochus after this notable battell that was fought by MAGNESIA where the kings power was ouerthrowen So after Annibal had wandred vp and downe a long time he fled at length vnto Prusias king of BITHYNIA for succor Nowe he did not so much trust to his friendshippe but bicause he sought for the meetest place he coulde come by as also for the safest the which he most desired considering that the ROMANES had the most part of the sea and land in their subiection Some say that after king Antiochus was ouercome Annibal went into CRETA vnto the GORTYNIANS and that the rumor ranne immediatly he had brought a great masse of gold aud siluer with him Wherefore being affrayd least the CRETANS should offer him some violence he deuised this shifte to scape the daunger he filled earthen pots with lead gilt and sent them into the temple of Diana fayning that he was maruelous carefull for them as though all his treasure had bene there On the other side he had hid all his gold in images of brasse the which he had left caresly lying on the groūd in the house In the meane time whilest they watched the temple carefully that these earthen pots should not be caried away without their priuitie Annibal hoysed sayle and fled into BITHYNIA In BITHYNIA there is a village vpon the sea side which the contry men call LIBYSSA of the which by some mens saying there ranne an olde oracle and prophecy in this sort The land of Libyssa shall couer vnder movvlde The valliant corps of Annibal vvhen he is dead and colde There Annibal lay not spending his time idely but passing it away in exercising of the maryners riding of horses and trayning of his souldiers Some Authors also do write that at that time Prusias made warre with Eumenes who was a confederate and friend of the ROMANES and that he made Annibal his Lieutenant generall of his army by sea who assayling Eumenes with a new found and vnknowen deuise wanne the victory of the battell by sea For before they began to fight it is reported that Annibal had gotten an infinite number of snakes into earthen pots and when the battel was begonne and they busily tending their fight he threw those pots with snakes into the enemies shippes and that by this fearefull and straunge deuise he made them flie Now whether this was true or not the olde chronicles do make no manner of mention but onely AEmylius and Trogus And therefore I report me to the Authors So the newes of the dissention betwixt these two kings Prusias and Eumenes being brought to ROME the Senate sent T. Q. Flaminius Ambassador into ASIA whose name was famous for the noble victories he had obtayned in GRAECE to the ende as I coniecture to make peace betwixt these two kings Flaminius being come vnto king Prusias he was maruelously offended and sory in his mind to see Annibal yet aliue that was the mortallest enemy of the ROMANES after the cōquests of so many nations the sacking of so many people therfore he was very earnestly in hand with king Prusias to deliuer him Annibal Annibal from the first beginning mistrusted king Prusias inconstancye very much and therefore had digged diuers vaults in his house and made seuen seuerall vents to flie out at if he were sodainely taken The report of Flaminius cōming did encrease his suspition the more for that he thought him the greatest enemy he had in ROME both generally for the hate he bate vnto all the ROMANES as also perticularly for the remembraunce of his father Flaminius that was slayne in the battell fought by the lake of Thrasymene So Annibal being full of care and griefe as it is reported he found deuises to escape the which stood him to no purpose against such a great power For when the kings gard which were sent to take him had cōpassed his house about Annibal thought to flie at their first comming and to saue him selfe by the secretest vault he had But when he found that the place was kept by the gard then he determined to rid him selfe out of the ROMANES handes by destroying him selfe So some doe report that he was strangled by one of his men whome he had commaunded to helpe to dispatche him Others write againe that he had droncke bulles bloud and when he had droncke it dyed as Clitarchus and Stratocles doe falsely report of Themistocles Howbeit Titus Liuius that famous Historiographer writeth that Annibal called for the poyson he had ready for such a mischiefe and that holding this deadly drinke in his hand before he dranke he sayd Come on let vs rid the ROMANES of this payne and care sith their spight and malice is so great to hasten the death of a poore old man that is halfe dead already The auncient ROMANES aduertised Pyrrhus king of the EPIROTES who came with enseignes displayed to the very walls of the citie of ROME that he should looke to him selfe and beware of poysoning and these ROMANES nowe doe make a friende forgetting his kingly state and faithfull promise vilely to betraye his poore ghest After he had sayd bitterly cursing king Prusias he poysoned him selfe being three score tenne yeare olde as some writers doe testifie His body was buried in a tombe of stone by LIBYSSA on the which was ingrauen no more but this Here lyeth Annibal The ROMANES beeing aduertised of his death euery man sayde his opinion as his fancye serued him Some greatly blamed T. Q. Flaminius crueltie who to make him selfe famous by some notable acte as he thought made a poore olde man put him selfe to death that was in manner half dead by age and besides was past doing the state