to laye a side their armes and to come and pleade their matter before them that the right might be decided but they refused it vtterly Wherefore Pericles went thither tooke awaye the gouernment of the small number of Nobilitie taking for ostages fiftie of the chiefest men of the cittie and so many children besides which he left to be kept in the I le of LEMNOS Some saye euery one of these ostages offered to geue him a talent and besides those many other offered him the like suche as would not haue the soueraine authoritie put into the handes of the people Moreouer Pissuthnes the PERSIAN lieutenant to the king of PERSIA for the good will he bare those of SAMOS dyd send Pericles tenne thousand crownes to release the ostages But Pericles neuer tooke pennie and hauing done that he determined at SAMOS and established a popular gouernment he returned againe to ATHENS Notwithstanding the SAMIANS rebelled immediatly after hauing recouered their ostages againe by meanes of this Pissuthnes that stale them awaye and dyd furnishe them also with all their munition of warre Whereupon Pericles returning against them once more he founde them not idle nor amazed at his coming but resolutely determined to receyue him and to fight for the seigniorie by sea So there was a great battell fought betwene them neere the I le of TRACIA And Pericles wanne the battell hauing with foure and fortie sayle only nobly ouercome his enemies which were three score tenne in number wherof twenty of them were shippes of warre And so following his victorie forthwith he wanne also the porte of SAMOS and kept the SAMIANS besieged within their owne cittie where they were yet so bolde as they would make falies out many times and fight before the walles of the cittie But when there arriued a newe supplie of shippes bringing a greater ayde vnto Pericles then were they shut vp of all sides Pericles then taking three score gallyes with him lanched out into the sea with intent as some saye to goe mete certen shippes of the PHOENICIANS that came to ayde the SAMIANS as farre from SAMOS as he could or as Stesimbrotus sayeth to goe into CYPRVS which me thinketh is not true But whatsoeuer was his intent he committed a foule fault For Melissus the sonne of Ithagenes a great philosopher being at that time generall of the SAMIANS perceyuing that sewe shippes were left behinde at the siege of the cittie and that the captaines also that had the charge of them were no very expert men of warre persuaded his citizens to make a salye vpon them Whereupon they fought a battell and the SAMIANS ouercame the ATHENIANS were taken prisoners and they suncke many of their shippes Nowe they being lordes againe of the sea dyd furnishe their cittie with all manner of munition for warres whereof before they had great want Yet Aristotle writeth that Pericles selfe was once ouercome in a battell by sea by Melissus Furthermore the SAMIANS to be euen with the ATHENIANS for the iniurie they had receyued of them before dyd brande them in the forehead with the stampe of an owle the owle being then the stampe of their coyne at ATHENS euen as the ATHENIANS had branded the SAMIAN prisoners before with the stāpe of Samaena This Samaena is a kynde of a shippe amongest the SAMIANS lowe afore and well layed out in the midde shippe so that it is excellent good to rise with the waues of the sea and is very swifte vnder sayle and it was so called bicause the first shippe that was made of this facion was made in the I le of SAMOS by the tyranne Polycrates It is sayed that the poet Aristophanes couertly conueying the stampe of the SAMIANS speaking merylie in a place of his comedies sayeth The Samians are great learned men Pericles being aduertised of the ouerthrowe of his armie returned presently to the rescue Melissus went to mete him and gaue him battell but he was ouerthrowen and driuen backe into his cittie where Pericles walled them in round about the cittie desiring victorie rather by time and charge then by daunger and losse of his souldiers But when he sawe that they were wearie with tract of time and that they would bring it to hazard of battell and that he could by no meanes withholde them he then deuided his armie into eight companies whom he made to drawe lots and that companie that lighted on the white beane they should be quiet make good cheere while the other seuen fought And they saye that from thence it came that when any haue made good cheere taken pleasure abroade they doe yet call it a white daye bicause of the white beane Ephorus the historiographer writeth that it was there where first of all they beganne to vse engines of warre to plucke down great walles and that Pericles vsed first this wonderfull inuention that Artemon an enginer was the first deuiser of them He was caried vp and downe in a chayer to set forward these workes bicause he had a lam◠legge and for this cause he was called Periphoretos But Heraclides Ponticus confuteth Ephorus therein by the verses of Anacreon in the which Artemon is called Periphoretos many yeres before this warre of SAMOS beganne sayeth that this Periphoretos was a maruelous tender man and so foolishly afeard of his owne shadowe that the most parte of his time he sturred not out of his house dyd sit allwayes hauing two of his men by him that held a copper target ouer his head for feare least any thing should fall vpon him And if vpon any occasion he were driuen to goe abroade out of his house he would be caried in a litle bed hanging neere the grounde for this cause he was surnamed Periphoretos At the last at nine moneths ende the SAMIANS were compelled to yeld So Pericles tooke the cittie rased their walles to the grounde he brought their shippes awaye and made them paye a maruelous great tribute whereof parte he receyued in hande the rest payable at a certen time taking ostages with him for assurance of payment But Duris the SAMIAN dilateth these matters maruelous pittiefully burdening the ATHENIANS and Pericles self with vnnaturall crueltie whereof neither Thucydides nor Ephorus nor Aristotle him selfe maketh mention And suer I cannot beleeue it is true that is writtē That he brought the captaines of the gallyes the souldiers them selues of SAMIA into the market place of the cittie of MILETVM where he made them to be bound fast vnto bordes for the space of tenne dayes at the ende of the same the poore men halfe dead were beaten downe with clubbes and their heads passhed in peces and afterwards they threw out their bodies to the crowes would not burie them So Duris being accustomed to ouerreach to lye many times in things nothing touching him seemeth in this place out of all reason to aggrauate
were priuie to the contentes of the same desired no other thing but his repaire thither These letters pretily quickned Fabius insomuch as he was determined one night to haue taken parte of his armie to haue gone to them But bicause the signes of the birdes dyd promise him no good successe he left of his purpose Sone after he vnderstoode they were counterfeate letters made by Hannibals fine deuise to haue drawen him out to haue intrapped him for whom him selfe laye in persone in ambushe neere the cittie looking and waiting for his comming but the goddes who would haue him saued were only to be thāked for his happy scape Furthermore concerning the reuolte of the citties that were subject vnto them and the rising of their allies friends against them Fabius thought it farre better to intreate them curteously making them ashamed without occasion to rebell against them rather then openly to suspect them and to deale straightly with those that were so to be suspected Now for this matter it is reported that Fabius had a souldier in his campe that was a MARSIAN borne by nation a valliant man of his persone also of as noble a house as any that were of all the allies of the ROMAINES who had practised with other his fellowes of the bande he serued in to goe serue the enemie Fabius hearing of this practise he went about gaue him no ill countenaunce for it but calling him to him he sayed I must confesse there is no reckoning made of you as your good seruice doth deserue wherefore for this time sayeth he I blame the pety captaines only which in such sorte doe bestowe their good will and fauour at aduenture and not by deserte But henceforth it shal be your owne faulte if you doe not declare your minde vnto me and betweene you and me make me priuie of your lacke necessitie When he had spoken these wordes to him he gaue him a very good horse for seruice and dyd rewarde him with other honorable giftes as men of good seruice desert haue commonly bestowed on them and this dyd so encorage the souldier thenceforth that he became a very faithfull and seruiceable souldier to the ROMAINES For Fabius thought it more fit that hunters riders of horses such like as take vpon them to tame brute beastes should sonner make them leaue their sauage churlishe nature by gentle vsage and manning of them then by beating and shackling of them And so a gouernour of men should rather correct his souldier by paciēce gentlenes and clemency then by rigour violence or seueritie Otherwise he should handle them more rudely and sharpely then husbandmen doe figge trees oliue trees wilde pomegarnets who by diligent pruning and good handling of them doe alter their harde and wilde nature cause them in the end to bring forth good figges oliues pomegarnets Another time certaine captaines of his brought him worde that there was one of their souldiers which would euer goe out of the cāpe leaue his ensigne He asked them what manner of man he was They aunswered him all together that he was a very good souldier and that they could hardly finde out suche another in all their bandes as he and therewithall they tolde him of some notable seruice they had seene him doe in persone Whereupon Fabius made a diligent enquierie to know what the cause was that made him goe so oft out of the campe in the end he founde he was in loue with a young woman and that to goe see her was the cause he dyd so ofte leaue his ensigne and dyd put his life in so great daunger for that she was so farre of When Fabius vnderstoode this he sent certaine souldiers vnknowing to the souldier to bring the woman awaye he loued and willed them to hyde her in his tente and then called he the souldier to him that was a LVCANIAN borne and taking him a side sayed vnto him thus My friend it hath bene tolde me how thou hast lyen many nightes out of the campe against the lawe of armes and order of the ROMAINES but therewithall I vnderstande also that otherwise thou art an honest man and therefore I pardone thy faultes paste in consideration of thy good seruice but from henceforth I will geue thee in custodie to such a one as shall make me accompt of thee The souldier was blancke when he heard these wordes Fabius with that caused the woman he was in loue with to be brought forth and deliuered her into his hands saying vnto him This woman hereafter shall aunswer me thy bodie to be forth comming in the campe amongest vs and from henceforth thy deedes shall witnesse for the reste that thy loue vnto this woman maye be no cloke of thy departing out of the campe for any wicked practise or intent Thus much we finde written concerning this matter Moreouer Fabius after suche a sorte recouered againe the cittie of TARENTVM and brought it to the obedience of the ROMAINES which they had lost by treason It fortuned there was a young man in his campe a TARENTINE borne that had a sister within TARENTVM which was very faithfull to him and loued him maruelous dearely now there was a captaine a BRVTIAN borne that fell in loue with her and was one of those to whom Hannibal had committed the charge of the cittie of TARENTVM This gaue the young souldier the TARENTINE very good hope and waye to bring his enterprise to good effect whereupon he reuealed his intent to Fabius and with his priuitie fled from his campe and got into the cittie of TARENTVM geuing it out in the cittie that he would altogether dwell with his sister Now for a fewe dayes at his first comming the BRVTIAN captaine laye alone by him selfe at the request of the mayde his sister who thought her brother had not knowen of her loue and shortely after the young fellowe tooke his sister aside and sayed vnto her My good sister there was a great speache in the ROMAINES campe that thou wert kept by one of the chiefest captaines of the garrison I praye thee if it be so let me knowe what he is For so he be a good fellowe and an honest man as they saye he is I care not for warres that turneth all things topsi turuey regardeth not of what place or calling he is of and still maketh vertue of necessitie without respect of shame And it is a speciall good fortune at such time as neither right nor reason rules to happen yet into the handes of a good and gratious lorde His sister hearing him speake these wordes sent for the BRVTIAN captaine to bring him acquainted with her brother who liked well of both their loues and indeuoured him self to frame his sisters loue in better sorte towards him then it was before by reason whereof the captaine also beganne to trust him very muche So this young TARENTINE sawe it was very easie to winne and
twelue fâ—â—long of ioyning with Octauius There in hast he had gotten a hall which was not so steepe for horsemen neither of such strength as the other hittes were called Siâ—â—â—ns yet vnder them and ioyning to them by along hill that tormeth alongest the plaine so as Octauius plainly saw the daunger Crassus was in There apon he first ran downe the hilles with a few of his men that followed him but after also come all the rest saying they were cowards and if they should cary behinde At their comming they gaue such a hot onset apon the PARTHIANS that they made them geue backe from that hill and compassing Crassus in the middest of them couering him rounde with their targets they spake nobly that neuer arrow of the PARTHIANS should touche the bodie of their Generall before they were slaine one after antother and that they had fought it out to the last man in his defence Hereupon Surena pâ—â—ociâ—ing the PARTHIANS were not so coragious as they were wont to be and that if might come vpon them and that the ROMANES did once recouer the hiâ— mountaines they could neuer possibly be neuer withall againe he thought cunningly to be guide Crassus once more by this deuise vse â—â— let certaine prisoners goe of purpose before whome he made his men 〈…〉 out this speeche That the king of PARTHIA would haue no mortal urge with the ROMANES but 〈…〉 se herâ—â—her desired their friendshippe by shewing them so 〈…〉 not as to vse Crassus very corteously And to gone coâ—lo 〈…〉 this 〈…〉 he called his 〈…〉 fight and going him selfe in person towardes Crassus with the chiefest of the 〈…〉 of his host in 〈…〉 his how 〈…〉 he held at this right hand and called Crassus talke with him of peace and sayd vnto him Though the ROMANES had felt the 〈…〉 it was against his will for he could do no lesse but defend him selfe very willing and desirous to make them cast of his mercie 〈…〉 and to 〈…〉 make peace with them and to let them goe safely where they would 〈…〉 Round 〈…〉 Crassus were glad of Surenaes wordes But Crassus that had bene 〈…〉 〈…〉 hâ—s and deuises considering also no cause apparant to make them 〈…〉 would not harden to it but first consulted with his frends He whithout 〈…〉 they tried out on him to goe and fell at wordes with him saying 〈…〉 and 〈…〉 though they were all slaine and that him selfe had noâ—â—he hart onely to come downe and talke with their enemies that were vnarmed Crassus proued first to pacifie them by fayer meanes perswading them to beare a litle pacience but till night which was at hande and then they might safely departe at their pleasure and recouer the mountaines and straight passages where their enemies could not follow them and pointing them the way with his finger he prayed them not to be faint harted nor to dispaire of their safety seeing they were so neere it But in the ende Crassus perceiuing they fell to mutiny and beating of their harnes did threaten him if he went not fearing then they would doe him some villany went towardes the enemy and comming backe a litle sayd onely these wordes O Octauius and you Petronius with all you ROMANE gentlemen that haue charge in this armie you all see now how against my will I am enforced to go to the place I would not can witnes with me how I am driuen with shame and force Yet I pray you if your fortunes be to escape this daunger that ye will report wheresoeuer you come that Crassus was slaine not deliuered vp by his one souldiers into the handes of the barbarous people as I am but deceiued by the frawde suttiltie of his enemies Octauius would not tary behind on the hill but went downe with Crassus but Crassus sent a way his officers that followed him The first that cameÌ„ from the PARTHIANS vnto Crassus were two mongrel GRACIANS who dismounting from their horse saluted him and prayed him to sende some of his men before and Surena would shewe them that both him selfe and his trayne came vnarmed towardes him Crassus thereto made them aunswer that if he had made any accompt of his life he would not haue put him selfe into their handes Notwithstanding he sent two brethren before called the ROSCIANS to knowe what number of men and to what ende they met so many together These two brethren came no sooner to Surena but they were stayed and him selfe in the meane time kept on-his way a horse backe with the noblest men of his army Now when Surena came neere to Crassus why how now quod he what meaneth this a Consull and Lieutenaunte generall of ROME a foote and we a horse backe Therewithall he straight commaunded one of his men to bring him a horse Crassus aunswered Surena againe In that they neither of both offended following the vse and maner of their contry when any meeting is made for treatie of peace Surena replied As for the treatie of peace that was already agreed apon betwene the king Hyrodes and the ROMANES howbeit that they were to goe to the riuer and there to set downe the articles in wryting For you ROMANES sayd he doe not greatly remember the capitulacions you haue agreed apon With those wordes he gaue him his right hand As Crassus was sending for a horse you shall not neede sayd Surena for looke the kinge doth present you this And straight one was brought him with a steeâ—â— saddle richly gilt apon the which his gentlemen mounted Crassus immediatly and following him behinde lashed his horse to make him runne the swifter Octauius seeing that first layed hand on the bridle then Petronius Colonell of a thowsand footemen and after them all the rest of the ROMANES also gathered about Crassus to stay the horse and to take him from them by force that pressed him on of eitherside So they thrust one at an other at the first very angrily and at the last fell to blowes Then Octauius drew out his sword and slue one of the barbarous noble mens horsekeepers and an other came behinde him and slue Octauius Petronius had no target and receiuing a blow on his curaces lighted from his horse and had no huâ—e and on the otherside came Pomaxathres one of the PARTHIANS and slue Crassus Some say notwithstanding that Pomaxathres slue him not but an other yet that he cut of his heade his hand after he fell dead to the ground But all these reportes are rather coniectures then any certainty For as for them that were there some of them were slaine in the field fighting for Crassus and other saued them selues by flying to the hill The PARTHIANS followed them and tolde them that Crassus had payed the paine he had deserued and for the rest that Surena bad them come downe with safetie Then some of them yeelded to their enemies and other dispersed them selues when night came and of them very
at the foote of a rocke with certaine of his Captaines and frends that followed him and looking vp to the firmanent that was full of starres sighing he rehearsed two verses of the which Volumnius wrote the one to this effect Let not the vvight from vvhom this mischiefe vvent O loue escape vvithout devv punishment And sayth that he had forgotten the other Within a litle while after naming his frendes that he had seene slaine in battell before his eyes he fetched a greater sigh then before specially when he came to name Labio and Flauius of the which the one was his Lieutenant and the other Captaine of the pioners of his campe In the meane time one of the companie being a thirst and seeing Brutus a thirst also he ranne to the riuer for water and brought it in his sallet At the selfe same time they heard a noyse on the other side of the riuer Whereupon Volumnius tooke Dardanus Brutus seruaunt with him to see what it was and returning straight againe asked if there were any water left Brutus smiling gentlie tolde them all was dronke but they shall bring you some more Thereuppon he sent him againe that went for water before who was in great daunger of being taken by the enemies and hardly scaped being sore hurt Furthermore Brutus thought that there was no great number of men slaine in battell and to know the trueth of it there was one called Statilius that promised to goe through his enemies for otherwise it was impossible to goe see their campe and from thence if all were well that he woulde lift vp a torche light in the ayer and then returne againe with speede to him The torche light was lift vp as he had promised for Statilius went thither Nowe Brutus seeing Statilius tarie long after that and that he came not againe he sayd if Statilius be aliue he will come againe But his euill fortune was suche that as he came backe he lighted in his enemies hands and was slaine Now the night being farre spent Brutus as he sate bowed towards Clitus one of his men and told him somwhat in his eare the other aunswered him not but fell a weeping Thereuppon he proued Dardanus and sayd somwhat also to him at length he came to Volumnius him selfe speaking to him in Graeke prayed him for the studies sake which brought them acquainted together that he woulde helpe him to put his hande to his sword to thrust it in him to kill him Volumnius denied his request and so did many others and amongest the rest one of them sayd there was no tarying for them there but that they must needes flie Then Brutus rising vp we must flie in deede sayd he but it must be with our hands not with our feete Then taking euery man by the hand he sayd these words vnto them with a cheerefull countenance It reioyceth my hart that not one of my frends hath failed me at my neede and I do not complaine of my fortune but only for my contries sake for as for me I thinke my selfe happier than they that haue ouercome considering that I leaue a perpetuall fame of our corage and manhoode the which our enemies the conquerors shall neuer attaine vnto by force nor money neither can let their posteritie to say that they being naughtie and vniust men haue slaine good men to vsurpe tyrannical power not pertaining to them Hauing sayd so he prayed euerie man to shift for them selues and then he went a litle aside with two or three only among the which Strato was one with whom he came first acquainted by the studie of Rethoricke He came as neere to him as he coulde and taking his sword by the hilts with both his hands falling downe vpon the poynt of it ran him selfe through Others say that not he but Strato at his request held the sword in his hand turned his head aside and that Brutus fell downe vpon it and so ranne him selfe through and dyed presently Messala that had bene Brutus great frend became afterwards Octauius Caesars frend So shortly after Caesar being at good leasure he brought Strato Brutus frende vnto him and weeping sayd Caesar beholde here is he that did the last seruice to my Brutus Caesar welcomed him at that time and afterwards he did him as faithfull seruice in all his affaires as any GRAECIAN els he had about him vntill the battell of ACTIVM It is reported also that this Messala him selfe aunswered Caesar one day when he gaue him great praise before his face that he had fought valliantlie and with great affection for him at the battell of ACTIVM notwithstanding that he had bene his cruell enemy before at the battell of PHILIPPES for Brutus sake I euer loued sayd he to take the best and iustest parte Now Antonius hauing found Brutus bodie he caused it to be wrapped vp in one of the richest cote armors he had Afterwards also Antonius vnderstanding that this cotearmor was stollen he put the theefe to death that had stollen it sent the ashes of his bodie vnto Seruilia his mother And for Porcia Brutus wife Nicolaus the Philosopher and Valerius Maximus doe wryte that she determining to kill her selfe her parents and frendes carefullie looking to her to kepe her from it tooke hotte burning coles and cast them into her mouth and kept her mouth so close that she choked her selfe There was a letter of Brutus found wrytten to his frendes complayning of their negligence that his wife being sicke they would not helpe her but suffred her to kill her selfe choosing to dye rather then to languish in paine Thus it appeareth that Nicolaus knewe not well that time sith the letter at the least if it were Brutus letter doth plainly declare the disease and loue of this Lady and also the maner of her death THE COMPARISON OF Dion with Brutus TO come nowe to compare these two noble personages together it is certaine that both of them hauing had great gifts in them specially Dion of small occasions they made them selues great men therfore Dion of both deserueth chiefest praise For he had no cohelper to bring him vnto that greatnesse as Brutus had of Cassius who doubtlesse was not comparable vnto Brutus for vertue and respect of honor though otherwise in matters of warre he was no lesse wise and valliant then he For many doe impute vnto Cassius the first beginning and originall of all the warre and enterprise and sayd it was he that did encourage Brutus to conspire Caesars death Where Dion furnished him selfe with armor shippes and souldiers and wanne those frendes and companions also that did helpe him to prosecute his warre Nor he did not as Brutus who rose to greatnesse by his enterprises and by warre got all his strength and riches But he in contrarie maner spent of his owne goods to make warre for the libertie of his contrie and disbursed of his
he leaue the chariot of triumphe and victorie and I will make thee see Aristratus willingly to come out of the table Aratus was contented to let him haue his will. Then Nealces defaced the picture of Aristratus and in place thereof drue onely a palme tree and durst adde nothing els to it of his owne deuise Some say that vnder the chariot were conueied Aristratus feete defaced So Aratus by meanes of these tables and pictures was maruelously well beloued of king Ptolomy But after that he was acquaynted with him and knew his conuersation he loued him then better then before Insomuch that he gaue him a hundred and fifty talents to helpe his citie withall of the which he caried forty away with him vnto PELOPONNESVS and the king afterwards sent him the rest at sundry tymes Nowe this was a meruelous matter of him to get such a masse of money together for his Citizens considering that the Orators Captaines and Gouernors of free cities for a litle summe of money onely which they haue taken of kings and Princes haue bene corrupted betrayed their townes and contry But this was a more wonder that by meanes of this money he made peace and loue betwixt the poore and riche and furthermore saued vpright all the people of SICYONE where he shewed him selfe maruelous wise and temperate being of that great power and authoritie he was For after they had chosen him Arbitrator to iudge compownd and absolutely to decyde all quarrells and strife betwene the banished men he would neuer vndertake it him selfe alone but tooke fifteene other of the chiefest Citizens with him and with them with great paynes and trouble at length he pacified all matters among his citizens and made them good friends one with another Therefore not onely all the inhabitants and Citizens of SICYONE together did not onely decree publike honor meete for him but also the banished men them selues did priuately cast his image in brasse and set it vp vnder the which they caused this inscription to be grauen Thy provvesse and thy feates of armes thy counsell sage and vvise Not onely are among the Greeks extolled to the skyes But also to the vtmost streyts of Marrok blovven by fame And vve that through thy goodnes home into our contry came Haue set this image vp to thee Aratus as a signe Of our deliuerance through thy loue and through the povvr diuine For thy good nature furthred by good fortune doth restore Vs contry lavves and libertie berest vs quite before Aratus hauing done all these thinges he suppressed the enuye of the Citizens through the great good turnes he had done vnto them But then king Antigonus being angry with Aratus in his mind and seeking either to make him his friend or to bring him to be mistrusted of Ptolomy he did him many other great curtesies Aratus neuer seeking them at his hands But one day specially aboue the rest as he did sacrifice vnto the gods at CORINTH he sent Aratus part of his weathers he had sacrificed vnto SICYONE And at the feast of his sacrifice in the hearing of many noble men that were bidden ghests he sayd openly of Aratus I did alway thinke that this young SICYONIAN could not but haue a liberall mind louing the libertie of his contry and contry men but I perceiue now he is a man that can iudge of Princes manners and affayres For heretofore he made no accompt of vs bicause his hope was out of this contry and he greatly esteemed the riches of AEGYPT hearing talke of so many Elephants of such a great fleete of shippes and of such a sumptuous Court as king Ptolomyes court But now that he knoweth by experience that it is onely but a smoke and vaine pompe he is come to vs for my part he is welcome to me I will haue you all to take him for my friend These words of king Antigonus were straight taken or bownd of certaine enuious men and caried for lacke of better matter vnto king Ptolomy euery man striuing who should write all the euill they could against him So that Ptolomy thereuppon sent a Messenger of purpose vnto him to reproue him for it Thus fell there out much enuy and malice betwene the earnest loue of these Princes and kings that contended with eche other who should haue Aratus Furthermore the first tyme that Aratus was chosen Lieuetenant generall of the trybe of the ACHAIANS he forraged and spoyled that contry of LOCRIDE which lyeth directly ouer against ACHAIA and CALYDONIA also Howbeit he came not tyme enough to ayde the BOâ—OTIANS in the battell which they lost before the citie of CHAERONEA against the AETOLIANS where Aboeocritus Gouernor of BOâ—OTIA was slayne in the field with a thowsand other BOEOTIANS Howbeit the next yeare following he being the second time chosen Lieuetenant generall he attempted to win the castell of CORINTH againe being an enterprise which not onely concerned the priuate benefit of SICYONE it selfe and the trybe of the ACHAIANS but also of all GRAECE besides For he was fully bent to driue the garrison of the MACEDONIANS thence the which seemed euen a very yoke that held all the GRAECIAN noses to the gryndstone For like as Chaeres Captaine of the ATHENIANS hauing in a certaine conflict discomfited the kings Lieuetenants wrote to the ATHENIANS that he had wonne a victory halfe sister to the victory of Marathon Euen so me thinkes it were no disgrace to say that this execution was like as one brother to another to the killing of the tyrants which was done by Pelopidas THEBAN and Thrasybulus ATHENIAN sauing that this last acte was more famous bicause it was not against GRAECIANS but against straungers and forreyn power and gouernment vpon whom it was executed For the Isthmus or barre of PELOPONNESVS which seperateth the sea AEgeun from the sea lonium doth come and ioyne the firme land of the rest of GRAECE with the PRESCHE an Iland of PELOPONNESVS Euen so likewise the Mountaine called Acrocorinthe on the which the castell standeth rising vp in the middest of GRAECE when there is any garrison of men of warre in it it cutteth of all traffike and passage by of any armies of them which inhabite within the straite from them that are without the straight both by sea and by land and maketh him onely Lorde of the contry that keepeth the castell So that it was not for sport but for truth and in good earnest that Philip the young king of MACEDON was wont to call the citie and castell of CORINTH the stockes and gyues of GRAECE And therefore was this castel maruelously wished and desired of euery man but specially of kings and Princes But the desire Antigonus had of it was so vehement that it differed nothing from the passions of a frantick louer For he did nothing els continually but study and deuise howe he might winne it vppon the sodeine from them that kept it bicause
should be borne And so with suche persuasions he drewe on this woman to her full time of deliuerie But so soone as he perceyued she was neere her time he sent certaine to keepe her and to be present at her laboure commaunding them that if she were brought a bed of a daughter they should leaue her with the woman and if it were a sonne they should forthwith bring it to him in what place soeuer he was and what busines soever he had in hand It chaunced that she came euen about supper time and was deliuered of a sonne As he was sitting at the table with the other magistrates of the cittie his seruants entred the â—alle and presented to him the liâ—e babe which he tenderly tooke in his armes and sayed openly to them that were present beholde my lordes of SPARTA here is a Kinge borne vnto vs And speaking these wordes he layed him downe in the Kinges place and named him Charilaus as muche to saye as the ioye of the people Thus he sawe all the lookers on reioycing muche and might heare them prayse and extoll his synceritie iustice and vertue By this meanes he raigned only as King but eight moneths From thenceforth he was taken and esteemed so iust and syncere a man among the citizens that there were moe that willingly obeyed him for his vertue then for that he was the Kings regent or that he had the gouernment of the whole Realme in his hands NotwithstaÌ„ding there were some that bare him displeasure and malice who sought to hinder disgrace his credit and chiefly the friends and kinred of the Kings mothers whose power and honour were thought much impayred by Lycurgus authoritie In so much as a brother of hers called Leonidas entring boldly into great words with him on a daye dyd not sticke to say to his face I knowe for a certaintie one of these dayes thou wilt be King meaning thereby to bring him in suspition with the citizens Which thing though Lycurgus neuer ment yet of a subtill and craftie wit Leonidas thought by geuing out such words that if the young King happened to dye in his minoritie naturally it would be mistrusted that Lycurgus had secretly made him awaye The Kings mother also gaue out such like speaches which in the end dyd so trouble him with the feare he had what eueÌ„t might fall out thereof that he determined to departe his countrie and by his absence to auoyde the suspition that therein might growe vpon him any waye So he trauelled abroade in the worlde as a straunger vntill his nephew had begotten a sonne who was to succeede him in his kingdome He hauing with this determination taken his iorney went first of all into CRETA where he diligently obserued and considered the manner of their liuing the order of the gouernment of their CoÌ„mon weale and euer kept company with the best and euer was conferring with the most learned There he founde very good lawes in his iudgement which he noted of purpose to carie home to his countrie to serue when time should come He founde there other lawes also but of them he made no reckoning Nowe there was one man that aboue the rest was reputed wise and skilfull in matters of state gouernment who was called Thales with whom Lycurgus dyd so much by intreatie and for familier friendshippe that he persuaded him to goe with him vnto SPARTA This Thales was called the Poet Harper whereupon he had that title and name but in effect he sange all that the best and sufficientest gouernours of the worlde could deuise For all his songes were goodly ditties wherein he dyd exhorte and persuade the people to liue vnder obedience of the law in peace concorde one with the other His words were set out with such tunes countenance accents that were so full of swetenes harmony and pearsing that inwardly it melted mens heartes and drue the hearers of a loue to like the most honest things and to leaue all hatred enmitie sedition and diuision which at that time reigned sore amoÌ„g them So as it maye be sayed he it was that prepared the waye for Lycurgus whereby he afterwards reformed and brought the LACEDAEMONIANS vnto reason At his departing out of CRETA he went into ASIA with intent as it is sayed to compare the maÌ„ner of life and pollicie of those of CRETA being then very straight and seuere with the superfluities and vanities of IONIA and thereupon to consider the difference betwene their two manners gouernments as the physitian doth who to knowe the hole healthfull the better doth vse to compare them with the sicke diseased It is very likely it was there where he first sawe Homers works in the hands of the heires successours of Cleophylus finding in the same aswell many rules of pollicie as the great pleasure of Poets faining he diligently coppied it out and made a volume thereof to carie into GRECE It is true there was much fame abroad of Homers poesies among the GRECIANS howbeit there were fewe of them brought together but were scattered here there in diuers mens hands in pampflets peces vnsowed without any order but the first that brought them most to light amoÌ„g men was Lycurgus The AEGYPTIANS saye that he was in their countrie also that hauing founde thereone notable ordinaunce among other that their souldiers aad men of warre were separated from the rest of the people he brought the practise of it into SPARTA where setting the marchants artificers labourers euery one a parte by them selues he did establish a noble CoÌ„mon wealth So the AEGYPTIAN historiographers and some others also of GRECE doe write He was also in AFRICKE and in SPAYNE as farre as INDIA to conferre with the wise men there that were called the philosophers of INDIA I knowe no man that hathe written it sauing Aristocrates that was Hipparchus sonne The LACEDAEMONIANS wished for him often when he was gone and sent diuers and many a time to call him home who thought their Kings had but the honour and title of Kings and not the vertue or maiestie of a prince whereby they dyd excell the common people But as for Lycurgus they thought of him thus that he was a man borne to rule to coÌ„maund and to geue order as hauing in him a certaine naturall grace and power to drawe men willingly to obeye him Moreouer the Kings them selues were not vnwilling to haue him to returne home bicause they hoped that his presence would somwhat brydle restrayne the people from their insolencie disobedieÌ„ce towards them Whereupon Lycurgus returning home in this opinion and affection of men it fell out that he was no sooner arriued but he beganne to deuise howe to alter the whole gouernment of the common weale throughout to chaunge the whole course and order of the state thincking that to make only certaine particular lawes were to no purpose
those which are backed with the assisting fauour of the goddes The King marching in this order had allwayes some about him which had before time wonne the prises in games and iustes And they saye there was one of these on a time that was offered a great some of money at the games Olympicall not to present him selfe at them but he refused it liking better with great payne to winne the prise then for muche money to lose his honour Whereupon one sayed vnto him LACONIAN what hast thou gotten nowe to carie away the prise with so much swet The LACONIAN aunswered him laughing I shall fight in the battell sayeth he before the king When they had once broken into their enemies they dyd still fiercely and fiercelier set vpon them and dyd neuer cease vntill their enemies gaue waye and fled and then they chased and followed them still vntill such time as their ouerthrowe and flight had assured them of the victorie Then they quickly and quietly returned to their campe iudging it to be no manhod neither the parte of a noble minde or of so wor hye a nation as the GRECIANS were to kill and hewe in peeces men so scattered and out of order hauing forsaken all the hope of victorie This fell out not only honorable but also very profitable for them For they which were in battell against them knowing they killed none but suche as resisted stowtely and howe they dyd let other goe which fled before them they found it was more their benefit to flye then to tarie and abide the strokes Hippias the sophister sayeth that Lycurgus himselfe was a very good captaine a great souldier as he that had bene in many foughten fieldes Philostephanus ascribeth to him the deuise to put horsemenin troupes companies which they called Oulames whereof fiftie men at armes was a troupe whose manner was to put them selues in squadroÌ„s But Demetrius the Phalerian writeth otherwise that Lycurgus was neuer at the warres that he made all his lawes and gouernment in a full peace But in my opinion the intermission of warres during the playes Olympicall which they saye he deuised doeth shew in apparaunce that he was a gentle natured man one that loued quietnes and peace Some notwithstanding amongest whom Hermippus was one saye he was not with Iphitus at the first beginning when he ordeined the playes Olympicall but that by chaunce he happened to come thither passing by in his iorney only that he stayed there to see the games where he thought he heard the voyce of a man behinde him saying he maruelled much why he dyd not persuade his citizens also to be parteners of this newe deuise and turning backe to see who it was that spake to him he sawe no bodye Whereupon he tooke a conceit that it was a speache from the goddes went therefore presently to seeke out Iphitus with whom he made all the statutes and orders of the feast which afterwardes were farre more famous better ordered more stately then before But to returne againe to the LACEDAEMONIANS their discipline order of life continued still after they were full growen men For it was not lawfull for any man to liue as he listed but they were within their cittie as if they had bene in a campe where euery man knoweth what allowance he hath to liue withall what busines he hath els to doe in his calling To be shorte they were all of this minde that they were not borne to serue them selues but to serue their countrie Therfore if they were coÌ„maunded nothing els they went continually to see what the children dyd and to teache them somewhat which might profit the common weale or els they went to learne of those which were their elders For one of the best and happiest things which Lycurgus euer brought into his cittie was the great rest and leysure which he made his cittizens to haue only forbidding them that they should not professe any vile or base occupation and they needed not also to be carefull to get great riches in a place where goodes were nothing profitable nor esteemed For the Ilotes which were made bonde men by the warres dyd till their groundes and yeelded them a certaine reuenue euery yere And as touching this matter they tell of a LACEDAEMONIAN who being on a daye at ATHENS where the lawe was pleaded dyd vnderstand that a citizen there was condemned for Idlenes and howe he went home to his house very sorowfully accompanied with his friends which were sorie for him greatly lamented his ill happe The LACEDAEMONIAN then prayed those which were about him to shewe him the man condemned for liuing nobly and like a gentleman I haue alledged this to shew how he thought it a vile seruill thing to exercise any handy craft or to worke any thing by hande to get money For sutes in lawe a man maye be well assured they were banished with the golde siluer from LACEDAEMON considering now there was no more auarice not couetouâ—nes there nor yet pouertie nor lacke but equalitie with aboundaunce quiet life with sobrietie All other times but when they had warres they followed daunsing feastes playes bankets hunting or other exercises of bodye meetinges to passe the time away For the younge men vntill they came to thirtie yeres of age neuer went into the market to buye any prouision or things for the house but dyd their fathers or their friends busines naye it was a shame for the oldest men to hawnte the market to often As to the contrary it was honorable for them to be present at the shewe place the most parte of the daye where they diuersely exercised their bodyes likewise to be at the places of assembly there to spend time with talking together discoursing honestly one with another without talking of any matter of gaine traffike or money For all their talke for the most parte was about the praysing of some honest thing or sporting wise to reproue some dishonestie which alwayes caried with it some gentle lesson or monition by the waye For Lycurgus was not such a sower man as they neuer sawe him laughe but as Sofibius writeth it was he that first sacrificed to the litle god of laughture which is at LACEDAEMON bicause he would mingle their feastes and assemblies with mirthe as a pleasaunt sawce to ease the trouble of their strickt and harde life To be brief he did accustome his cittizens so that they neither would nor could liue alone but were in manner as men incorporated one with another and were allwayes in company together as the bees be about their master bee still in a continuall loue to serue their countrie to winne honour to aduaunce the common weale Which affection to theirs is playne easely seene to be imprinted in them by certen of their aunswers as in that which Paedaretus sayed on a time being left out of
common weale established before as discordes doe many times in an harmonie of musicke that before agreed very well together Therefore he iudged it a thing most necessarie to keepe his cittie free and safe from coūterfeating of any straungers manners of facions that were cōmonly as persones infected with some contagious sicknes Nowe in all we haue spoken before euen to this place there is no manner of token or shewe of iniustice or lacke of equite wherewith some seme to burden Lycurgus in his lawes by saying they were well made to make men warlicke and valliant but not to be iuste or righteous But cōcerning the lawe they call Cryptia as much to saye as their secret if it were of Lycurgus institution as Aristotle sayeth it might haue caried Plato into the like opinion that Lycurgus had of his common weale This was the lawe The gouernours which had the charge and ouersight of the young men at certaine appointed times dyd chuse out those they thought to haue the best discretion and sent them abroade into the countrie some one waye some another waye who caried with them daggers and some prouision to feede them Those young men being thus dispersed abroade in the countrie did hide them selues all the daye close in secret places and there they laye and tooke their rest afterwardes when night was come they went to seeke out the high wayes and killed the first of the ILOTES that they met Sometimes euen in the broade daye they went into the countrie to kill the strongest and slowesth of the mens Thucydides telleth in his history of the warres of PELOPONNESVS where he sayeth That a certaine conuenient number of the ILOTES were crowned by a publicke proclamation of the SPARTANS and being infranchesed for their good seruices they had done the common weale they were caried to all the temples of the goddes for an honour Within a while after no man knewe what was become of them being about two thousand in number so that neuer man heard tell neither then nor since howe they came to their deathes Howbeit Aristotle aboue all others sayeth that the Ephores so soone as they were placed in their offices made warres with the ILOTES bicause they might lawfully kill them And it is true that in other things they did handle them very hardely For they forced them somtimes to drincke wine without water out of measure till they had made them starke drunke Then they brought them all into their common halles where they did eate to make their children to beholde them and to see what beastlines it was for a man to be drunke Likewise they made them singe songes and daunce daunces vnfit for honest men and suche as were full of derision and mockerie and did forbid them expressely to singe any honest songes So it is reported that in the iorney the THEBANS made to LACONIA many of the ILOTES were taken prisoners thereat and when they were commaunded to singe the verses of Terpander or of Aleman or of Spendon the Laconian they would not doe it saying they durst not finge them for their masters Wherefore he that first sayed in the countrie of LACEDAEMONIA he that is free in more free and he that is bonde is more bonde then in other places knewe very well the diuersitie betweene the libertie and bondage there and the libertie and bondage of other countries But in my opinion the LACEDAEMONIANS beganne to vse these great outrages and cruelties long time after the death of Lycurgus and specially since the great earthquake that happened at SPARTA at which time the ILOTES rose against them with the MESSENIANS and did great mischief through the countrie and put the cittie to the greatest distresse and daunger that euer it had For I cannot be persuaded that euer Lycurgus inuented or instituted so wicked and mischieuous an acte as that kynde of ordinaunce was bicause I imagine his nature was gentle and mercifull by the clemencie and iustice wee see he vsed in all his other doings and was witnessed besides by open oracle from the goddes for a iust and wise man Furthermore they saye of him that when he sawe the chiefest pointes of his gouernment had taken deepe roote and that the forme of his common weale went on and was strong enough to mainteine and keepe it selfe a foote like as Plato sayeth that God reioyced greately after he had made the worlde and sawe the same turne and moue his first mouing euen so Lycurgus taking singular pleasure and delight in his minde to see his notable lawes put in vre and so well stablished and liked of by experience sought yet to make them immortall as neere as he could possible by any forecast of man that no after time whatsoeuer might chaunge or put them downe To bring this to passe he caused all the people to assemble and tolde them he thought his ciuill pollicie and state of common weale was already sufficiently established for vertuous and happy life yet there was one matter behinde of greater importaunce than all the rest which he could not yet declare vnto them vntill he had first asked counsell of the oracle of Apollo And therefore in the meane time they should keepe and obserue his lawes and ordinaunces inuiolublie without chaunging remouing or staying any matter therein vntill he were returned from the cittie of DELPHES and then they should doe that other thing behinde if the God then so counselled him They all promised him to doe it and prayed him to make hast to goe on his iorney But before he departed he made the Kings and Senatours sweare first and consequently all the people after that they would keepe his lawes and ordinaunces without chaunging or altering any thing vntill he did returne againe This done he went to the citie of DELPHES where so sone as he arriued he sacrificed in the temple to Apollo and asked him If the lawes he had made were good to make a man an happy life Apollo made him aunswer his lawes were very good and that his cittie keping them should be the most renowmed of the worlde Lycurgus caused this oracle to be written which he sent to SPARTA After he sacrificed to Apollo againe and then taking leaue of his friendes and of his sonne he determined to dye bicause his citizens should neuer be released of the othe they had made betweene his handes When he had this determination he was come to the age wherein a man hathe strength enough to liue lenger and yet was olde enough also to dye if he would Wherefore finding him selfe happy to haue obteined his desire he willingly pyned him selfe to death by abstinence and lacke of meate For he thought it meete that the very death of great personages should bring benefit euer to the common weale and that the ende of their life should be no more idle or vnprofitable then the rest of their life before nay rather that it was one of their most meritotious
had bene in deede written by Homer Aiax that champion stovvte did leade vvith him in charge tvvelue shippes from Salamina soyle vvhich he had left at large and euen those selfe same shippes in battell did he cast and place in order for to fight vvith enmies force at last In that same very place vvhereas it seemed then the captaines vvhich from Athens came imbattelled had their men Howbeit the ATHENIANS selues thinke it was but a tale of pleasure and saye that Solon made it appeare to the iudges that Philaeus and Eurysaces both Aiax sonnes were made free denizens of ATHENS Whereupon they gaue the I le of SALAMINA vnto the ATHENIANS one of them came to dwell in a place called Brauron in the country of ATTICA and the other in a towne called MELITVM And for due proofe thereof they saye there is yet a certen canton or quarter of the countrie of ATTICA which is called the canton of the Philaeides after the name of this Philaeus where Pisistratus was borne And it is sayed moreouer that Solon bicause he would throughly convince the MEGARIANS did alleage that the SALAMINIANS buried not the dead after the MEGARIANS manner but after the ATHENIANS manner For in MEGARA they burie the dead with their faces to the East and in ATHENS their faces are towards the West Yet Hereas the Megarian denieth it saying that the MEGARIANS dyd burie them also with their faces towards the West alleaging moreouer that at ATHENS euerie corse had his owne beere or coffin by it selfe that at MEGARA they dyd put three or foure corses together They saye also there were certaine oracles of Apollo Pythias which dyd greatly helpe Solon by which the god called SALAMINA IONIA Their strife was iudged by fiue Arbitrators all SPARTANS borne that is to saye Critolaidas Amompharetus Hypsechidas Anaxilas Cleomenes Solon vndoutedly wonne great glory honour by this exployte yet was he much more honoured esteemed for the oration he made in defence of the tēple of Apollo in the cittie of DELPHES declaring that it was not meete to be suffered that the CYRRHAEIANS should at their pleasure abuse the sanctuarie of the oracle that they should ayde the DELPHIANS in honour and reuerence of Apollo Whereupon the counsell of the Amphictyons being moued with his words and persuations proclaimed warres against the CYRRHAEIANS as diuers other doe witnesse and specially Aristotle in the storie he wrote of those that wanne the Pythian games where he ascribeth vnto Solon the honour of that determination Neuertheles Hermippus sayeth Solon was not made generall of their armie as Euanthes Samian hath written For AEschines the Orator wrote no such thing of him in the chronicles of the DELPHIANS they finde that one Alcmaeon not Solon was the generall of the ATHENIANS Now the cittie of ATHENS had a long time benevexed and troubled through Cylons heynous offence euer sence the yere that Megacles gouernour of the cittie of ATHENS dyd with fayer words handle so the confederates of the rebellion of Cylon which had taken sanctuarie within the liberties of the temple of Minerua that he persuaded them to be wise and to present them selues before the iudges holding by a threede which they should tye about the base of the image of the goddesse where she stoode bicause they should not lose their libertie But when they were come to the place of the honorable goddesses so called which be the images of the furies comming downe to present them selues before the iudges the threede brake of itself Then Megacles and other officers his cōpanions layed holde on them presently saying that it was a manifest signe that the goddesse Minerua refused to saue thē So those they tooke all they could laye hands of were immediately stoned to death without the cittie-the rest which tooke the altars for refuge were slaine there also And none were saued but such as had made meanes to the gouernours wiues of the citie to intreate for them which from that time forth were euer hated of the people and commonly called the abiects and excommunicates Who being the issues of the rebelles that rose with Cylon chaunced to rise again in credit growing to great authoritie they neuer left quarrelling fighting continually with th'offpring of Megacles These factions were greatest highest in Solons time who being of authoritie seeing the people thus diuided in two par 〈…〉 he stepped in betweene them with the chiefest men of ATHENS did so persuade intreate those whom they called the abiects excōmunicates that they were contented to be iudged So three hundred of the chiefest cittizens were chosen iudges to heare this matter The accuser was Myron Phlyeian This matter was heard and pleaded by sentēce of the iudges the excommunicates were condēned Those that were aliue to perpetuall exile the bones of them that were dead to be digged vp throwen out of the confines of the territorie of ATHENS But whilest the cittie of ATHENS was occupied with these vprores the MEGARIANS wisely caught holde of the occasion deliuered and set vpon the ATHENIANS tooke frō them the hauen of NYSAEA recouered againe out of their handes the I le of SALAMINA Furthermore all the cittie was possessed with a certen superstitious feare for some sayed that sprites were come againe and straunge sightes were seene The prognosticatours also sayed they perceiued by their sacrifices the cittie was defiled with some abhominable wicked things which were of necessitie to be purged and throwen out Hereupon they sent into CRETA for Epimenides Phaestian whom they reckoned the seuenth of the wise men at the least such as will not allowe Periander for one of the number He was a holy and deuoute man and very wise in celestiall things by inspiration from aboue by reason whereof men of his time called him the newe Curetes that is to saye Prophet and he was thought the sonne of a Nymphe called Baltè When he was come to ATHENS and growen in friendshippe with Solon he dyd helpe him much and made his waye for establishing of his lawes For he acquainted the ATHENIANS to make their sacrifices much lighter and of lesse coste brought the cittizēs to be more moderate in their mourning with cutting of certaine seuere and barbarous ceremonies which the most parte of the women obserued in their mourning he ordeined certain sacrifices which he would haue done immediately after the obsequies of the dead But that which exceeded all the rest was that by vsing the cittizēs vnto holines deuotion daylie sacrifices prayers vnto the godds purging of them selues hūble offerings he wanne mens hartes by litle litle to yelde them more cōfirmable to iustice to be more inclined to cōcorde vnity It is reported also that Epimenides whē he saw the hauen of Munychia had long cōsidered of it told those about him that men were very blinde in foreseeing things to
Nature in like case also hauing planted in our minds a naturall desire to learne and vnderstand we are in reason to reproue those that vainely abuse this good desire fondly disposing it to learne things vaine and vnprofitable and to cast behinde them in the meane season things honest and necessarie to be learned For as touching our outward sence which with passion receaueth impressiō of the thing it seeth peraduenture it wil be necessarie to consider indifferently the thing seene whether it will fall out beneficiall or hurtefull vnto him but so fareth it not with our vnderstanding for euery man maye at his pleasure turne and dispose that to the thinge he taketh delight in the reason whereof we must allwayes employe to the best parte and that not only to consider and looke vpon the thing but also to reape the benefit and commoditie of the thing we see For like as the eye is most delited with the lightest and freshest cullers euen so we must geue our mindes vnto those sightes which by looking vpon them doe drawe profit and pleasure vnto vs For such effects doth vertue bring that either to heare or reade them they doe printe in our hartes an earnest loue aud desire to followe them But this followeth not in all other things we esteeme neither are we allwayes disposed to desire to doe the things we see wel done but cōtrary oftentimes when we like the worke we mislike the worke man as cōmonly in making these perfumes and purple cullers For both the one the other doe please vs well but yet we take perfumers diers to be men of a meane occupation Therefore Antisthenes aunswered one very wisely that told him Ismenias was an excellent player of the flute But yet he is a naughtie man sayed he otherwise he could not be so conning at the flute as he is Euen so dyd Philippe king of MACEDON faye to his sonne Alexander the great on a time that at a certen feast had song passing sweetely and like a master of musicke Art thou not ashamed sonne to singe so well It is enough for a King to bestowe his leysure somtime to heare musitians singe and he doth much honour to the muses to heare the masters of the science otherwhile when one of them singeth to excell another But he that personally shall bestowe his time exercising any meane science bringeth his paynes he hath taken in matters vnprofitable a witness against him selfe to proue that he hath bene negligent to learne things honest and profitable And there was neuer any young gentleman nobly borne that seeing the image of Iupiter which is in the cittie of PISA desired to become Phidias nor Polycletus for seeing of Iune in the cittie of ARGOS nor that desired to be Anacreon or Philemon or Archilochus for that they tooke pleasure somtime to reade their workes For it followeth not of necessitie that though the worke delight the workeman must needes be praysed And so in like case such things doe not profit those which behold them bicause they doe not moue affection in the hartes of the beholders to followe them neither doe stirre vp affection to resemble them and much lesse to conforme our selues vnto them But vertue hath this singular propertie in all her actions that she maketh the man that knoweth her to affect her so that straight he liketh all her doings and desireth to followe those that are vertuous For as for riches we only desire to haue them in possession but of vertue we chiefly loue the deedes Wherefore we are contented to haue goodes from other men but good deedes we would other should haue from vs For vertue is of this power that she allureth a mans minde presently to vse her that wisely considereth of her and maketh him very desirous in his harte to followe her and doth not frame his manners that beholdeth her by any imitation but by the only vnderstanding and knowledge of vertuous deedes which sodainely bringeth vnto him a resolute desire to doe the like And this is the reason why me thought I should continew still to write on the liues of noble men and why I made also this tenthe booke in the which are conteined the liues of Pericles and Fabius Maximus who mainteined warres against Hanniball For they were both men very like together in many sundry vertues and specially in curtesie and iustice for that they could paciently beare the follies of their people and companions that were in charge of gouernment with them they were maruelous profitable members for their countrie But if we haue sorted them well together comparing the one with the other you shall easely iudge that reade our writings of their liues Pericles was of the tribe of the Acamantides of the towne of CHOLARGVS and of one of the best most auncient families of the cittie of ATHENS both by his father and mother For Xanthippus his father who ouercame in battell the lieutenants of the king of PERSIA in the iorney of Mysala maried Agariste that came of Clisthenes he who draue out of ATHENS Pisistratus ofspring and valliantly ouerthrewe their tyrannie Afterwards he established lawes and ordeined a very graue forme of gouernment to mainteine his citizens in peace and concorde together This Agariste dreamed one night that she was brought a bed of a lyon and very shortely after she was deliuered of Pericles who was so well proportioned in all the partes of his bodie that nothing could be mended sauing that his head was somwhat to long and out of proportion to the rest of his bodie And this is the only cause why all the statues images of him almost are made with a helmet of his head bicause the workemen as it should seeme and so it is most likely were willing to hide the bleamishe of his deformitie But the ATTICAN poets dyd call him Schinocephalos asmuch to saye as headed like an onyon For those of ATTICA doe somtime name that which is called in the vulgar tongue Scilla that is to saye an onyon of barbarie Schinos And Cratinus the Comicall poet in his comedie be intituled Chirones sayed Olde Saturne he and dreadfull dyre debate begotten haue betvvene them Carnally this tyranne here this heauy iollting pate in courte of goddes so termed vvorthely And againe also in that which he nameth Nemesis speaking of him he sayeth Come Iupiter come Iupiter Come iollthead and come inkeeper And Teleclides mocking him also sayeth in a place Somtimes he standes amazed vvhen he perceyues that harde it vvere sufficiently to knovve in vvhat estate his gouernment he leaues And then vvill he be seldome seene by lovve suche heauy heapes vvith in his braynes doe grovve But yet somtimes out of that monstruous pate he thundreth fast and threatneth euery state And Eupolis in a comedie which he intituled Démi being very inquisitiue and asking particularly of euery one of the Orators whom he fayned were returned out of hell when they named
that he was thought no lesse eloquent in tongue then warlike in showe and declared him selfe both expert in warres and wise with valliantnes Thus he was ioyned in commission with Tullus as generall of the VOLSCES hauing absolute authoritie betwene thē to follow pursue the warres But Martius fearing least tract of time to bring this armie togither with all the munitiō furniture of the VOLSCES would robbe him of the meane he had to execute his purpose and intent left order with the rulers and chief of the cittie to assemble the rest of their power and to prepare all necessary prouision for the campe Then he with the lightest souldiers he had and that were willing to followe him state awaye vpon the sodaine and marched with all speede and entred the territories of ROME before the ROMAINES heard any newes of his comming In so much the VOLSCES found such spoyle in the fields as they had more then they could spend in their campe and were wearie to driue and carie awaye that they had Howbeit the gayne of the spoyle and the hurte they dyd to the ROMAINES in this inuasion was the least parte of his intent For his chiefest purpose was to increase still the malice and dissention betweene the nobilitie and the communaltie and to drawe that on he was very carefull to keepe the noble mens landes goods safe from harme and burning but spoyled all the whole countrie besides and would suffer no man to take or hurte any thing of the noble mens This made greater sturre and broyle betweene the nobilitie and people then was before For the noble men fell out with the people bicause they had so vniustly banished a man of so great valure and power The people on thother side accused the nobilitie how they had procured Martius to make these warres to be reuenged of them bicause it pleased them to see their goodes burnt and spoyled before their eyes whilest them selues were well at ease and dyd behold the peoples losses and misfortunes knowing their owne goodes safe and out of daunger and howe the warre was not made against the noble men that had the enemie abroad to keepe that they had in safety Now Martius hauing done this first exploite which made the VOLSCES bolder and lesse fearefull of the ROMAINES brought home all the armie againe without losse of any man After their whole armie which was maruelous great and very forward to seruice was assembled in one campe they agreed to leaue parte of it for garrison in the countrie about and the other parte should goe on and make the warre apon the ROMAINES So Martius bad Tullus choose and take which of the two charges he liked best Tullus made him aunswer he knewe by experience that Martius was no lesse valliant then him selfe and howe he euer had better fortune and good happe in all battells then him selfe had Therefore he thought it best for him to haue the leading of those that should make the warres abroade and him selfe would keepe home to prouide for the safety of the citties and of his countrie and to furnishe the campe also of all necessary prouision abroade So Martius being stronger then before went first of all vnto the cittie of CIRCEES inhabited by the ROMAINES who willingly yelded them selues and therefore had no hurte From thence he entred the countrie of the LATINES imagining the ROMAINES would fight with him there to defend the LATINES who were their confederates and had many times sent vnto the ROMAINES for their ayde But on the one side the people of ROME were very ill willing to goe and on the other side the Consuls being apon their going out of their office would not hazard them selues for so small a time so that the ambassadours of the LATINES returned home againe and dyd no good Then Martius dyd besiege their citties and hauing taken by force the townes of the TOLERINIANS VICANIANS PEDANIANS and the BOLANIANS who made resistaunce he sacked all their goodes and tooke them prisoners Suche as dyd yeld them selues willingly vnto him he was as carefull as possible might be to defend them from hurte and bicause they should receyue no damage by his will he remoued his campe as farre from their confines as he could Afterwards he tooke the cittie of BOLES by assault being about an hundred furlonge from ROME where he had a maruelous great spoyle and put euery man to the sword that was able to carie weapon The other VOLSCES that were appointed to remaine in garrison for defence of their countrie hearing this good newes would tary no lenger at home but armed them selues and ranne to Martius campe saying they dyd acknowledge no other captaine but him Hereupon his fame ranne through all ITALIE and euery one praised him for a valliant captaine for that by chaunge of one man for another suche and so straunge euents fell out in the state In this while all went still to wracke at ROME For to come into the field to fight with the enemie they could not abyde to heare of it they were one so muche against another and full of seditious wordes the nobilitie against the people the people against the nobilitie Vntill they had intelligence at the length that the enemies had layed seige to the cittie of LAVINIVM in the which were all the temples and images of the goddes their protectours and from whence came first their auncient originall for that AEneas at his first arriuall into ITALIE dyd build that cittie Then fell there out a maruelous sodain chaunge of minde among the people farre more straunge contrarie in the nobilitie For the people thought good to repeale the condemnation and exile of Martius The Senate assembled vpon it would in no case yeld to that Who either dyd it of a selfe will to be contrarie to the peoples desire or bicause Martius should not returne through the grace and fauour of the people Or els bicause they were throughly angrie and offended with him that he would set apon the whole being offended but by a fewe and in his doings would shewe him selfe an open enemie besides vnto his countrie notwithstanding the most parte of them tooke the wrong they had done him in maruelous ill parte and as if the iniurie had bene done vnto them selues Reporte being made of the Senates resolution the people founde them selues in a straight for they could authorise and confirme nothing by their voyces vnles it had bene first propounded and ordeined by the Senate But Martius hearing this sturre about him was in a greater rage with them then before in so muche as he raised his seige incontinently before the cittie of LAVINIVM and going towardes ROME lodged his campe within fortie furlonge of the cittie at the ditches called Cluiliae His incamping so neere ROME dyd put all the whole cittie in a wonderfull feare howbeit for the present time it appeased the sedition and dissention betwext the Nobilitie
them selues from the instant daunger of the warre Whereupon the Senate ordeined that the magistrates to gratifie and honour these ladyes should graunte them all that they would require And they only requested that they would build a temple of Fortune of the women for the building whereof they offered them selues to defraye the whole charge of the sacrifices and other ceremonies belonging to the seruice of the goddes Neuertheles the Senate commending their good will and forwardnes ordeined that the temple and image should be made at the common charge of the cittie Notwithstanding that the ladyes gathered money emong them and made with the same a second image of Fortune which the ROMAINES saye dyd speake as they offred her vp in the temple and dyd set her in her place and they affirme that she spake these wordes Ladyes ye haue deuoutely offered me vp Moreouer that she spake that twise together making vs to beleeue things that neuer were and are not to be credited For to see images that seeme to sweate or weepe or to put forth any humour red or blowdie it is not a thing vnpossible For wodde and stone doe commonly receyue certaine moysture whereof is ingendred an humour which doe yeld of them selues or doe take of ayer many sortes and kyndes of spottes and cullers by which signes and tokens it is not amisse we thincke that the goddes sometimes doe warne men of things to come And it is possible also that these images and statues doe somtimes put forth soundes like vnto sighes or mourning when in the middest or bottome of the same there is made some violent separation or breaking a sonder of things blowen or deuised therein but that a bodie which hath neither life nor soule should haue any direct or exquisite worde formed in it by expresse voyce that is altogether vnpossible For the soule nor god him selfe can distinctly speake without a bodie hauing necessarie organes and instrumentes mete for the partes of the same to forme and vtter distinct wordes But where stories many times doe force vs to beleeue a thing reported to be true by many graue testimonies there we must saye that it is some passion contrarie to our fiue naturall sences which being begotten in the imaginatiue parte or vnderstanding draweth an opinion vnto it selfe euen as we doe in our sleeping For many times we thinke we heare that we doe not heare and we imagine we see that we see not Yet notwithstanding such as are godly bent and zealously geuen to thinke apon heauenly things so as they can no waye be drawen from beleeuing that which is spoken of them they haue this reason to grounde the foundation of their beleefe vpon That is the omnipotencie of God which is wonderfull and hath no manner of resemblaunce or likelines of proportion vnto ours but is altogether contrarie as touching our nature our mouing our arte and our force and therefore if he doe any thing vnpossible to vs or doe bring forth and deuise things without mans common reache and vnderstanding we must not therefore thinke it vnpossible at all For if in other things he is farre contrarie to vs muche more in his workes and secret operations he farre passeth all the rest but the most parte of goddes doings as Heraclitus sayeth for lacke of faith are hidden and vnknowen vnto vs Now when Martius was returned againe into the cittie of ANTIVM from his voyage Tullus that hated and could no lenger abide him for the feare he had of his authoritie sought diuers meanes to make him out of the waye thinking that if he let slippe that present time he should neuer recouer the like and sit occasion againe Wherefore Tullus hauing procured many other of his confederacy required Martius might be deposed from his estate to render vp accompt to the VOLSCES of his charge and gouernment Martius fearing to become a priuate man againe vnder Tullus being generall whose authoritie was greater otherwise then any other emong all the VOLSCES aunswered he was willing to geue vp his charge and would resigne it into the handes of the lordes of the VOLSCES if they dyd all commaund him as by all their commaundement he receyued it And moreouer that he would not refuse euen at that present geue vp an accompt vnto the people if they would tarie the hearing of it The people hereupon called a common counsaill in which assembly there were certen oratours appointed that stirred vp the common people against him and when they had tolde their tales Martius rose vp to make them aunswer Now notwithstanding the mutinous people made a maruelous great noyse yet when they sawe him for the reuerence they bare vnto his valliantnes they quieted them selues and gaue still audience to alledge with leysure what he could for his purgation Moreouer the honestest men of the ANTIATES and who most reioyced in peace shewed by their countenaunce that they would heare him willingly and iudge also according to their conscience Whereupon Tullus fearing that if he dyd let him speake he would proue his innocencie to the people bicause emongest other things he had an eloquent tongue besides that the first good seruice he had done to the people of the VOLSCES dyd winne him more fauour then these last accusations could purchase him displeasure and furthermore the offence they layed to his charge was a testimonie of the good will they ought him for they would neuer haue thought he had done them wrong for that they tooke not the cittie of ROME if they had not bene very neere taking of it by meanes of his approche and conduction For these causes Tullus thought he might no lenger delaye his pretence and enterprise neither to tarie for the mutining and rising of the common people against him wherefore those that were of the conspiracie beganne to crie out that he was not to be heard nor that they would not suffer a traytour to vsurpe tyrannicall power ouer the tribe of the VOLSCES who would not yeld vp his estate and authoritie And in saying these wordes they all fell vpon him and killed him in the market place none of the people once offering to rescue him Howbeit it is clere case that this murder was not generally consented vnto of the most parte of the VOLSCES for men came out of all partes to honour his bodie and dyd honorably burie him setting out his tombe with great store of armour and spoyles as the tombe of a worthie persone and great captaine The ROMAINES vnderstanding of his death shewed no other honour or malice sauing that they graunted the ladyes the request they made that they might mourne tenne moneths for him and that was the full time they vsed to were blackes for the death of their fathers brethern or husbands according to Numa Pompilius order who stablished the same as we haue enlarged more amplie in the description of his life Now Martius being dead the whole state of the VOLSCES
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
receaue the blowes of the strong heauy swordes of the ROMAINES vpon their litle weake targeties so that what with their heauines and the vehement force wherewith the blowes lighted vpon them there was no target nor corselet but they passed it through and ranne them in By reason where of they could make no long resistance whereupon they turned their backes and ranne awaye But when they came to the squadron of the olde beaten souldiers of the MACEDONIANS there was the cruellest fight and most desperate seruice where they saye that Marcus Cato sonne of great Cato and sonne in lawe of AEmylius shewing all the valliantnes in his persone that a noble minde could possibly performe lost his sword which fell out of his hande But he like a young man of noble corage that had bene valliantly brought vp in all discipline knew how to follow the steppes of his father the noblest persone that euer man sawe was to shewe then his value and worthines and thought it more honour for him there to dye then liuing to suffer his enemies to enioye any spoyle of his So by by he ranne into the ROMAINE army to finde out some of his friendes whom he tolde what had befalled him and prayed them to helpe him to recouer his sworde whereto they agreed And being a good company of lusty valliant souldiers together they rushed straight in among their enemies at the place where he brought them and so dyd set apon them with suche force and furie that they made a lane through the middest of them and with great slaughter and spilling of bloude euen by plaine force they cleared the waye still before them Now when the place was voyded they sought for the sworde and in the ende founde it with great a doe amongest a heape of other swords and dead bodies whereat they reioyced maruelously Then singing a songe of victorie they went againe more fiercely then before to geue a charge vpon their enemies who were not yet broken a sonder vntill suche time as at the length the three thousand chosen MACEDONIANS fighting valliantly euen to the last man and neuer forsaking their rancks were all slaine in the place After whose ouerthrowe there was a great slaughter of other also that fled so that all the valley and foote of the mountaines thereaboutes was couered with dead bodies The next daye after the battell when the ROMAINES dyd passe ouer the riuer of Leucus they founde it ronning all a bloude For it is sayed there were slaine at this field of Perseus men aboue fiue and twentie thousand and of the ROMAINES side as Posidonius sayeth not aboue sixe score or as Nasica writeth but foure score only And for so great an ouerthrowe it is reported it was wonderfull quickly done and executed For they beganne to fight about three of the clocke in the after noone and had wonne the victorie before foure and all the rest of the daye they followed their enemies in chase an hundred twenty furlonges from the place where the battell was fought so that it was very late and farre forth night before they returned againe into the campe So suche as returned were receyued with maruelous great ioye of their pages that went out with linckes and torches lighted to bring their masters into their tentes where their men had made great bonfiers and decked them vp with crownes and garlands of laurell sauing the generalles tent only who was very heauy for that of his two sonnes he brought with him to the warres the younger could not be founde which he loued best of the twaine bicause he sawe he was of a better nature then the rest of his brethern For euen then being newe crept out of the shell as it were he was maruelous valliant and hardie and desired honour wonderfully Now AEmylius thought he had bene cast awaye fearing least for lacke of experience in the warres and through the rashnes of his youthe he had put him selfe to farre in fight amongest the prease of the enemies Hereupon the campe heard straight what sorowe AEmylius was in and how grieuously he tooke it The ROMAINES being set at supper rose from their meate and with torche light some ranne to AEmylius tent other went out of the campe to seeke him among the dead bodies if they might knowe him so all the campe was full of sorowe and mourning the vallies hilles all abouts dyd ringe againe with the cries of those that called Scipio alowde For euen from his childhood he had a naturall gift in him of all the rare and singular partes required in a captaine wife gouernour of the common weale aboue all the young men of his time At the last when they were out of all hope of his comming againe he happely returned from the chase of the enemies with two or three of his familliars only all bloudied with new bloude like a swift running greyhownde fleshed with the bloude of the hare hauing pursued very farre for ioye of the victorie It is that Scipio which afterwards destroyed both the citties of CARTHAGE and NVMANTIVM who was the greatest man of warre and valliantest captaine of the ROMAINES in his time and of the greatest authoritie and reputation emong them Thus fortune deferring till another time the execution of her spite which she dyd beare to so noble an exployte suffered AEmylius for that time to take his ful pleasure of that noble victorie And as for Perseus he fled first from the cittie of PYNDNE vnto the cittie of PELLA with his horsemen which were in manner all saued Whereupon the footemen that saued them selues by flying meeting them by the waye called them traitours cowards and villanes worse then that they turned them of their horse backes and fought it out lustely with them Perseus seeing that and fearing least this mutinie might turne to light on his necke he turned his horse out of the highe waye and pulled of his purple coate and caried it before him and tooke his diademe fearing least they should knowe him by these tokens and bicause he might more easely speake with his friends by the waye he lighted a foote and led his horse in his hande But suche as were about him one made as though he would mende the latchet of his shooe an other seemed to water his horse another as though he would drincke so that one dragging after another in this sorte they all left him at the last and ranne their waye not fearing the enemies furie so muche as their Kings crueltie who being greued with his misfortune sought to laye the faulte of the ouerthrowe vpon all other but him selfe Now he being come into the cittie of PELLA by night Euctus and Eudaeus two of his treasorers came vnto him and speaking boldly but out of time presumed to tell him the great faulte he had committed and dyd counsell him also what he should doe The King was so moued with their presumption that with his owne
and marched a foote vp hill and downe hill in rough and stony wayes full of springs and quauemyres being heauely armed at all peeces as a man at armes and fightinge in this sorte very painefully and vneasily he had both his thighes past through with a dart hauinge a leather thonge on the middest of it And though the blow did not take much holde of the fleshe yet was it a stronge blow for it pearced both thighes through through that the iron was seene on thother side Then was he so combered with this blow as if he had bene shackled with irons on his feete and knew not what to doe for the leather fastened in the middest of the darte did greue him maruelously when they thought to haue pulled the darte out of the place where it entred in so as neuer a man about him durst set his handes to it Philopoemen on the other side seeing the fight terrible on either side and would soone be ended it spited him to the guttes he would so faine haue bene among them So at the length he made such struggling putting backe one thigh and setting forward an other that he knapped the staffe of the darte a sunder and made them pull out the two troncheons the one on this side and the other on the other side Then when he saw he was at liberty againe he tooke his sword in his hande and ranne through the middest of them that fought vnto the foremost ranckes to meete with the enemy so that he gaue his men a newe corage and did set them on fyre with enuy to followe his valliantnesse After the battell was wonne Antigonus asked the MACEDONIAN Captaines to proue them who moued the horsemen to deuide them selues and giue the charge before the signe that was commaunded They aunswered him that they were forced to doe it against their willes bicause a young MEGALOPOLITAN gentleman gaue a charge with his company before the signe was giuen Then Antigonus laughing told them the young gentleman played the parte of a wise and valliant Captaine This exployte together with Antigonus testimony gaue great reputacion vnto Philopoemen as we may easily imagine So king Antigonus maruelously intreated him he would serue with him and offered him a bande of men at armes and great entertainement if he would go with him But Philopoemen refused his offer and chiefly bicause he knew his owne nature that he could hardly abide to be commaunded by any Notwithstandinge bicause he could not be idle he tooke sea and went into CRETA where he knewe there were warres onely to continue him selfe in exercise thereof So when he had serued a longe time with the CRETANS which were valliant souldiers and very expert in all policies and feates of warre and moreouer were men of a moderate and spare dyet he returned home againe to ACHAIA with so great credit and reputacion of euery one that he was presently chosen Generall of all the horsemen So when he entred into his charge he founde many horsemen very ill horsed vpon litle Iades such as might be gotten cheapest how they vsed not to goe them selues in persone to the warres but did sende other in their steade and to be shorre how they neither had hartes nor experience of the warres and all bicause the Generalls and Captaines of the people of the ACHAIANS that serued before him did take no heede to those matters as fearinge to offende any bicause they had the greatest authority in their handes to punish or reward whom they thought good Philopoemen fearinge none of all these thinges would leaue no parte of his charge and duety vndone but went him selfe in persone to all the cities to perswade and encorage the young gentlemen to be well horsed and well armed that they might winne honor in the fielde be able to defende them selues and ouerthrow their enemies And where perswasion could doe no good there he would set fynes vpon their heades that so refused and did vse to muster them oft and did acquainte them with tilting turning and barriers and one to fight with an other and at such times and places specially as he knew there would be multitudes of people to giue them the lookinge on that in shorte space he made them very forwarde proper and ready horsemen whose chiefest property is to keepe their order and ranckes in the battell So as when necessitie serued for the whole company of horsemen to turne together halfe turne or whole turne or else euery man by him selfe they were so throughly trained in it that all the whole troupe set in battell ray did seeme as it were to be but one body they remoued so together and withall so easily and at all times and so oft as turne they woulde on the one side or on the other Now in a great battell the ACHAIANS had with the AETOLIANS and the ELIANS by the riuer of Larissus Demophantus Generall of the horsemen of the AETOLIANS came from his company to fight with Philopoemen who also made towardes him and gaue him first such a blow with his speare that he strake him starke deade When Demophantus fell to the grounde his souldiers fled by and by vpon it This wanne Philopoemen great honor who gaue no place to the youngest men in fighting most valliantly with his owne handes nor to the oldest men in wisedome for the wise leading of his army In deede the first man that made the people of ACHAIA grow in power and greatnes was Aratus for before his time ACHAIA was of small reckeninge bicause the cities of the same stoode deuided betwene them selues and Aratus was the first manne that made them ioyne together and stablished amonge them an honest ciuill gouernment Whereby it happened that as we see in brookes and riuers where any litle thinge stoppeth and falleth to the bottome which the course of the water bringeth downe the streame there the rest that followeth doth vse to stay and goe no further euen so in the cities of GREECE that were in harde state and sore weakened by faction one against an other the ACHAIANS were the first that stayed themselues and grewe in amity one with the other and afterwardes drewe on the rest of the cities into league with them as good neighbours and confederats Some by helpinge and deliueringe them from the oppression of tyrans and winninge other also by their peaceable gouernment and good concorde they had a meaninge in this wise to bringe all the contrie of PELOPONNESVS into one body and league Neuerthelesse while Aratus liued they depended most apon the strength and power of the MACEDONIANS first with stickinge vnto kinge Ptolomie and then vnto Antigonus and last to Philip who ruled in manner all the state of GREECE But when Pholopoemen came to gouerne and to be the chiefest man the ACHAIANS beinge stronge enough to resist the strongest woulde marche then no more vnder any other bodies ensigne nor woulde suffer any more straunge
desirous to bring his men safe home againe who most of loue had followed him beganne to marche away through narrow bushy places him selfe being in the rereward and turned oftentimes vpon his enemies skirmished with them onely to driue them away from followinge of the rest of his company and not a man that durst once set apon him for they did but cry outaloofe and wheele as it were about him Howebeit Philopoemen sundry times venturinge farre from his company to geue these young noble men leasure to saue them selues one after an other tooke no heede to him selfe that he was alone enuironned on euery side with a great number of ennemies Notwithstandinge of all his enemies there was not a man that durst come to hande strokes with him but still slinging and shooting at him a farre of they draue him in the end amongest stony places betwene hewen rockes where he had much a doe to guide his horse although he had spurred him that he was all of a gore blood And as for his age that did not lette him but he might haue saued him selfe for he was strong and lusty by the continuall exercise he tooke but by cursed happe his body being weake with sickenes and weary with the long iorney he had made that day he founde him selfe very heauy and ill disposed that his horse stumbling with him threwe him to the grounde His fall was very great and brused all his head that he lay for dead in the place a great while and neuer sturred nor spake so that his enemies thinkinge he had bene dead came to turne his body to strippe him But when they saw him lift vp his head and open his eyes then many of them fell all at once apon him and tooke him and bounde both his hands behinde him and did all the villany and mischiefe they could vnto him and such as one would litle haue thought Dinocrates would haue vsed in that sorte or that he could haue had such an ill thought towardes him So they that taried behinde in the city of MESSINA were maruelous glad when they heard these newes and ranne all to the gates of the city to see him brought in When they saw him thus shamefully bounde and pinnioned against the dignity of so many honors as he had receiued and of so many triumphes and victories as he had passed the most parte of them wept for pitie to consider the mishappe and ill fortune of mans nature where there is so litle certainety as in maner it is nothing Then beganne there some curteous speeche to runne in the mouthes of the people by litle and litle that they should remember the great good he had done vnto them in times past and the liberty he had restored them vnto when he expulsed the tyran Nabis out of MESSINA But there were other againe howbeit very few that to please Dinocrates sayed they should hang him on a gibbet and put him to death as a daungerous enemy and that would neuer forgiue man that had once offended him and the rather bicause he would be more terrible to Dinocrates then euer he was before if he escaped his hands receiuing such open shame by him Neuertheles in the end they caried him into a certen dungeon vnder the ground called the treasury which had neither light nor ayer at all into it nor dore nor half dore but a great stone rolled on the mouth of the dungeon and so they did let him downe the same and stopped the hole againe with the stone and watched it with armed men for to keepe him Now when these younge noble ACHAIAN horsemen had fled vppon the spurre a great way from the enemy they remembred them selues looked round about for Philopoemen finding him not in sight they supposed straight he had bene slaine Thereuppon they stayed a great while and called for him by name and perceiuing he aunswered not they beganne to say among them selues they were beastes and cowardes to flie in that sorte and how they were dishonored for euer so to haue forsaken their Captaine to saue themselues who had not spared his owne life to deliuer them from daunger Hereupon ryding on their way and enquiring still for him they were in the end aduertised how he was taken And then they went caried those newes through all the townes and cities of ACHAIA which were very sory for him and tooke it as a signe of great ill fortune toward them Wherupon they agreed to send Ambassadors forthwith to the MESSENIANS to demaunde him and in the meane time euery man should prepare to arme them selues to go thither and get him either by force or loue When the ACHAIANS had thus sent Dinocrates feared nothing so much as that delay of time might saue Philopoemenes life wherefore to preuent it as soone as night came and that the people were at rest he straight caused the stone to be rolled from the mouth of the dungeon and willed the hangman to be let downe to Philopoemen with a cuppe of poison to offer him who was commaunded also not to goe from him vntill he had dronke it When the hangman was come downe he found Philopoemen layed on the grounde apon a litle cloke hauinge no lift to sleepe he was so grieuously troubled in his minde Who when he sawe light and the man standing by him holding a cuppe in his hande with this poison he sate vpright vpon his cowch howbeit with great paine he was so weake and taking the cuppe in his hande asked the hangman if he heard any newes of the horsemen that came with him and specially of Lycortas The hangman made him answer that the most of them were saued Then he cast his handes a litle ouer his head and looking merely on him he sayd it is well seeing we are not all vnfortunate Therewith speaking no moe wordes nor makinge other a doe he droncke vp all the poison and layed him downe as before So nature straue not much withall his body being brought so lowe and thereupon the poison wrought his effect and rid him straight out of his paine The newes of his death ran presently through all ACHAIA which generally from high to low was lamented Whereupon all the ACHAIAN youth and counsellors of their cities and townes assembled them selues in the city of MEGALIPOLIS where they all agreed without delay to reuenge his death They made Lycortas their Generall vnder whose conduct they inuaded the MESSENIANS with force and violence puttinge all to the fire and sword so as the MESSENIANS were so feared with this mercilesse fury that they yelded them selues and wholly consented to receiue the ACHAIANS into their city But Dinocrates would not giue them leasure to execute him by iustice for he killed him selfe and so did all the rest make themselues away who gaue aduise that Philopoemen should be put to death But those that would haue had Philopoemen hanged on a gibbet Lycortas
that it was directly against the lawe that did expressely forbid any man to be chosen being absent and vntill also a certaine time appointed had past betwene the vacation and election before they could choose him officer twise in one office Some alleaged this law of intent to hinder the election But the people repulst them obiecting to the contrary that this was not the first time the law had geuen place to the benefit of the common wealth and that the occasion offered to abrogate the law at that present was no lesse then former occasions by the which they chose Scipio Consull against the course and time appointed by the law not for any feare they stoode in to lose their owne contrie but for the desire they had to destroy the contry of the CARTHAGINIANS by reason whereof the people proceeded to election And Marius bringing home his armie againe out of LIBYA into ITALIE tooke possession of his Consulship the first day of Ianuary on which day the ROMAINES beginne their yeare and therwithall made his triumphe into the city of ROME showing that to the ROMAINES which they thought neuer to haue seene and that was kinge Iugurthe prisoner who was so subtill a man and coulde so well frame him selfe vnto his fortune and with his craft and subtiltie was of so great corage besides that none of his enemies euer hoped to haue had him aliue But it is sayd that after he was led in this triumphe he fell mad straight apon it And the pompe of triumphe being ended he was caried into prisone where the sergeauntes for hast to haue the spoyle of him tare his apparell by force from of his backe and bicause they would take away his rich golde eare ringes that hong at his eares they pulled away with them the typpe of his eare and then cast him naked to the bottome of a deepe dungeon his wittes being altogether troubled Yet when they did throw him downe laughing he sayd O Hercules how colde are your stoues He liued there yet six dayes fighting with hunger and desiring alwayes to prolong his miserable life vnto the last hower the which was a iust deserued punishment for his wicked life In this triumphe were caried as they say three thowsand seuen hundred pound weight in gold and of siluer nygots fiue thowsand seuen hundred and lxxv pounde weight and more in golde and ready coyne eight and twenty thowsand and seuen hundred crownes After this triumphe Marius caused the Senate to assemble within the Capitoll where he entred into the companie with his triumphinge robe either bicause he forgot it or else of too grosse and vnciuill arrogancy but perceiuing that all the assemblie misliked of it he rose sodainly and tooke his long Consulls gowne and then returned quickely againe into his place Furthermore Marius departing to goe to the warres thought to traine his army by the way and to harden his souldiers vnto labor causing them to runne euery way making great longe iorneys compelling ech souldier to cary his owne furniture and to prepare him necessary vatells to finde him selfe withall so that euer after they made a prouerbe of it and called such aâ— were paineful and willing to do that which they were commaunded without grudging Marius moyles Other notwithstanding do shew an other cause and beginning of this prouerbe For they say that Scipio lying at the siege of the city of NVMANTIA would not only take view of the armor and horses of seruice that were in his armie but also of the moyles and other beastes of burden bicause he would see how they were kept furnished So Marius brought his horse and moyle to the muster which he kept him selfe fatte fayer and very well drest and his moyles heare so slike and smooth and there withall so lusty and trimme as none of the rest were like vnto them Scipio tooke great pleasure to see these beastes so well kept and in so good plyte insomuch as he spake of it afterwards many a time and oft And vpon his words this manner of talke was taken vp euer after and became a common prouerbe when they meane to mocke any man that is painefull and geuen to sore labor makinge as though they would praise him they call him Marius moyle Furthermore it was a happy turne for Marius in mine opinion that these barbarous people like in force to the beating backe of the raging seaes turned their first fury towardes SPAYNE and that he in the meane space had time and leasure to traine and exercise his souldiers to make them bolde and withall him selfe to be throughly knowen amongest them For when by litle and litle they had learned not to offend nor disobey then they found his rough commaunding and sharpe seuerity in punishing such as slacke their duety both profitable and very necessarie besides that it was also iust and reasonable Againe his great fury his sharpe words and his fierce lookes after they had a while bene vsed to them by litle and litle they seemed nothinge so fearfull to them as to their enemies But the thing that pleased the souldiers more then all the rest was his iustice acd vpright dealinge whereof they reporte such an example Marius had a nephewe of his in his campe called Caius Lusius who had charge of men in the army This Lusius was taken for a maruelous honest man sauing that he had this fowle vice in him that he would be sodainly in loue with fayer young boyes and as at that time he fell in loue with a trimme younge striplinge called Trebonius that serued vnder him and hauing many times lewdly entised him and neuer could obtaine his purpose at the last sent for him one night by his seruaunt The young man might not disobay his Captaine being sent for but presently went vnto him When he was come into his tent and that his Captaine did striue with all his force to doe him villanny he drewe out his sworde and killed him in the place And this was done when Marius was out of his campe who so soone as he returned caused the marshall to bring the young man before him Many stepped forth straight to accuse him but no man to defend him Wherefore he boldly began to tell his tale himselfe to name many witnesses who had both seene knowen how his dead Captaine had oftentimes offered him dishonor and how that he had continually resisted his abhominable motion and would neuer yeld him selfe vnto him for any gift or present he could offer him Wherefore Marius commending him greatly and being very glad of it caused presently one of those crownes to be brought vnto him which are vsed to be geuen to them that in a day of battel haue done some valliant deede and he him selfe did crowne Trebonius withall as one that had done a noble acte and at such a time as good and honest examples were requisite This iudgement of Marius beinge caried to ROME stoode
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
fought to keepe the way open for him with so great labor and paine that they were all wearie and ouerharried And furthermore there fell a maruelous great shower of raine vpon them as they were busie opening the way that troubled them more then the labor they had in hande Whereuppon the priuate Captaines of the bandes went to make Sylla vnderstande it and to pray him to deserre the battell vntill an other day showing him howe the souldiers wearied with labor lay downe vpon their targettes on the grounde to take their case Sylla perceiuing this was contented withall though greatly in deede against his will. But when he had geuen the signall to lodge and that they beganne to trenche and fortifie their campe Marius the younger commeth a horse backe marching brauely before all his companie hoping to haue surprised his enemies in disorder and by that meanes to haue ouerthrowen them easily But farre otherwise did fortune then performe the reuelation which Sylla had in his foresayed dreame for his men fallinge in a rage withall left their worke in the trenche where they wrought stucke their dartes vppon the bancke ranne vppon their enemies with their swordes drawen and with a maruelous crie set apon them so valliantly that they were not able to resist their furie but sodainly turned their backes and fled where there was a great and notable slaughter made of them Marius their Captaine fled to the citie of PRAENESTE where he found the gates shut but they threw him downe a rope from the wall which he tied about his midle and so was triced vp by it Yet some wryters say and Fenestella among other that Marius neuer sawe the battell for beinge wearied with labor and verie sleepie he laye vnder some tree in the shadowe to rest a litle after he had geuen the signall and word of the battell and slept so sowndly that he coulde scant awake with the noyse and fleeinge of his men Sylla him selfe wryteth that he lost at this battell but three and twentie men slewe twentiethowsande of his enemies and tooke eight thowsande prisoners His Lieutenauntes also had the like good successe in other places Pompeius Crassus Metellus and Seruilius which without any losse of their men or but with a verie small ouerthrewe many great mightie armies of their enemies Insomuch as Carbo the heade and chiefe of all the contrarie faction and he that most maintained it fled one night out of his campe and went beyonde the seaes into AFRICKE The last battell that Sylla had was agianst Thelesinus SAMNYTE who comming like a fresh champion to set apon him when he was already 〈…〉 ried and had fought many battells had almost slaine him euen at ROME gates For Thelesinus hauinge gathered together a great number of souldiers with one Lamponius LVCANIAN marched with all speede towards the city of PRAENESTE to deliuer Marius the younger that was besieged there But vnderstandinge that Sylla on the side came in great haste also to meete him and that Pomponius came behinde him on the other side perceiuing moreouer that the way was so shut vp that he could neither go forward nor backeward being a vallian◠souldier and one that had bene in many great foughten fieldes most daungerously ventured to go straight to ROME And so stale away by night with all his whole power and marching to ROME ward had almost taken it at his first comming for that there was neither watch nor ward kept but he stayed happely tenne furlonges from the gate Collina bragging with him selfe and beleuing that he should doe wonders for that he had mocked so many great Captaines The next morning betimes came diuerse young noble men and gentlemen out of the citie to skirmishe with Thelesinus who slue a great number of them and among others one Appius Claudius a young gentleman of a noble house and very honest Whereuppon as you may easily imagine the city trembled for feare and specially the women who fell a shreeking and running vp and downe as if they had bene all taken But in this great feare and trouble Balbus whom Sylla had sent came first with seuen hundred horse vpon the spurre and staying but a litle to coole and geue them breath brideled straight againe and went to set apon the enemies thereby to stay them Soone after him came Sylla also who commaunded his men that came first quickely to eate somwhat and that done put them straight in battell ray notwithstanding that Dolobella and Torquatus perswaded him to the contrary and besought him not to put his souldiers wearied with their iorney to so great and manifest a daunger and the rather bicause the had not to fight with Carbo and Marius but with the SAMNYTES and LVCANES who were both warlike nations good souldiers and those besides that most deadly hated the ROMANES But for all that Sylla draue them backe and commaunded his trumpets to sounde the alarome being almost within foure houres of night and this battell was sharper and more cruell then any other that euer he fought before The right wing where Crassus was had the better much but the left wing was very sore distressed stoode in great perill Sylla hearing thereof and thinking to helpe it got vp vppon a white courser that was both swift and very strong The enemies knewe him and there were two that lifted vp their armes to throw their dartes at him whom he saw not but his page gaue his horse such a lash with his whippe that he made him so to gird forward as the very pointes of the dartes came hard by the horse tayle and stucke fast in the grounde Some say that Sylla had a litle golden image of Apollo which he brought from the city of DELPHES and in time of warres ware it alwayes in his bosome which he then tooke in his hand and kissing it sayd O Apollo Pythias hast thou so highly exalted Cornelius Sylla so fortunate hitherto through so many famous victories and wilt thou now with shame ouerwhelme him wholly euen at the very gates of his owne naturall city among his contry men And so crying out to Apollo for helpe thrust into the prease among his men intreating some threatning others and layinge apon the rest stay them But for all he coulde doe all the left winge of his army was broken and ouerthrowen by his enemies and him selfe amongest them that fled was compelled to recouer his campe with speede hauing lost many of his frendes and familiars There were moreouer many citizens slaine and troden vnder seete both with horse and men that came only to see the battell fought so that they within the city thought them selues vtterly vndone Lucretius of sella furthermore he that besieged Marius in the citie of PRAENESTE had almost raised his siege vpon the wordes of them that fled and came thither from the battell who wished him to remoue with all speede possible for Sylla was slaine and
frendes but departed th one from thother more straunge then they met For Pompey by a plaine edict brake reuoked and disanulled all Lucullus ordinaunces and taking from him all his other souldiers left him but only sixtene hundred to accoÌ„pany his triumphe and yet they followed him with vnwilling mindes such was Lucullus imperfection mayme either by nature or frowardnes of fortune that he lacked the chiefest thing a Generall should haue which was to be beloued of his souldiers For if he had attained to that perfection amongest many other his excellent vertues and magnanimity wisedom iudgement iustice the riuer of Euphrates had not bene the vttermost confines of the Empire of ROME on ASIA side but it had exteÌ„ded as farre as the sea Hyrcane yea euen vnto thutmost parte of the world For king Tigranes had already conquered the other nations that lye beyonde that sauing the contrie of PARTHIA which then was not so great nor stronge as it appeared afterwardes in Crassus time nor so ioyned and knit together but what through ciuill dissentions amongest them at home and forrein warres of their neighbors abroade was so weake that with great difficulty they could defend themselues from the ARMENIANS that continually harried them out of their skinnes But to take thinges rightly as they be in deede me thinkes that Lucullus did more hurt vnto his contry by other then he did benefit the same by him selfe For the tokens of triumphe and victories which he wanne in ARMENIA so neere vnto the PARTHIANS the cities of TIGRANOCERTA and of NISIBIS which he had sacked and spoyled the great treasure that he brought to ROME and the Diadeame also of Tigranes which was shewed in triumphe as a prisoner with the rest moued Crassus with such a maruelous desire to passe into ASIA as if all the barbarous people had bene nothing but an assured spoyle and a purposed pray vnto all those that would come to take them But Crassus farre otherwise finding him selfe galled and troubled with the arrowes of the PARTHIANS knew then by proofe that Lucullus had not so much ouercome his enemies for that they wanted skill or were a cowardly people as he had done through his wisedom and valliantnes But that shal be seene hereafter Furthermore Lucullus being now returned to ROME found first of all his brother Marcus accused by one Gaius Memmius for that he had done in his office of treasorer in Syllaes time and by his commaundement whereof he was cleared by sentence of the iudges But Memmius of spight turned his anger against Lucullus selfe stirring vp the people against him and letting them vnderstand that Lucullus had kept backe and robbed much parte of the treasure which should haue comen to the common wealth and that to worke his feate the better had prolonged these warres as he did wherefore he perswaded them flatly to deny him the honor of his triumphe And truely Lucullus was in great daunger to haue lost it vtterly but that the noble men of the city and they that were of greatest authority intermedled them selues with the tribes when they came to passe it by voyces of the people whome they intreated so much through sute and perswasion that in the end with much a doe the people suffred him to enter the city in triumphe So Lucullus made a triumphant entry not terrible nor troublesome for the long shewe or sight thereof nor for the multitude of thinges that he brought thither with him as many other Captaines had done before him For he caused the showe place which they call Circus Flaminius at ROME to beset out and furnished chiefly with armor and weapons of the enemies to a maruelous number and with the kinges engynes and inuentions of battering peeces which was a pleasant sight to behold And in this show there was a certaine number of his men of armes brauely armed tenne cartes of warre armed with sythes that passed by and three score of the chiefest frendes and Captaines of the two kinges that were led prisoners through the city And there were also drawen after them a hundred and tenne gallies all armed in the prooues with strong spurres of copper and a statue of Mithridates all of cleane gold sixe foote high with a rich target set with pretious stones Besides all that there were twenty cubberds as full of siluer plate as could be and thirty cubberds full also of golden vessell armor and coyne of gold caried vpon mens shoulders After them followed eight mules loden with golden beddes and sixe and fifty other mules that caried siluer bullion a hundred seuen other moyles that caried siluer coyne amounting to the summe of two hundred three score and tenne thowsand Sestertios Furthermore there were bookes of accompt caried also wherein were particularly wrytten the summes of mony which Lucullus had deliuered before vnto Pompey for the warre against pyrates on the sea vnto the treasorers and high treasors to put into the sparing coffers of the common wealth at ROME And afterwardes in an article by it selfe that he had geuen nyne hundred and fifty Drachmas to euery souldier by the polle After the shewe of this triumphe was ended he made a generall feast in the which he feasted all the city and villages thereabouts which the ROMANES call Vicos And afterwardes forsooke his wife Clodia for her vnchast and wanton life and maried Seruilia Catoes sister howbeit he wanne nothing by thexchaunge for he sped as euill with the seconde as he did with the first For sauing that she was not slaundred with thin cest of her owne brethren otherwise she was as dishonest and vnchast as Clodia and yet he bare withall a while for her brothers sake but at the length grew weary of her and put her away as he had done Clodia Nowe when he had filled the Senate with a maruelous hope and expectation of him who thought they had now got one to encounter and withstande Pompeys tyranny and to vphold and maintaine the authority of the nobility and Senate against the people for that by his noble deedes he had atchieued so great fame and reputacion he sodainly gaue ouer all â—â—â—â—â—ges in th affayres of the common wealth either bicause he sawe it so best being a hard thing now to kepe it from ruine or else as other sayd for that he felt him selfe sufficiently furnished with honor and wealth and therefore determined from thenceforth to liue quietly all at his ease after so great paynes trauailes and troubles the end whereof fell nor out ouer fortunately And surely some were of his minde and liked this great chaunge of his maruelous well bicause he did not as Marius did neither happened on the ill successe and end that Marius had For Marius after the notable victories which he brought from the CIMERUS and after his valliant actes in warres which had won him great honor yet would he not so leaue of when he might haue
shielde but worse then that a voluntary forsaking of his prouince apon a base timerous minde geuing his enemy occasion thereby to doe some noble exployt depriuing him selfe of his honorable charge Wherefore Aristophanes mocketh him againe in his comedy of birdes saying It is no time to slepe and linger still As Nicias doth vvithout good cause or skill Also in an other place of his comedy of plowmen he sayth I faine vvould follovv husbandry VVho lets thee Mary you A thovvsand Dragmaze I vvill geue to be discharged novv Of office in the common vveale Content so shall vve haue Tvvo thovvsand Dragmaze iust vvith those that Nicias lately gaue But herein Nicias did great hurt to the cōmon wealth suffering Cleon in that sorte to grow to credit estimacion For after that victory Cleon grew to so hautie a minde pride of him selfe that he was not to be delt withall wherupon fel out the occasiō of the great miseries that happened to the city of ATHENS which most grieued Nicias of all other For Cleon amongst other thinges tooke away the modesty and reuerence vsed before in publicke Orations to the people he of all other was the first that cried out in his Orations that clapped his hand on his thigh threw open his gowne floong vp downe the pulpit as he spake Of which exāple afterwardes followed all licentiousness and contempt of honesty the which all the Orators counsellors fell into that delt in matters of state cōmon wealth was in the end the ouerthrow of all together In that very time began Alcibiades to grow to credit by practise in the state who was not altogether so corrupt neither simply euill but as they say of the lande of EGYPT that for the fatnes and lustines of the soyle It bringeth forth both holsome herbes and also noysome vveedes Euen so Alcibiades wit excelling either in good or ill was the cause and beginning of great chaunge and alteracion For it fell out that after Nicias was ridde of Cleon he could not yet bring the citie of ATHENS againe to peace and quietnes For when the common wealth began to grow to some rest and reasonable good order then was it againe brought into warres through Alcibiades extreame fury of ambition And thus it beganne The only peacebreakers and disturbers of common quiet generally throughout GRAECE were these two persones Cleon and Brasidas for warre cloked the wickednes of the one and aduaunced the valiantnes of the other geuing to either occasion to doe great mischiefe and also oportunity to worke many noble exploytes Now Cleon and Brasidas being both slaine together at a battell fought by Armphipolis Nicias straight perceiuing the SPARTANS had long desired peace and that the ATHENIANS were no more so hottely geuen to the warres but that both the one the other had their handes full were willing to be quiet deuised what meanes he might vse to bring SPARTA and ATHENS to reconciliation againe and to rid all the cities of GRAECE also from broyle and misery of warre that thenceforth they might all together enioy a peaceable and happy life The riche men the olde men and the husbandmen he found very willing to hearken to peace and talking priuately also with diuers others he had so perswaded them that he cooled them for being desirous of warres Whereupon putting the SPARTANS in good hope that all were inclined to peace if they sought it the SPARTANS beleued him not onely for that they had founde him at other times very soft and curteous but also bicause he was carefull to see that their prisoners of SPARTA who had bene taken at the forte of Pyle were gently intreated and had made their miserable captiuity more tollerable So peace was concluded betwene the SPARTANS and the ATHENIANS for a yeare during which abstinence they frequenting one an other againe and beginning to taste the sweetnes and pleasures of peace and the safety of free accesse one to see an others frendes that were staungers began then to wishe that they might still continue in peace and amity together without effusion of blood of either partie and tooke great delight in their daunces to hear them singe such songes And let my speare lye outgrovven vvith dusty spyders vvebbes They did also with great ioy gladnes remember him which sayd that in peace no sound of trompet but the crowing of the cocke doth wake them that be a sleepe and on the other side they cursed and tooke on with them that sayd it was predestined the warre should continue thrise nine yeares And so vpon a meeting together to talke of many matters they made an vniuersall peace throughout all GRAECE Now most men thought that surely all their sorrowes and miseries were come to an ende and there was no talke of any man but of Nicias saying that he was a man beloued of the goddes who for his deuotion towardes them had this speciall gift geuē him that the greatest blessing that could come vnto the world was called after his name For to confesse a troth euery man was certainly perswaded that this peace was Nicias worke as the warre was Pericles procurement who vpon light causes perswaded the GRAECIANS to runne headlong into most grieuous calamities and Nicias on the other side had brought them to become frends and to forget the great hurtes the one had receiued of the other in former warres And euē to this present day that peace is called Nicium as who would say Nicias peace The capitulacions of the peace were thus agreed vpon that of either side they should alike deliuer vp the cities and landes which eche had taken from other in time of warres together with the prisoners also and that they should first make restitution whose lot it was to beginne Nicias according to Theophrastus reporte for ready money secretly bought the lot that the LACEDAEMONIANS might be the first that should make restitution And when the CORINTHIANS and BOBOTIANS that disliked of this peace sought by the complaintes they made to renue the warre againe Nicias then perswaded both the ATHENIANS and LACEDAEMONIANS that they should adde for strength vnto their contry the allyance peace offensiue and defensiue made betwene them for a more sure knot of frendshippe wherby they might be the better assured the one of the other and also the more dredfull to their enemies that should rebell against them These thinges went cleane against Alcibiades minde who besides that he was ill borne for peace was enemy also vnto the LACEDAEMONIANS for that they sought to Nicias and made none accompt of him but despised him Here was thoccasion that caused Alcibiades to proue from the beginning what he could doe to hinder this peace wherein he preuailed nothing Yet shortly after Alcibiades perceiuing that the ATHENIANS liked not so well of the LACEDAEMONIANS as they did before and that they thought themselues iniuried by thē bicause they
with the Ostracismon For himself was the last as Hipparchus CHOLARGIAN and nearest kinseman to the tyranne was the first Sure fortune is a very vncerten thing without coÌ„ceit of reason For had Nicias franckely put him selfe to the hazard of this banishment against Alcibiades one of these two things must needes haue happened him either to haue remained in the city with victory his aduersary being banished or being conuict by his banishment to haue scaped those extreame miseries and calamities the which he afterwards fell into besides the same he had wonne of a wise Captaine though he had bene ouercomen I know notwithstanding that Theophrastus wryteth how Hyperbolus not Nicias was banished through the dissention that fell betwext Phaeâ—x and Alcibiades albeit most wryters agree with that I haue told you before Now the Ambassadors of the EGESTANS and LEONTINES being comen to ATHENS to perswade the ATHENIANS to attempt the conquest of SICILIA Nicias being against it was ouercome by Alcibiades craft ambition For he before they were called to counsell had already through false surmises filled the peoples heades with a vaine hope perswasion of conquest Insomuch as the young men meeting in places of exercise the old men also in artificers shoppes and in their compassed chayers or halfe circles where they sate talking together were euery one occupied about drawing the platforme of SICILE telling the nature of the SICILIAN sea reckoning vp the hauens and places looking towards AFRICKE For they made not their accompt that SICILE should be the end of their warres but rather the storehouse and armorie for all their munition and martiall prouision to make warre against the CARTHAGINIANS and to conquer all AFRICKE and consequently all the AFRICKE seas euen to Hercules pillers Now all their mindes being bent to warres when Nicias spake against it he founde very fewe men of quality to stand by him For the riche fearing least the people would thinke they did it to auoide charge and the cost they should be at about these warres they held their peace though in dede not contented with all yet would not Nicias leaue still to counsell theÌ„ to the contrary But when they had past the decree in counsell for the enterprise of SICILE and that the people had chosen him chiefe Captaine with Alcibiades and Lamachus to follow the same at the next session of the counsell holden in the citie Nicias rose vp againe to see if he could turne the people from this iorney with all the protestations he could possibly make burdening Alcibiades that for his owne ambition and priuate commodity he brought the common wealth into so farre and daungerous a warre But all his wordes preuailed not Him selfe before all others was thought the meetest man for this charge partely bicause of his experience â—â—â— chiefely for that they knew he would handle their matters with greater safety when his tiâ—â—rous foresight should be ioyned with Alcibiades valiantnes and with Lamachus softnes which in deede most confirmed the election Now after the matter thus debated Demostratus one of the Orators that most procured the ATHENIANS to vndertake this enterprise stepped foorth and sayd It were good that Nicias lest of and set a side all these excuses and deuises and preferred a decree that the people shoulde thorowely authorise the Captaines that were chosen to set forward execute what they thought good as well here as there and so perswaded the people to passe and authorise it Yet it is sayd that the Priestes obiected many thinges to hinder the iorney But Alcibiades also hauing suborned certaine soothsayers alleaged inâ— like case some auncient Oracles that sayd the ATHENIANS should haue great honor from SICILE further had intised certaine pilgrimes who sayd they were but newly come from the Oracle of Iupiter Ammon and had brought this Oracle thence That the Athenians should take all the Syracusans But worst of all if any knew of contrary signes or tokens to come they held their peace least it should seâ—me they entermeddled to prognosticate euill for affections sake seeing that the signes them selues which were most plaine and notorious could not remoue them from thenterprise of this iorney As for example the hacking and cutting of the Hermes and images of Mercurye which in one night were all to be mangled sauing one image only called the Hermes of Andocides which was geuen consecrated in old time by the tribe of the AEGEIDES and was set vp directly ouer against a citizens house called Andocides Furthermore the chaunce that happened by the aulter of the twelue goddes where a man leaping sodainly vpon it after he had gone round about it cut of his genitories with a stone And in a temple also in the city of DELPHES where was a litle image of Minerua of gold set apon a palme tree of copper which the citie of ATHENS had geuen of the spoyles wonne of the MEDES Apon that palme tree sate certaine crowes many dayes together and neuer left pecking and iobbing at the frute of it which was all of golde vntill they made the same to fall from the tree But the ATHENIANS sayd that the DELPHIANS whom the SYRACVSANS had subdued had finely fained this deuise There was a prophecy also that commauÌ„ded them to bring one of Mineruaes Nunnes to ATHENS that was in the city of CLAZOMENES So they sent for this Nunne called Hesychia which is rest it seemeth it was that which the goddess by this prophecy did counsell them vnto that for that time they should be quiet Meton the Astronomer hauing charge in the army leauied for the warre of SICILE being afrayed of this prophecie or otherwise misliking the celestiall signes and successe of the iorney fained him selfe mad and set his house a fire Others say he counterfeated not madnes but did one night in deede set his house a fire and that the next morning looking ruefully on it he went into the market place as a man brought to pitiefull state to sue to the people that in coÌ„sideration of his great misfortune happened him they would discharge his sonne of the voyage who was to take charge of a gallie at his owne cost and ready to make sayle Moreouer the familiar spirite of wise Socrates that did vse to tell him before what should happen told him then that this iorney would fall out to the destruction of ATHENS Socrates told it â—o certaine of his very familiar frendes and from them the rumor became common And this also troubled a number of them for the vnluckie dayes on the which they did imbarke For they were the very dayes on the which the women celebrated the feast and yereday of Adonis death and there were also in diuers partes of the city images of dead men caried to buriall and women following them mourning lamenting So that such as did put any confidence in those signes sayd they misliked it much and that they were afrayed
Generall and Consull of the ROMANES Ariamnes being crafty subtill speaking gently vnto Cassius did comforte him and prayed him to haue pacience and going and comming by the bandes seeming to helpe the souldiers he tolde merily O my fellowes I beleue you thinke to marche through the contry of Naples and looke to meete with your pleasaunt springes goodly groues of wodde your naturall bathes and the good innes round about to refreshe you and doe not remember that you passe through the desertes of ARABIA and ASSYRIA And thus did this barbarous Captaine entertaine the ROMANES a while but afterwardes he dislodged betimes before he was openly knowen for a traitor and yet not without Crassus priuity whom he bare in hands that he would goe set some broyle and tumult in the enemies campe It is reported that Crassus the very same day came out of his tent not in his coate armor of scarlet as the maner was of the ROMANE Generalls but in a blacke coate howbeit remembring him selfe he straight chaunged it againe It is sayd moreouer that the ensigne bearers when they should march away had much a doe to plucke their ensignes out of the ground they stucke so fast But Crassus scoffing at the matter hastened them the more to marche forward compelling the footemen to goe as fast as the horsemen till a fewe of their skowtes came in whom they had sene to discouer who brought newes howe the enemies had slaine their fellowes and what a doe they had them selues to scape with life and that they were a maruelous great army wel appointed to geue them battell This newes made all the campe afrayed but Crassus selfe more than the rest so as he beganne to set his men in battell ray being for hast in maner besides him selfe At the first following Cassius minde he set his ranckes wide casting his souldiers into square battell a good way a sonder one from an other bicause he would take in as much of the plaine as he coulde to keepe the enemies from compassinge them in and so deuided the horsemen into the winges Yet afterwardes he chaunged his minde againe and straited the battell of his footemen facioning it like a bricke more long than broade making a front and shewing their faces euery way For there were twelue cohorts or ensignes imbattelled on either side by euery cohorte a company of horse bicause there should be no place left without aide of horsemen and that all his battell should be a like defended Then he gaue Cassius the leading of one wing his sonne Publius Crassus the other and him selfe led the battel in the middest In this order they marched forward till they came to a litle brooke called Balissus where there was no great store of water but yet happely lighted on for the souldiers for the great thirst and extreame heate they had abidden all that painefull way where they had met with no water before There the most parte of Crassus Captaines thought best to campe all night that they might in the meane time finde meanes to knowe their enemies what number they were and how they were armed that they might fight with them in the morning But Crassus yeelding to his sonnes and his horsemens perswasion who intreated him to march on with his army and to set apon the enemy presently commaunded that such as would eate should eate standing keeping their ranckes Yet on the sodaine before this commaundement could runne through the whole army he commaunded them againe to march not fayer and softly as when they go to geue battell but with speede till they spied the enemies who seemed not to the ROMANES at the first to be so great a number neither so brauelie armed as they thought they had bene For concerning their great number Surena had of purpose hid them with certaine troupes he sent before and to hyde their bright armors he had cast clokes and beastes skinnes apon them But when both the armies approached neere th one to thother that the signe to geue charge was lift vp in the ayer first they filled the fielde with a dreadfull noyse to heare For the PARTHIANS doe not encorage their men to fight with the sounde of a horne neither with trompets nor how boyes but with great kettle drommes hollow within about them they hang litle bells copper rings and with them they all make a noise euery where together and it is like a dead sounde mingled as it were with the braying or bellowing of a wild beast a fearefull noyse as if it thundered knowing that hearing is one of the senses that soonest moueth the harte spirite of any man maketh him soonest besides him selfe The ROMANES being put in feare with this dead sounde the PARTHIANS straight threw the clothes couerings from them that hid their armor then shewed their bright helmets and curaces of Margian tempered steele that glared like fire their horses barbed with steele and copper And Surena also General of the PARTHIANS who was as goodly a personage and as valliant as any other in all his host though his beawtie somewhat effeminate in iudgement shewed small likelyhoode of any such corage for he painted his face and ware his heare after the facion of the MEDES contrary to the maner of the PARTHIANS who let their heare grow after the facion of the TARTARES without combing or tricking of them to appeare more terrible to their enemies The PARTHIANS at the first thought to haue set apon the ROMANES with their pykes to see if they could breake their first ranckes But when they drew neere and saw the depth of the ROMANES battell standing close together firmely keping their â—ancke â—â— then they gaue backe to making as though they fled dispersed them selues But the ROMANES hâ—rneled when they found it contrary that it was but a deuise to enuironne them on euery side Whereupon Crassus commaunded his shot and light armed men to assaile them which they did but they went not farte they were so beaten in with arrowes and driuen to â—â—â— to their sorde of the armed men And this was the first beginning that both scared and troubled the ROMANES when they saw the vehemency and great force of the enemies shotte which brake their armors and ranne thorowe any thing they hit were it neuer so hard or soft The PARTHIANS thus still drawing backe shotte all together on euery side nor a forehande but an aduentureâ— for the battell of the ROMANES stoode so neere together as if they would they could not misse the killing of some These bo wiâ—â— drew a great strength had bigge strong bowes which on the arrowes from them with a wonderful force The ROMANES by meanes blichese bowes were in hard state For if they kept their rancks they were grieuously wouÌ„ded againe if they felt them and sought to run apon the PARTHIANS to fight at hande with them they saw they
an other without any playing or vncomely talke In the middest of supper they that sought occasion of quarrell beganne to speake lewde wordes counterfeating to be dronke and to play many vile partes of purpose to anger Sertorius Whereuppon Sertorius whether it was that he coulde not abide to see those villanous partes or that he mistrusted their ill will towardes him by fumbling of their wordes in their mouthes and by their vnwonted irreuerent maner shewed vnto him fell backewards apon the bed where he sate at meate seeming no more to marke what they did or sayd Perpenna at that instant tooke a cuppe full of wine making as though he dranke let it fall of purpose The cuppe falling drowne made a noyse and that was the signe geuen among them Therewithall Antonius that sate aboue Sertorius at the table stabbed him in with his dagger Sertorius feeling the thrust stroue to rise but the traiterous murderer got vp on Sertorius brest held both his handes And thus was Sertorius cruelly murdered not able to defend him selfe all the conspirators falling apon him Sertorius death being blowen abroade the most parte of the SPANYARDS sent Ambassadors immediatly vnto Pompey and Metellus and yeelded them selues vnto them and Perpenna with those that remained with him attempted to doe some thing with Sertorius army and preparation But all fell out to his vtter destruction and ruine making the world know that he was a wicked man who could neither commaund nor knew how to obey For he went to assaile Pompey who had ouerthrowen him straight and was in the end taken prisoner And yet in that instant of his calamitie he did not vse him selfe like a valliant minded man and one worthy to rule for thinking to saue his life hauing Sertorius letters and wrytinges he offered Pompey to deliuer him all Sertorius letters sent him from the chiefest Senators of ROME wrytten with their owne handes requestinge Sertorius to bring his armie into ITALIE where he should finde numbers of people desirous of his comming and that gaped still for chaunge of gouernment But here did Pompey shewe him selfe a graue and no younge man deliueringe thereby the citie of ROME from great feare and daunger of chaunge and innouation For he put all Sertorius letters and wrytinges on a heape together and burnt them euery one without readinge any of them or sufferinge them to be red And moreouer he presently put Perpenna to death fearing he should name some which if they were named would breede new occasion of trouble sedition And as for the other conspirators some of thē afterwards were brought to Pompey who put them all to death and the rest of them fled into AFRICKS where they were all ouerthrowen by them of the contrie and not a man of them scaped but fell vnfortunately apon th edge of the sworde Aufidius only except Manlius companion in loue Who either bicause he was not reckened of or else vnknowen dyed an olde man in a pelting village of the barbarous people poore miserable and hated of all the world THE LIFE OF Eumenes DVris the Historiographer wryteth that Eumenes was borne in the citie of CARDIA in THRACIA being a cariers sonne of the same contrie who for pouertie earned his liuing by carying marchaundises to and fro and that he was notwithstanding honestly brought vp as well at schoole as at other comely exercises And furthermore how that he being but a boy Philip king of MACEDON chaunsing to come through the city of CARDIA where hauing nothing to do he tooke great pleasure to see the young men of the citie handle their weapons boyes to wrestle and among them Eumenes shewed such actiuitie and performed it with so good a grace withall that Philippe liked the boye well and tooke him away with him But sure their reporte seemeth truest which wryte that Philippe did aduaunce him for the loue he bare to his father in whose house he had lodged After the death of Philippe Eumenes continued his seruice with king Alexander his sonne where he was thought as wise a man as faithfull to his master as any and though he was called the Chaunceller or chiefe secretary yet the king did honor him as much as he did any other of his chiefest frendes familiars For he was sent his Lieutenaunt generall of his whole army against the INDIANS and was Perdiccas successor in the gouernment of his prouince Perdiccas being preferred vnto Hephaestions charge after his death Nowe bicause Neoptolemus that was one of the chiefe Squiers for the body vnto the king after the death of Alexander told the Lordes of the counsell of MACEDON that he had serued the king with his shield and speare and howe Eumenes had followed with his penne and paper the Lordes laughed him to scorne knowing that besides many great honors Eumenes had receiued the king esteemed so well of him that he did him the honor by mariage to make him his kinseman For the first Lady that Alexander knew in ASIA was Barsine Artabazus daughter by whom he had a sonne called his name Hevenles of two of her sisters he maried the one of them called Apama vnto Ptolomye her other sister also called Barsine he bestowed vpon Eumenes when he distributed the PERSIAN Ladies among his Lordes and familiars to marrie them Yet all this notwithstanding he often fell in disgrace with king Alexander stoode in some daunger by meanes of Hephaestion For Hephaestion following Alexanders courte on a time hauing appointed Euius a phiphe player a lodging which Eumenes seruauntes had taken vp for their maister Eumenes being in a rage went with one Mentor vnto Alexander crying out that a mā were better be a phiphe a common plaier of Tragedies then a souldier sithence such kinde of people were preferred before men of seruice that ventured their liues in the warres Alexander at that present time was as angrie as Eumenes roundly tooke vp Hephaestion for it howbeit immediatly after hauing chaunged his minde he was much offended with Eumenes bicause he thought him not to haue vsed that franke speech so much against Hephaestion as of a certaine presumptuous boldenes towardes him selfe And at an other time also when Alexander was sending Nearchus with his army by sea to cleere the coastes of the Occean it chaunsed the king was without money whereupon he sent to all his frendes to take vp money in prest and among others vnto Eumenes of whom he requested three hundred talentes Eumenes lent him but a hundred and sayd he had much a doe to get him so much of all his tenantes Alexander sayd nothing to him neither would he suffer them to take his hundred talentes but commaunded his officers to set Eumenes tent a fire bicause he would take him tardy with a lye before he could geue order to cary away his gold and siluer Thus was his tent burnt downe to the ground before they could
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
though his master Pompey was but meanly housed till his third Consullshippe Howbeit afterwardes he built that famous stately Theater called Pompeys Theater and ioyned vnto that also an other house as a penthouse to his Theater farre more sumptuous and stately then the first and yet no more then needed Insomuch as he that was owner of it after him when he came into it he marueled and asked where abouts it was that Pompey dyned supped These thinges are reported thus Now the king of the ARABIANS that dwelt also at the castell called Petra hauing neuer vntill that time made any accompt of the ROMANES army was 〈…〉 greatly affrayed of them and wrote vnto Pompey that he was at his deuotion to doe what he would commaunde him Pompey thereuppon to proue him whether he ment as he 〈…〉 brought his army before this castell of Petra Howebeit this voyage was not liked of many men bicause they iudged it was an occasion found out to leaue following of Mithridates against whom they would haue had him rather haue bent his force being an auncient enemy to ROME and that beganne to gather strength againe and prepared as they heard say to lead a great army through SCYTHIA and PANNONIA into ITALIE But Pompey thinking he should sooner minishe his power by suffering him to goe on with warres then that he should otherwise be able to take him flying would not toyle to follow him in vaine And for these causes he would needes make warres in other places and linger time so long that in the end he was put by his hope For when he was not farre from the castell of Petra had lodged his campe for that day as he was riding and managing his horse vp and downe the campe postes came stinging to him from the realme of PONTVS and brought him good newes as was easily to be discerned a farre of by the heades of their iauelings which were wreathed about with laurell boughes The souldiers perceiuing that flocked straight about him but Pompey would make an ende of his riding first before he red these letters Howbeit they crying to him and being importunate with him he lighted from his horse and returned into his campe where there was no stone high enough for him to stand vppon to speake vnto them and againe the souldiers would not tary the making of one after the manner of their campe which men of warre doe make them selues with great turnes of earth laying one of them vppon an other but for hast earnest desire they had to heare what newes there was in the letters they layed together a heape of saddells one apon an other and Pompey geuing vp of them colde howe Mithridates was dead and had killed him selfe with his owned handes bicause his sonne Pharnaces did rebell against him and had wonne all that which his father possessed wryting vnto him that he kept it for him selfe and the ROMANES Vpon these newes all the campe ye may imagine made wonderfull ioy and did sacrifice to the goddes geuing them thankes were as mery as if in Mithridates person alone there had dyed an infinite number of their enemies Pompey by this occasion hauing brought this warre more easily to passe then he hoped for departed presently out of ARABIA and hauing speedily in few dayes passed through the contries lying by the way he came at length to the city of AMISVS There he founde great presents that were brought vnto him from Pharnaces and many dead bodies of the kinges blood and amongest the rest Mithridates corse which could not well be discerned by his face bicause they that had the carying of his body had forgotten to drie vp the braine neuerthelesse such as desired to see him knew him by certaine skarres he had in his face For Pompey would is no wise see him but to auoide enuy sent him away vnto the city of SYNODE He wondred much at the maruelous sumptuons riche apparell and weapons that he ware The scaberd of his sword which cost foure hundred talents was stolen by Publius and sold to Ariarathes Also a hatte of Mithridates of wonderfull workemanshippe being begged of Carus his foster brother was secretly geuen to Faustus the sonne of Sylla without Pompeys priuity But afterwards when Pharnaces vnderstoode of it he punished the parties that had imbezelled them Pompey hauing ordered all things and established that prouince went on his iorney homewards with great pompe and glory So comming vnto MITYLENE he released the city of all taxes and paymentes for Theophanes sake was present at a certaine play they yearely make for gain or where the Poets report their workes contending one with an other hauing at that time no other matter in hande but Pompeys actes and ieâ—stes Pompey like exceeding well the Theater where these playes were made and drew a modell or platforme of it to make a statelye then that in ROME As he passed by the city of RHODES he would nedes heare all the Rethoritians dispute and gaue euery one of them a talent Posidonius hath written the disputation he made before Pompey against Hermagoras the Rethoritian vpon the theame and proposition Pompey selfe did geue them touching the generall question Pompey did the like at ATHENS vnto the Philosophers there For he gaue towards the reedifying of the city againe fifty talents So he thought at his returne home into ITALIE to haue bene very honorably receiued and longed to be at home to see his wife and children thinking also that they long looked for him that the god that hath the charge geuen him to mingle fortunes prosperity with some bitter soppe of aduersity layed a blocke in his way at home in his owne house to make his returne more sorowfull For Mutia his wife had in his abscence played false at tables But Pompey being then farre of made no account of the reportes nor tales that were tolde him Howbeit when he drewe neerer into ITALIES and that he was more attentiue to geue eare to the ill reportes he heard then he sent vnto her to tell her that he refused her for his wife wryting nothing to her at that time neither euer after told the cause why he had forsaken her Notwithstanding in Ciceroes Epistles the cause appeareth Furthermore there were rumors ranne abroade in ROME which troubled them sore being geuen out that he would bring his armie straight to ROME and make him selfe absolute Lord of all the ROMANE Empire Crassus thereuppon either for that he beleued it in deede to be true or as it was thought to make the accusation true and the entry towardes Pompey the greater conueyed him selfe his family and goodes sodainely out of ROME So Pompey when he came into ITALIE called all his souldiers together and after he had made an oration vnto them as time occasion required he commanded them to feuer them selues euery man to repaire home to apply his busines remeÌ„bring to mete at
also that this was the chiefest cause of the beginning of the ciuil warres For he fell into such a pride and glorious conceit of him selfe with the exceeding ioye he tooke to see him selfe thus honored that forgetting his orderly gouernment which made all his former doings to prosper he grew to bolde in despising of Caesars power as though he stoode in no neede of other power or care to withstand him but that he could ouercome him as he would farre more easely then he could haue done before Furthermore Appius thereupon â—eâ—omed from GAVLE that brought him his two legions backe againe which he had lern vnto Caesar reproaching much his doinges which he had done there and geuing out many fowle words against Caesar. For he said that Pompey knew not his owne strength and authoritie that would seeke to make him selfe stronge by other power against him considering that he might ouercome him with his owne legions he should bring with him so soone as they sawe but Pompey in the face such ill will did Caesars owne souldiers beare him and were maruelous desirous besides to see him selfe These flattering tales so puffed vp Pompey and brought him into such a securitie and trust of him selfe that he mocked them to scorne which were affrayed of warres And to those also which said that if Caesar came to ROME they saw not how they could resist his power he smilingly aunswered them againe and bad them take no thought for that for as ofte said he as I doe but stampe with my foote apon the ground of ITALY I shal bring men enough out of euery corner both footemen and horsemen In the meane time Caesar gathered force still vnto him and thenceforth drew neerer vnto ITALY and send of his souldiers daily to ROME to be present at the election of the magistrates and many of them that were in office he wanne with money amongest whom was Paule one of the Consuls whom he wanne of his side by meanes of a thowsand fiue hundred talents And Curio the Tribune of the people whom he discharged of an infinite debt he ought and Mark Anthony also who for Curioes sake was discharged likewise for parte of the debt which Curio oughts being also bound as him selfe Furthermore it was found that a captaine or Centurion 〈…〉 Caesar being neere vnto the Senate vnderstanding that the counsell would not prolong Caesars gouernment which he required clapping his hand vpon the pummell of his sword well said he this shall geue it him So to be shorte all that was done and said tended to this end Notwithstanding the peticions and requestes that Curio made in Caesars behalfe seemed somewhat more reasonable for the people for he requested one of the two either to make Pompey to put downe his armie or els to licence Caesar to haue his armie aswell as he For either being both made priuate men they would fall to agreement of them selues or els being both of like strength neither of both would seeke any alterationâ— fearing one another but would content them selues either of them with their owne Or otherwise he that should weaken the one and strengthen the other should double his power whom he feared Thereto very whooly replyed the Clonsul Marcellus calling Caesar theefe and said that he should be proclaimed an apon enemie to â—â—â—â—â— if he did not desperse his armie This notwithstanding in â—â—â—e Curio Anthony and Piso procured that the Senate should decide the maiterâ— For said he all thuse that would haue Caesar leaue his army and Pompey to keepe his let them stand on th one side Thereupon the most parte of them stoode at one side Then he bad them againe come away from them that would haue them both leaue their armies Then there remained only but two and twentie that stoode for Pompey and all the rest went of Curioes side Then Curio looking aloâ—â— for ioy of the victorie went into the market place and there was receiued of his Tribune â—â—ction with showtes of ioy and clapping of handes and infinite nosegayes and garlandes of flowers throwen vppon him Pompey was not then present to see the Senators good will towardes him bicause by the law such as haue commaundement ouer souldiers can not enter into ROME Notwithstanding Marcellus standing vp sayd that he would not stande in fling hearing of orations and argumentes when he knew that tenne legions were already passed ouer the Alpes intending to come in armes against them and that he would send a man vnto them that should defende their contrie well enough Straight they chaunged apparel at ROME as their manner was in a common calamitie Marcellus then comminge through the market place vnto Pompey beinge followed of all the Senate went to him and tolde him openly Pompey I commaund thee to helpe thy contry with that army thou hast already and also to leauy more to aide thee The like speeche did Lentulus vse vnto him who was appointed one of the Consulls the yeare following Now when Pompey thought to leauy souldiers in ROME and to bill them some would not obey him a few others went vnwillingly to him with heauie hartes and the most of them cried peace peace Antony also against the Senates minde red a letter vnto the people sent from Caesar containing certaine offers and reasonable requestes to draw the common peoples affection towardes him For his request was that Pompey and he should both of them resigne their gouernments and should dismisse their armies to make all well referring them selues wholly to the iudgement of the people and to deliuer vp accompt vnto them of their doinges Lentulus being nowe entred into his Consulshippe did not assemble the Senate But Cicero lately returned out of CILICIA practised to bring them to agreement propounding that Caesar should leaue GAVLE and all the rest of his armie reseruing onely two legions and the gouernment of ILLYRIA attending his seconde Consulshippe Pompey liked not this motion Then Caesars frendes were contented to graunt that he should haue but one of his legions But Lentulus spake against it and Cato cried out on thother side also that Pompey was deceiued and they both So all treatie of peace was outâ—e of In the meane time newes came to ROME that Caesar had wonne ARIMINVM a fayer great citie of ITALIE and that he came directly to ROME with a great power But that was not true For he came but with three hundred horse and fiue thowsand footemen and would not tarie for the rest of his armie that was yet on thother side of the mountaines in GAVLE but made hast rather to surprise his enemies apon the sodaine being affrayd and in garboyle not looking for him so soone rather then to geue them time to be prouided and to fight with him when they were ready For when he was come to the riuers side of Rubicon which was the vtmost confine of the prouince he had in charge towardes ITALIE he stayed sodainely
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
went him selfe before with six hundred horse and fiue legions onely of footemen in the winter quarter about the moneth of Ianuary which after the ATHENIANS is called POSIDEON Then hauing past ouer the sea Ionium and landed his men he wanne the cities of ORICVM and APOLLONIA Then he sent his shippes backe againe vnto BRVNDVSIVM to transport the rest of his souldiers that could not come with that speede he did They as they came by the way like men whose strength of body lusty youth was decayed being wearied with so many sundry battells as they had fought with their enemies complayned of Caesar in this sorte To what ende and purpose doth this man hale vs after him vp and downe the world vsing vs like slaues and drudges It is not our armor but our bodies that beare the blowes away and what shall we neuer be without our harnes of our backes and our shieldes on our armes should not Caesar thinke at the least when he seeth our blood and woundes that we are all mortall men and that we feele the miserie and paynes that other men doe feele And now euen in the dead of winter he putteth vs vnto the mercie of the sea and tempest yea which the gods them selues can not withstand as if he fled before his enemies and pursued them not Thus spending time with this talke the souldiers still marching on by small iorneys came at length vnto the citie of BRVNDVSIVM But when they were come found that Caesar had already passed ouer the sea then they straight chaunged their complaints and mindes For they blamed them selues and tooke on also with their Captaines bicause they had not made them make more haste in marching and sitting vpon the rockes and clyffes of the sea they looked ouer the mayne sea towards the Realme of EPIRVS to see if they could discerne the shippes returning backe to transport them ouer Caesar in the meane time being in the citie of APOLLONIA hauing but a small armie to fight with Pompey it greued him for that the rest of his armie was so long a comming not knowing what way to take In the ende he followed a daungerous determinacion to imbarke vnknowen in a litle pynnase of twelue ores onely to passe ouer the sea againe vnto BRVNDVSIVM the which he could not doe without great daunger considering that all that sea was full of Pompeys shippes and armies So he tooke shippe in the night apparelled like a slaue and went aborde vpon this litle pynnase said neuer a word as if he had bene some poore man of meane condicion The pynnase laye in the mouth of the riuer of Anius the which commonly was wont to be very calme quiet by reason of a litle wind that came from the shore which euery morning draue backe the waues farre into the maine sea But that night by il fortune there came a great wind from the sea that ouercame the land wind insomuch as the force strength of the riuer fighting against the violence of the rage waues of the sea the encownter was maruailous daungerous the water of the riuer being driuen backe and rebounding vpward with great noyse and daunger in turning of the water Thereuppon the Maister of the pynnase seeing he could not possibly get out of the mouth of this riuer bad the Maryners to cast about againe and to returne against the streame Caesar hearing that straight discouered him selfe vnto the Maister of the pynnase who at the first was amazed when he saw him but Caesar then taking him by the hand sayd vnto him good fellow be of good cheere and forwardes hardily feare not for thou hast Caesar and his fortune with thee Then the Maryners forgetting the daunger of the storme they were in laid on lode with ores and labored for life what they could against the winde to get out of the mouth of this riuer But at length perceiuing they labored in vaine and that the pynnase tooke in aboundance of water and was ready to sincke Caesar then to his great griefe was driuen to returne backe again Who when he was returned vnto his campe his souldiers came in great companies vnto him were very sory that he mistrusted he was not able with them alone to ouercome his enemies but would put his person in daunger to goe fetch them that were absent putting no trust in them that were present In the meane time Antonius arriued and brought with him the rest of his armie from BRVNDVSIVM Then Caesar finding him selfe strong enough went offered Pompey battel who was passingly wel lodged for vittelling of his campe both by sea land Caesar on thother side who had no great plenty of vittels at the first was in a very hard case insomuch as his men gathered rootes mingled thē with milke eate them Furthermore they did make breade of it also sometime when they skirmished with the enemies came alongest by them that watched and warded they cast of their bread into their trenches and sayd that as longe as the earth brought forth such frutes they would neuer leaue beseeging of Pompey But Pompey straightly commaunded them that they should neither cary those words nor bread into their campe fearing least his mens hartes would faile them and that they would be affraid when they should thinke of their enemies hardnes with whome they had to fight sithe they were weary with no paynes no more then brute beastes Caesars men did daily skirmishe hard to the trenches of Pompeys campe in the which Caesar had euer the better sauing once only at what tyme his men fled with such feare that all his campe that daye was in greate hazarde to haue beene caste awaye For Pompey came on with his battell apon them and they were not able to abyde it but were fought with and dryuen into their campe and their trenches were filled with deade bodyes which were slayne within the very gate and bullwarkes of their campe they were so valiantly pursued Caesar stoode before them that fledde to make them to turne heade agayne but he coulde not preuayle For when he woulde haue taken the ensignes to haue stayed them the ensigne bearers threw them downe on the grounde so that the enemyes tooke two and thirtye of them and Caesars selfe also scaped hardely with lyfe For stryking a greate bigge souldier that fledde by him commaunding him to staye and turne his face to his enemie the souldier beeing affrayde lift vppe his sworde to stryke at Caesar. But one of Caesars Pages preuenting him gaue him suche a blowe with his sworde that he strake of his showlder Caesar that daye was brought vnto so greate extremitie that if Pompey had not eyther for feare or spytefull fortune left of to followe his victorie and retyred into his campe beeing contented to haue dryuen his enemyes into their campe returning to his campe with his friendes he sayde vnto them the victorie this daye
went forthwith to set apon the campe of Afranius the which he tooke at the first onset and the campe of the NVMIDIANS also king Iuba being fled Thus in a litle peece of the day only he tooke three campes slue fifty thowsand of his enemies and lost but fifty of his souldiers In this sorte is set downe theffect of this battell by some wryters Yet others doe wryte also that Caesar selfe was not there in person at th execution of this battel For as he did set his men in battell ray the falling sickenesse tooke him whereunto he was geuen and therefore feeling it comming before he was ouercome withall he was caried into a castell not farre from thence where the battell was sought and there tooke his rest till th extremity of his disease had left him Now for the Praetors Consulls that scaped from this battell many of them being taken prisoners did kill them selues and others also Caesar did put to death but he being specially desirous of all men else to haue Cato aliue in his hands he went with all possible speede vnto the citie of VTICA whereof Cato was Gouernor by meanes whereof he was not at the battell Notwithstanding being certified by the way that Cato had flaine him selfe with his owne handes he then made open shew that he was very sory for it but why or wherfore no man could tell But this is true that Caesar sayd at that present time O Cato I enuy thy death bicause thou diddest enuy my glory to saue thy life This notwithstanding the booke that he wrote afterwardes against Cato being dead did shew no very great affection nor pitiefull hart towardes him For how could he haue pardoned him if liuing he had had him in his handes that being dead did speake so vehemently against him Notwithstanding men suppose he would haue pardoned him if he had taken him aliue by the clemencie he shewed vnto Cicero Brutus and diuers others that had borne armes against him Some reporte that he wrote that booke not so much for any priuate malice he had to his death as for a ciuil ambition apon this occasion Cicero had written a booke in praise of Cato which he intituled Cato This booke in likely hoode was very well liked of by reason of the eloquence of the Orator that made it and of the excellent subiect thereof Caesar therewith was maruelously offended thinking that to praise him of whose death he was author was euen as much as to accuse him self therfore he wrote a letter against him heaped vp a number of accusations against Cato and intituled the booke Anticaton Both these bookes haue fauoâ—ers vnto this day some defending the one for the loue they bare to Caesar. and others allowing the other for Catoes sake Caesar being now returned out of AFRICKE first of all made an oration to the people wherein he greatly praised and commended this his last victorie declaring vnto them that he had conquered so many contries vnto the Empire of ROME that he coulde furnishe the common wealth yearely with two hundred thowsande busshells of wheate twenty hundred thowsand pound weight of oyle Then he made three triumphes the one for AEGYPT the other for the kingdom of PONTE and the third for AFRICKE not bicause he had ouercome Scipio there but king Iuba Whose sonne being likewise called Iuba being then a young boy was led captiue in the showe of this triumphe But this his imprisonment fel out happily for him for where he was but a barbarous NVMIDIAN by the study he fell vnto when he was prisoner he came afterwards to be reckoned one of the wisest historiographers of the GRAECIANS After these three triumphes ended he very liberally rewarded his souldiers and to curry fauor with the people he made great feasts common sportes For he feasted all the ROMANES at one time at two and twenty thowsand tables and gaue them the pleasure to see diuers sword players to fight at the sharpe and battells also by sea for the remembraunce of his daughter Iulia which was dead long afore Then after all these sportes he made the people as the manner was to be mustered and where there were at the last musters before three hundred and twenty thowsande citizens at this muster only there were but a hundred and fifty thowsand Such misery and destruction had this ciuill warre brought vnto the common wealth of ROME and had consumed such a number of ROMANES not speaking at all of the mischieues and calamities it had brought vnto all the rest of ITALIE and to the other prouinces pertaining to ROME After all these thinges were ended he was chosen Consul the fourth time and went into SPAYNE to make warre with the sonnes of Pompey who were yet but very young but had notwithstanding raised a maruelous great army together and shewed to haue had manhoode and corage worthie to commaunde such an armie insomuch as they put Caesar him selfe in great daunger of his life The greatest battell that was fought betwene them in all this warre was by the citie of MVNDA For then Caesar seeing his men sorely distressed and hauing their hands full of their enemies he ranne into the prease among his men that fought and cried out vnto them what are ye not ashamed to be beaten and taken prisoners yeelding your selues with your owne handes to these young boyes And so with all the force he could make hauing with much a doe put his enemies to flight he slue aboue thirty thowsand of them in the fielde and lost of his owne men a thowsand of the best he had After this battell he went into his tent and told his frends that he had often before fought for victory but this last time now that he had fought for the safety of his owne life He wanne this battell on the very feast day of the BACCHANALIANS in the which men say that Pompey the great went out of ROME about foure yeares before to beginne this ciuill warre For his sonnes the younger scaped from the battell but within few dayes after Diddius brought the heade of the elder This was the last warre that Caesar made But the triumphe he made into ROME for the same did as much offend the ROMANES and more then any thing that euer he had done before bicause he had not ouercome Captaines that were straungers nor barbarous kinges but had destroyed the sonnes of the noblest man in ROME whom fortune had ouerthrowen And bicause he had plucked vp his race by the rootes men did not thinke it meete for him to triumphe so for the calamities of his contrie reioycing at a thing for the which he had but one excuse to alleage in his defence vnto the gods and men that he was compelled to doe that he did And the rather they thought it not meete bicause he had neuer before sent letters nor messengers vnto the common wealth
honoring him for his Philosophie Thus Cato did pull downe the pride of the king at that time who before had vsed Scipio and Varus as his noble men and subiects howebeit Cato did reconcile them together againe Furthermore when all the companie prayed him to take charge of the whole armie and that Scipio him selfe and Varus both did first geue him place and willingly resigned vnto him the honor to commaunde the whole campe he aunswered them he woulde not offende the lawe sith he made warre onely to preserue the authoritie and priuiledge thereof neither would take vpon him to commaunde all him selfe being but Vicepraetor where there was a Viceconsull present For Scipio was created Proconsull and furthermore the people had a certayne confidence that their affaires woulde prosper the better if they had but the name of a Scipio to leade them in AFRICKE Nowe when Scipio was Generall ouer them he woulde straight for Iubaes sake haue put all the inhabitantes of the citie of VTICA without respect of age vnto the sworde and haue rased the houses to the grounde as those that had taken Caesars parte Howebeit Cato woulde not suffer him but protesting vnto them that were present and calling the gods to witnesse in open counsell with great difficulty he saued the poore people of VTICA from that cruell tragedy and slaughter Afterwards partly at the request of the people and partly also at Scipioes instance Cato tooke apon him to keepe the city fearing least by treason or against their wills it should come into Caesars hands bicause it was a strong place of scituacion and well replenished with all things necessary for him that should kepe it Cato did both furnish it also fortifie it For he brought in great store of corne he repaired the rampers of the walls made great high towers cast depe trenches round about the city paling thē in betwext the trenches and the towne he lodged all the young men of VTICA compelled them to deliuer vp their armor weapon and kept all the rest within the city it selfe carefully prouiding that neuer a man of thē should be hurt by the ROMANES besides did also send corne armor munition money vnto the campe so that the city of VTICA was the staple storehouse of the warres Moreouer as he had before counselled Pompey not to come to battell the like counsell he now gaue also vnto Scipio not to hazard battel against a man of great skill experience in warres but to take time whereby by litle and litle he should consume the power strength of Caesars tyranny But Scipio was so stowt that he regarded not Catoes coūsell but wrote otherwhile vnto him twitting him with his cowardlines in this maner that it was enough for him to be safe in a good city compassed about with walls though otherwise he sought not to hinder men to be valliant to execute any enterprise as occasion was offred Cato wrote againe vnto him that he was ready to goe into ITALIE with his footemen and horsemen which he had brought into AFRICKE to draw Caesar from them and to turne him against him Scipio made but a spor◠at it Then Cato shewed plainly that he did repent him he had geuen him the preferrement to be generall of the army bicause he saw he would but fondly prosecute this warre also that if he chaunced to ouercome he could not moderately vse the victory against his contry men Then he beganne to mistrust the good successe of this warre and so he told his frendes for the Generalls hastines and vnskilfulnesse and yet if beyonde expectacion it fell out well and that Caesar were ouerthrowen he would neuer dwell at ROME any more but would flye the crueltie and bitternes of Scipio who euen at that present time did prowdly threaten many But in the ende that fell out sooner then looked for For a poste came to him late that night who but three dayes before departed from the campe and brought newes that all was lost in a great battell by the citie of THAPSES which Caesar had wonne that he had taken both campes that Scipio and king Iuba were fled with a fewe men and that all the rest of their armie was slaine These newes did put the citizens in such a feare and maze and specially being in the warre and in the night time that for very feare they could scant keepe them selues within the walles of their citie But Cato meeting with them stayed them that ranne vp and downe crying in the streetes and did comfort them the best he could Yet he tooke not all their feare from them though he brought them againe vnto them selues from the extasie they were in declaring vnto them that the losse was nothing so great as it was made and that it was a common matter to enlarge suche newes with wordes enowe By these perswasions he somwhat pacified the tumult and vprore and the next morning by breake of day he made proclamacion that the three hundred men which he had chosen for his counsellers should come and assemble in the temple of Iupiter they all being citizens of ROME which for trafficke of marchaundise lay in AFRICKE and all the ROMANE Senators and their children also Nowe whilest they gathered them selues together Cato him selfe went verie grauely with a set modest countenaunce as if no suche matter had happened hauing a litle booke in his hande which he read as he went This booke conteyned the store and preparacion of minicion he had made for this warre as come armor weapons bowes slings and footemen When they were all assembled he began greatly to commend the good loue and faithfulnes of these three hundred ROMANES which had profitably serued their contry with their persons money and counsell and did counsell them not to depart one from an other as men hauing no hope or otherwise seeking to saue them selues scatteringly For remeining together Caesar would lesse despise them if they would make warre against him and would also sooner pardon them if they craued mercie of him Therefore he counselled them to determine what they would do and for his owne parte he sayed he would not mislike whatsoeuer they determined of for if their mindes followed their fortune he would thinke this chaunge to proceede of the necessitie of time But if they were resolued to withstande their misfortune and to hazard them selues to defend their libertie he then would not only commend them but hauing their noble corage in admiration would him selfe be their chieftaine and companion euen to proue the fortune of their contrie to the vttermost The which was not VTICA nor ADRVMETVM but the citie selfe of ROME the which oftentimes through her greatnes had raised her selfe from greater daungers and calamities Furthermore that they had many waies to saue them selues the greatest meane of all was this that they should make warre with a man who by reason of his warres was
neuertheles he told them that he would talke with the three hundred and so returning againe into VTICA he spake vnto them But they then not regarding the reuerēce vnto Cato dissembling no lenger said openly that they would not like of him whatsoeuer he were that should compel them to make warre with Caesar both bicause they would not nor could not doe it Further there were some of them that mumbled to them selues that the Senators should be kept there till Caesar came Cato ouerheard them for in deede his hearing was not very quicke At that very instant one came to him and tolde him that the horsemen were going their way Cato therefore fearing least these three hundred marchants would lay hands apon the Senators he went vnto them him selfe with his frends and perceiuing they were gone a great way of he tooke his horse and rode after them They reioycing to see him come receiued him among them and prayed him to saue him selfe with them But Cato prayed them againe to saue the Senators that with such affection as it forced teares in him besides he held vp his hands vnto them tooke their horses by the bridles them selues by their weapons that at length he obtained of them that they woulde remaine there one daye at the least to helpe the Senators to saue them selues So Cato returning with them into the city he appointed some of them to ward at the gates put others also in garrison into the castell so that the three hūdred marchants quaked for feare least he would haue bene reuenged of them bicause of their returne with him Thereuppon they sent vnto Cato humbly to praye him to come vnto them in any case But the Senators flocking about him would not suffer him to go said that they would not cast away their sauior and protector to put him into traitors hands Then doutles all that were within VTICA plainly saw the vertue simplicity of Cato and found that there was no frawde nor deceite in him who hauing long time resolued to kill him selfe he only tooke that extreame paines care for others that their liues being saued he might then rid him selfe of his owne For men might easely see though he dissembled it that he was resolued to dye Whereupon hauing comforted the Senators he yeelded vnto the requests of the three hundred marchants went him selfe alone vnto them Then they thanked him much for his cōming and prayed him to commaund them boldly to trust them so that he would pardon them if they could not be all Catoes and would take pity of their faint harts though they were not so constant noble minded as he For they were determined to send vnto Caesar specially to intreate him for him and if that they could not obteine pardon for him then they were assured they could haue none for them selues and therfore would fight for the safety of him while they had any breath in their bodies Cato thanking them for their good wills answered that they should send quickely to craue pardon for them selues but to aske none for him For sayd he men that be ouercome haue offended it standeth them vpon to make humble sute and to craue pardon but for him selfe he was neuer ouercome in his life and yet had ouercome as much as he desired and had alwayes bene better then Caesar in iustice who only not him selfe was now taken and ouercome the thing being apparantly proued in sight against him which he had alwaies denied to haue practised against his contry When he had made this answere vnto the three hundred marchants he departed from them Newes being brought that Caesar was in his way with all his armie comming towards VTICA O goddes sayd he then he commeth against vs as against men Then turning vnto the Senators he gaue them counsell quickely to saue them selues whilest the horsemen were yet in the city So shutting all the gates of the city sauing that towards the hauen he appointed shippes for them all and set euery thing at a stay without tumult or disorder no man hauing iniurie offered him and gaue euerie one money to make way for their safetie When Marcus Octauius who came with two legions and camped hard by VTICA sent vnto Cato to determine which of them two should be Generall◠he made no aunswere but turning to his frends said How can we wonder any more that all goeth to wracke with vs fith there is suche ambition amongst vs for the gouernmēt euen now when we are at the last cast In the meane time word was brought him how the horsemen going their way were spoyling of the citizens goods as a lawfull pray in warre He straight ran thither him selfe and the first he met withall he tooke from them that they had gotten The rest before he came vnto them threw downe that they were carying away hanging downe their heades for shame they went their way and said nothing Then Cato calling all the citizens of VTICA together prayed them not to incense nor moue Caesar against the three hundred but rather to craue of him pardon for thē all Then he went againe to the peere and there imbracing his frends taking his leaue of them all he brought them to their shippes Now for his sonne he did not coūsell him to go neither did he thinke it mete to vrge him to forsake his father Furthermore there was one Statilius a young man in his companie of a noble corage that was determined to follow the inuincible constancy of Cato who counselled him to take the sea and to saile away with the rest bicause he knew he was Caesars mortall enemy Statilius said he would not go Then Cato turning him vnto Apollonides a Stoick Philospher vnto Demetrius a Peripatetick Philosopher said you must take this stowt young man to perswade him to obey vnto necessity Cato him selfe in the meane time sent away the rest did minister iustice vnto them that required it spending all that night the next day about those matters Then Lucius Caesar the kinseman of Iulius Caesar the conqueror being chosen by the three hundred to goe make sute vnto him for them all came and prayed Cato to help him to make his oration which he should say vnto Caesar for them all and as for thee Cato said he I will kisse his hands and fall downe on my knees before him to intreate him for thee Nay said Cato thou shalt not do so For if I would saue my life by Caesars grace I could do it if I would but go vnto him howbeit I will not be bound to a tyran for iniustice For it is an iniustice in him to take vpō him as a Lord soueraine to saue a mans life when him selfe hath no authority to commaund But yet let vs consider if thou wilt what thou shalt say to craue pardon for the three hundred So they were a while together considering
swollen with the blow he gaue one of his slaues when he hit him on the face All his seruaunts were glad to heare of that hoping then that he desired to liue Soone after came Butas backe againe from the hauen and brought him word that all were gone but Crassus who stayed about some busines he had and yet that he was going to take shippe howbeit that the sea was very roughe and winde exceeding great Cato hearing this sighed being sory for them that were upon the sea and sent Butas backe againe to the hauen to see if any man came backe for any matter they had to say vnto him The litle birdes began to chirpe and Cato fel againe in a litle slumber But thereuppon Butas returned brought him word that all was quiet in the hauen there was no sturre Then Cato bad him goe his way and shut to the dore after him and layed him downe in his bed as though he had ment to haue slept out all the rest of the night Butas backe was no sooner turned but Cato taking his naked sword in his hand thrust it into his breast howbeit the swelling of his hande made the blowe so weake that it killed him not presently but drawing on to his latter ende he fell downe vpon his bedde and made such a noyse with his fall ouerthrowing a litle table of geometry hard by his bedde that his seruaunts hearing the noyse gaue a great shreeke for feare Thereuppon his sonne and his friendes ranne into the chamber and found him all of a gore bloud and the most part of his bowells comming out of his bodye him selfe being yet aliue and seeing them They were all striken with such sorow to behold it that at the first they were so amased as they could not tel what to say to it His Phisitiō comming to him he went about to put in his bowels againe which were not perished and to sow vp his wound But Cato comming to him selfe thrust backe the Phisitian and tare his bowells with his owne handes and made his wound very great and immediatly gaue vp the ghost Whereuppon the three hundred ROMANES in lesse time then a man would haue thought Catoes owne houshold seruaunts could haue knowen of his death were at his dores and immediatly after all the people of VTICA also came thither and with one voyce called Cato their benefactor and sauior and sayd he onely was a free man and had an inuincible minde◠and this was done when they heard say that Caesar was not farre from VTICA Furthermore nether feare of the present daunger nor the desire to flatter the Conqueror nether any priuate quarrell amongest them selues could keepe them from honoring Catoes funeralls For sumptuously setting out his body and honorably accompanying his funeralls as might be they buryed him by the sea side where at this present time is to be seene his image holding a sworde in his hande After that they made their best way to saue them selues and their citie Nowe Caesar beeing aduertised by them that came vnto him howe Cato sturred not from VTICA nor fled not but sent all others away sauing him selfe and his sonne and a few of his friends that remained there being afraid of nothing he could not deuise what he ment by it Therefore esteeming Cato much he made haste with all the speede he could with his armie to come thether But when he vnderstoode that Cato had slaine him selfe writers doe reporte he sayd thus O Cato I enuy thy death sithe thou hast enuied mine honor to saue thy life For in deede had Cato beene contented Caesar should haue saued his life he had not so much impaired his owne honor as he had augmented Caesars glory And yet what Caesar would haue done men make it doubtful sauing that they coniecture well of Caesars clemencie Cato dyed when he was but eight and forty yeare old For his sonne Caesar neuer did him hurt howbeit it is reported of him that he was very idlely giuen and lasciuious besides For when he lay in CAPPADOCIA in a noble mans house of the kings bloud called Maphradates who had a fayre woman to his wife he taried longer there then he might well with honestie whereuppon he fell to be a laughing stoicke so the people and in mockery they sayd Cato will goe too morrow a thirty dayes hence And further that Maphradates and Porcius are two good friendes but they haue but one minde And the reason was bicause Maphradates wife was called Psyche which in the Greeke signifieth minde and Cato is a noble fellow and hath a princely mind howbeit his famous death did stoppe this infamous speech For he valiantly fighting against Augustus and Antebius at the battell of Philippes for the libertie of his contry their armie being ouerthrowen and fled he would neither flie nor hide him selfe but running in amongest his enemies he made them knowe what he was by incoraging those of his side which yet did defend them selues till he was slayne in the field to the great admiration of his valiantnes Furthermore Porcia the Daughter of Cato gaue no place vnto her father nether for chastitie nor greatnes of mind For she being maried vnto Brutus who slue Caesar was of the conspiracie and slue her selfe as courageously as became the vertue and nobilitie of her bloud from whence she came as we haue more amply declared in the life of Brutus Statilius also who had sayd he would ronne Catoes fortune as we haue tolde you before was kept from killing of him selfe by the Philosophers Demetrius and Apollonides But after that tyme hauing shewed him selfe very faithfull and seruiceable vnto Brutus in all his affayres he was slayne in the field also at the battell of Philippes The end of Catoes life AGIS AND CLEOMENES TRuely the fable of Ixion was not ill deuised against ambicious persons who imbracing a clowde for the goddesse Iuno begot as it is sayd the CENTAVRI For euen so ambicious men imbracing glory for the true image of vertue doe neuer any acte that is good nor perfect but beeing caried away with diuers fancies and following others humors with desire to please the people they may as the herdmen in the tragedy of Sophocles speaking of their cattell say VVe vvayt vppon their breasts though vve their Maisters bee And vvheresoeuer they become there also follovve vvee Such in deede are they compared to that gouerne common weales after peoples lust and fancy who doubtles are as their seruaunts obedient at call bicause they onely may enioy the glorious title and name of an Officer For like as in a shippe the Mariners that stande in the prowe doe better see before them then the Pilots that steere the helme in the poope and yet lookes alwayes backe vnto them to see what they commaunde euen so they that gouerne in the common wealth for honors sake are no better thē honorable slaues of the people hauing no more but
be the better beliked and to be fine and trimme in his apparell and to cast vpon him a plaine spanish cape taking pleasure in the dyet bathes and manner of the auncient LACONIAN life and openly boasted besides that he would not desire to be king but onely for the hope he had to restore the auncient LACONIAN life by his authority Then began the state of LACEDAEMON first to be corrupted and to leaue her auncient discipline when the LACEDAEMONIANS hauing subdued the Empire of the ATHENIANS stored them selues contry both with plenty of gold siluer But yet reseruing still the lands left vnto them by succession from their fathers according vnto Lycurgus first ordinaunce institucion for diuision of the landes amongest them which ordinaunce and equalitie being inuiolably kept amongest them did yet preserue the common wealth from defamation of diuers other notorious crimes Vntil the time of the authoritie of Epitadeus one of the Ephores a seditious man and of prowde conditions who bitterly falling out with his own sonne preferred a law that euery man might lawfully giue his landes and goods whilest he liued or after his death by testament vnto any man whom he liked or thought well of Thus this man made this law to satisfie his anger others also did confirme it for couetousnes sake and so ouerthrew a noble ordinaunce For the riche men then began to buy lands of numbers and so transferred it from the right lawful heires whereby a few men in short time being made very riche immediatly after there fell out great pouertie in the citie of SPARTA which made all honest sciences to cease brought in thereuppon vnlawfull occupacions who enuyed them that were wealthy Therefore there remayned not aboue seuen hundred naturall Citizens of SPARTA in all of them not aboue a hundred that had lands and inheritance for all the rest were poore people in the citie and were of no countenaunce nor calling besides that went vnwillingly to the warres against their enemies looking euery day for sturre and chaunge in the citie Agis therefore thinking it a notable good acte as in deede it was to replenish the citie of SPARTA againe and to bringe in the old equalitie he moued the matter vnto the Citizens He found the youth against all hope to giue good eare vnto him and very well giuen vnto vertue easily chaunging their garments life to recouer their libertie againe But the oldest men which were now euen rotten with couetousnes and corruption they were affraid to returne againe to the straight ordinaunces of Lycurgus as a slaue and ronneagate from his Maister that trembleth when he is brought back againe vnto him Therefore they reproued Agis when he did lament before them their present miserable estate and wishe also for the former auncient honor and true dignitie of SPARTA Howbeit Lysander the sonne of Lybis and Mandroclidas the sonne of Esphanes and Agesilaus also greatly commended his noble desire and perswaded him to goe forward withall This Lysander was of great authoritie and estimation amongest them in the citie Mandroclidas was also very wise and carefull about any matter of counsell and with his wisedom and policy very valiant Agesilaus in like manner the kings Vncle and an eloquent man was very effeminate and couetous and yet prickt forward to giue his furtherance to this attempt as it appeared by his sonne Hippomedon who was a notable good souldier and could doe very much by meanes of the loue and good will the younge men did beare him But in deede the secret cause that brought Agesilaus to consent vnto this practise was the greatnes of his dette which he ought of the which he hoped to be discharged by chaunging of the state and common wealth Now when Agis had wonne him he fought by his meanes to drawe his mother also vnto the matter which was Agesilaus sister She could doe very much by the number of her friendes followers and detters in the citie by whose meanes she ruled the most part of the affayres of the citie after her owne pleasure But the young man Hippomedon making her priuie vnto it at the first she was amased withall and bad him hold his peace if he were wise and not medle in matters vnpossible and vnprofitable But when Agesilaus had told her what a notable acte it would be and how easily it might be brought to passe with maruelous great profit and that king Agis beganne also to strayne her with great intreatie that she would willingly depart with her goods to winne her sonne honor and glory who though he could not in money and riches come to be like vnto other kinges bicause the slaues and factors onely of the kinges Seleucus and Ptolomy had more money then all the kings of SPARTA had together that euer raigned yet if in temperance thriftines noble mind exceeding all their vanities he could come to restore the LACEDAEMONIANS againe vnto equalitie that then in deede he should be counted a noble king These women being stirred vp with ambition by these perswasions of the younge man seeing him so nobly bent as if by the goddes their mindes had secretly bene inflamed with the loue of vertue did presently alter their mindes in such sort that they them selues did pricke forward Agis and sent for their friends to pray and intreate them to fauor his enterprise and furthermore they brought on other women also knowing that the LACEDAEMONIANS did euer heare and beleeue their wiues suffering them to vnderstand more of the affayres of the state then they them selues did of their priuate estate at home Herein is to be considered that the most part of the riches of LACEDAEMON was in the handes of the women and therefore they were against it not onely bicause thereby they were cut of from their finenes and excesse in the which being ignorant of the true good in deede they put all their felicitie but also bicause they sawe their honor and authoritie which they had by their riches cleane troden vnder foote Therefore they comming to Leonidas they did perswade him to reproue Agis bicause he was elder man then he and to let that this enterprise went not forward Leonidas did what he could in fauour of the riche but fearing the common people who desired nothing but alteracion he durst not openly speake against him but secretly he did the best he could to hinder Agis practise talking with the Magistrates of the citie and accusing Agis vnto them he told them how he did offer the riche mens goods vnto the poore the diuision of their landes and the abolishing of all detts for rewarde to put the tyrannie into his handes and that thereby he got him a stronge gard vnto him selfe but not many Citizens vnto SPARTA This notwithstanding king Agis hauing procured Lysander to be chosen one of the Ephores he presently preferred his lawe vnto the counsell The articles whereof were these
very well brought vp in the LACONIAN discipline and better then any man of his yeares Cleomenes did loue him dearely and commaunded him that when he should see he were dead and all the rest also that then he should kill him selfe last of all Now they all being layed on the ground he searched them one after another with the poynt of his sword to see if there were any of them yet left aliue and when he had pricked Cleomenes on the heele amongest others and saw that he did yet knit his browes he kissed him sate downe by him Then perceiuing that he had yelded vp the ghost imbracing him when he was dead he also slue him selfe and fell vpon him Thus Cleomenes hauing raigned king of SPARTA sixteene yeares being the same manner of man we haue described him to be he ended his dayes in this sort as ye heare Now his death being presently bruted through the citie Cratesiclea his mother though otherwise she had a noble minde did notwithstanding a litle forget her greatnes through thextreame sorow she felt for the death of her sonne and so imbracing Cleomenes sonnes she fell to bitter lamentacion But the eldest of his sonnes no man mistrusting any such matter found meanes to get out of her handes running vp to the toppe of the house cast him selfe headlong downe to the ground that his head was all broken and splitted yet died not but was taken vp crying and angry with them that they would not suffer him to dye This newes being brought to king Ptolomy he commaunded they should first flea Cleomenes and then hange vp his body and also that they should put his children his mother and all her women wayting on her to death among the which was Panteas wife one of the fayrest and curteousest women in her tyme They had not beene longe maried before when these mischieues lighted apon them at what tyme their loue was then in greatest force Her parents then would not let her depart and imbarke with her husband but had locked her vp and kept her at home by force Howbeit shortly after she found the meanes to get her a horse some money and stale away in the night and gallopped towards the hauen of Taenarus where finding a shippe ready bound for AEGYPT she imbarked and went to seeke her husband with whome she gladly and louingly ledde her life forsaking her owne contry to liue in a straunge Realme Now when the Sergeaunts came to take Cratesiclea to put her to death Panteas wife led her by the arme carying vp her traine and did comfort her although Cratesiclea otherwise was not affraid to dye but onely asked this fauor that she might dye before her litle children This notwithstanding when they came to the place of execution the hangman first slue her children before her eyes and then her selfe afterwards who in such great griefe and sorowe sayd no more but thus Alas my poore children what is become of you And Panteas wife also being a mighty tall woman girding her clothes to her tooke vp the slayne bodies one after another and wrapped them vp in such things as she could get speaking neuer a word nor shewing any signe or token of griefe and in fine hauing prepared her self to dye and plucked of her attyre her selfe without suffering any other to come neare her or to see her but the hangman that was appoynted to stryke of her head In this sorte she dyed as constantly as the stowtest man liuing could haue done and had so couered her body that no man needed after her death to touche her so carefull was she to her ende to keepe her honestie which she had alwayes kept in her life and in her death was mindefull of her honor wherewith she decked her body in her life tyme Thus these LACEDAEMON Ladies playing their partes in this pitifull tragedie contending at the time of death euen with the corage of the slayne SPARTANS their contrymen which of them should dye most constantly left a manifest proofe and testimonie that fortune hath no power ouer fortitude and corage Shortly after those that were appoynted to keepe the body of king Cleomenes that hong vpon the crosse they spied a great Serpent wreathed about his head that couered all his face insomuch as no rauening fowle durst come neare him to eate of it whereuppon the king fell into a supersticious feare being affrayd that he had offended the goddes Hereuppon the Ladyes in his Court began to make many sacrifices of purification for the cleering of this sinne perswading them selues that they had put a man to death beloued of the gods and that he had something more in him then a man The ALEXANDRINIANS thereuppon went to the place of execution and made their prayers vnto Cleomenes as vnto a demy god calling him the sonne of the goddes Vntill that the learned men brought them from that error declaring vnto them that like as of oxen being dead and rotten there breede bees and of horse also come waspes of asses likewise bitels euen so mens bodies when the marie melteth and gathereth together doe bringe forth Serpents The which comming to the knowledge of the auncients in olde tyme of all other beastes they did consecrate the Dragon to Kinges and Princes as proper vnto man. The end of the life of Agis and Cleomenes TIBERIVS AND CAIVS GRACCHI NOW that we haue declared vnto you the historie of the liues of these two GRAECIANS Agis and Cleomenes aforesayd we must also write the historie of two ROMANES the which is no lesse lamentable for the troubles and calamities that chaunced vnto Tiberius and Caius both of them the sonnes of Tiberius Gracchus He hauing bene twise Consul and once Censor and hauing had the honor of two triumphs had notwithstanding more honor and fame onely for his valiantnes for the which he was thought worthy to marye with Cornelia the daughter of Scipio who ouercame Hanniball after the death of his father though while he liued he was neuer his friend but rather his enemy It is reported that Tiberius on a tyme found two snakes in his bed and that the Soothsayers and wysards hauing considered the signification thereof did forbid him to kill them both and also to let them both escape but one onely assuring him that if he killed the male he should not liue long after and if he killed the female that then his wife Cornelia shoulde dye Tiberius then louing his wife dearely thinking it meeter for him also that he being the elder of both and she yet a younge woman should dye before her he slue the male and let the female escape howbeit he dyed soone after leauing twelue children aliue all of them begotten of Cornelia Cornelia after the death of her husband taking vpon her the rule of her house and children led such a chast life was so good to her children and of so noble a minde that euery man
in any daunger of warres And likewise their fortunes seeme to me to be both much alike For it is harde to finde two Orators againe that being so meanely borne as they haue comen to be of so great power and authoritie as they two nor that haue deserued the ill will of kings noble men so much as they haue done nor that haue lost their Daughters nor that haue bene banished their contries that haue bene restored againe with honor and that againe haue fled and haue bene taken againe nor that haue ended their liues with the libertie of their cōtry So that it is hard to be iudged whether nature haue made them liker in manners or fortune in their doings as if they had both like cunning workemaisters striued one with the other to whome they should make them best resemble But first of all we must write of the elder of them two Demosthenes the father of this Orator Demosthenes was as Theopompus writeth one of the chiefe men of the citie and they called him Machaeropoeus to wete a maker of sworde blades bicause he had a great shoppe where he kept a number of slaues to forge them But touching AEschynes the Orators report of his mother who said that she was the Daughter of one Gelo◠that fled from ATHENS beeing accused of treason and of a barbarous woman that was her mother I am not able to say whether it be true or deuised of malice to doe him despite Howsoeuer it was it is true that his father died leauing him seuen yeare olde and left him reasonable wel for his goods came to litle lesse then the value of fifteene talents Howbeit his gardians did him great wronge for they stale a great parte of his goods them selues and did let the rest runne to naught as hauing litle care of it for they would not pay his schoolemaisters their wages And this was the cause that he did not learne the liberall sciences which are vsually taught vnto honest mens sonnes and to further that want also he was but a weakling very tender and therefore his mother would not much let him goe to schoole nether his masters also durst keepe him too hard to it bicause he was but a sickly childe at the first and very weake And it is reported also that the surname of Battalus was giuen him in mockery by other schooleboyes his companions bicause of his weaknes of bodye This Battalus as diuers men doe report was an effeminate player on the flute against whom the Poet Antiphanes to mocke him deuised a litle play Others also doe write of one Battalus a dissolute Orator and that wrote lasciuious verses and it seemeth that the ATHENIANS at that time did call a certaine part of mans body vncomely to be named Battalus Now for Argas which surname men say was also giuen him he was so called either for his rude and beastly maners bicause some Poets doe call a snake Argas or els for his maner of speech which was very vnpleasant to the eare for Argas is the name of a Poet that made alwayes bawdy ill fauored songs But hereof enough as Plato said Furthermore the occasion as it is reported that moued him to giue him selfe to eloquence was this Calistratus the Orator was to defend the cause of one Oropus before the Iudges and euery man longed greatly for this daye of pleading both for the excellencie of the Orator that then bare the bell for eloquence as for the matter and his accusation which was manifestly knowen to all Demosthenes hearing his schoolemasters agree together to goe to the hearing of this matter he prayed his schoolemaster to be so good as to let him goe with him His Maister graunted him and being acquainted with the keepers of the hal dore where this matter was to be pleaded he so intreated them that they placed his scholler in a very good place where being set at his ease he might both see and heare all that was done and no man could see him Thereuppon when Demosthenes had heard the case pleaded he was greatly in loue with the honor which the Orator had gotten when he sawe howe he was wayted vpon home with such a trayne of people after him but yet he wondred more at the force of his great eloquence that could so turne and conuey all thinges at his pleasure Thereuppon he left the studie of all other sciences and all other exercises of witte and bodye which other children are brought vp in and beganne to labor continually and to frame him selfe to make orations with intent one day to be an Orator amonge the rest His Maister that taught him Rethoricke was Isaeus notwithstanding that Isocrates also kept a schoole of Rethoricke at that time either bicause that beeing an orphane he was not able to paye the wages that Isocrates demaunded of his schollers which was ten Minas or rather for that he founde Isaeus manner of speeche more propper for the vse of the eloquence he desired bicause it was more finer sutler Yet Hermippus writeth notwithstanding that he had red certayne bookes hauing no name of any author which declared that Demosthenes had bene Platoes scholler and that by hearing of him he learned to frame his pronunciation and eloquence And he writeth also of one Cresibius who reporteth that Demosthenes had secretly redde Isocrates workes of Rethoricke and also Alcidamus bookes by meanes of one Callias SYRACVSAN and others Wherefore when he came out of his wardeshippe he beganne to put his gardians in sute and to write orations and pleas against them who in contrary manner did euer vse delayes and excuses to saue them selues from giuing vp any accompt vnto him of his goods and patrimony left him And thus following this exercise as Thucydides writeth it prospered so well with him that in the ende he obtayned it but not without great paynes and daunger and yet with all that he could doe he could not recouer all that his father left him by a good deale So hauing now gotten some boldnes and being vsed also to speake in open presence and withall hauing a feeling and delight of the estimation that is wonne by eloquence in pleading afterwards he attempted to put forward him selfe and to practise in matters of state For as there goeth a tale of one Laomedon an ORCHOMENIAN who hauing a grieuous paine in the splene by aduise of the Phisitions was willed to runne long courses to helpe him and that following their order he became in the end so lusty nymble of body that afterwards he would needes make one to ronne for games in deede grew to be the swiftest runner of all men in his time Euen so the like chaunced vnto Demosthenes For at the first beginning to practise oratorie for recouerie of his goods and thereby hauing gotten good skill and knowledge how to pleade he afterwards tooke apon him to speake to the people
glad of it passed it ouer with laughing and told him that had brought them vnto him doest thou not see that of all these thou hast brought me there is not an honest woman but she After that Cyrus began to make muche of her and loued her better continually then all the rest called her Aspasia the wise This Aspasia was taken among the spoiles of Cyrus campe after he was ouerthrowen and Darius as we haue told ye did begge her of his father who was verie angrie with it in his mind For the barbarous people of all other things are maruelous gealous of their women so that not onely he should be put to death that durst but speake to or touch any concubine of the kings but in sport but also whosoeuer came nere them or neere their coches as they trauelled The kings daughter Atossa whom he had maried against all lawe was yet liuing and besides her he had also three hundred and three score passing fayer concubines and yet when his sonne Darius asked Aspasia of him the king aunswered she was a free woman borne and therefore if she woulde he was content he should haue her but if she were vnwilling to goe to him then he would not haue him force her by no meanes So Aspasia was sent for and she was asked with whom she had rather be She answered with Darius contrarie to king Artaxerxes expectacion who both by the custome and also the law was compelled to let him haue her But shortly after he tooke her from him againe saying that he woulde place her in a Nunrie of Diana in the contrie of ECBATANE where they call her Anitis there to serue the goddesse and to liue chast all the daies of her life supposing by this meanes to punish his sonne not rigorously but moderatly with griefe mixt with sporte and earnest Howebeit his sonne tooke it not so pacientlie either bicause he was deepelie in loue with Aspasia or else for that he saw his father mocked him in that point Tiribazus finding this and perceiuing that Darius tooke it verie grieuouslie he aggrauated his anger against his father knowing the passion of loue in Darius by his owne vpon the like occasion King Artaxerxes had many daughters and had promised Pharnabazus one of them called Apama vnto Orontes Rodogoune and to Tiribazus Amestris The king performed the other two mariages did put Tiribazus by his wife For the king him selfe maried his owne daughter Amestris and for her he promised Tiribazus the younger Atossa with whom also he him selfe fell in loue and maried her Tiribazus hereupon was in such a rage with the king that he hated him to the death not bicause he was any traitor or seditious man in nature but a madde harebrained fellow For sometime he was aloft and in as good credit and authoritie as the best sodainly againe he woulde play some madde parte to anger the king and then he was in as much disgrace and out of countenaunce and could not away with neither fortune For when he was in authoritie he made euerie man hate him for his pride and being in disgrace he could not humble him selfe but looke bigger then before Nowe there was fire and brimstone met when Tiribazus tooke parte with Darius For he dayly blewe into his eares that it was to no purpose for him to weare his hat right vp if his affaires also went not rightly forward and that he deceiued him selfe much if he did not know that his brother by meanes of the women he kept secretlie aspired to the crowne and that his father being so vnconstant as he was he must not trust in any sorte to succeede his father in the kingdome what proclamation soeuer he hath made in his behalfe to the contrarie For sayd he he that for a GRAECIAN woman hath broken and violated the holiest lawe that was in PERSIA thou must not looke that he will performe that he hath promised thee And furthermore he perswaded him that it was not a like repulse vnto Ochus to be denied that which he looked for as it was for him to be turned out of all that euer he had gotten For sayd he if it please Ochus to liue like a priuate man he may safelie doe it and no man will trouble him but for him selfe that was alreadie proclaimed king he must of necessitie make him selfe king or else he must not liue So the Poet Sophocles his saying most commonly proueth true Ill counsell eazly takes place For the way is large and plaine for a man to beleeue as he lyst and men commonly are giuen rather to beleue the euill then the good bicause most men know not what goodnes meaneth But now beside these perswasions the greatnes of the kingdome and the feare Darius stoode in of his brother Ochus tooke great force and effect with him and it may be also that Venus her selfe did somewhat in the matter for the malice and spight that Aspasia was taken from him But whatsoeuer the cause was thus was it handled that Darius flatly conspired against his father Artaxerxes together with Tiribazus Now they hauing gotten many conspirators to ioyne with them one of the kings Euenukes perceiuing it ranne and told the king of it and howe they had sodainly determined to assaile him knowing certainly that it was agreed among them selues that they should kill him in his bedde in the night Artaxerxes receiuing this aduertisement thought it was not good to be carelesse of a matter of so great importaunce as his life and also that it were too great lightnes in him so sodainly to beleue his Euenuke without better proofe or knowledge So he tooke this way with him selfe He commaunded the Euenuke that had geuen him this informacion to keepe companie still with the conspirators to follow them wheresoeuer they went to see their doings and in the meane time he bet downe his wall behind his bed and made a dore thorowe and set vp a hanging of tapistrie before it When the time was come as the Euenuke had aduertised the king that the traitors ment to doe their feate Artaxerxes being layed on his bedde rose not vp till he had seene euerie traitor of them in the face that came to kill him Then when he sawe them comming towards him with their swords drawen he sodainly lift vp the hanging and got in to his inner chamber shut the dore after him making an outcrie murder murder So the traitors being plainly seene and knowen by the king fled the same way they came and failed of their purpose and bad Tiribazus saue him selfe bicause he was knowen So they dispersed them selues and scaped by flying But Tiribazus was taken tardie although he had slaine diuers of the kings gard valliantly defending him selfe yet they tooke him not till he was striken with a dart a good way of which slewe him Darius was also taken and apprehended and brought prisoner with his sonnes and
owne money that should haue kept him in his banishment Furthermore Brutus and Cassius were compelled of necessity to make warres bicause they coulde not haue liued safelie in peace when they were driuen out of ROME for that they were condemned to death and pursued by their enemies And for this cause therefore they were driuen to hazard them selues in warre more for their owne safetie then for the libertie of their contrie men Whereas Dion on the other side liuing more merily and safelie in his banishment then the tyranne Dionysius him selfe that had banished him did put him selfe to the daunger to deliuer SICILE from bondage Nowe the matter was not a like vnto the ROMANES to be deliuered from the gouernment of Caesar as it was for the SYRACVSANS to be ridde of Dionysius tyrannie For Dionysius denyed not that he was not a tyranne hauing filled SICILE with suche miserie and calamitie Howebeit Caesars power and gouernment when it came to be established did in deede much hurt at his first entrie and beginning vnto those that did resist him but afterwardes vnto them that being ouercome had receiued his gouernment it seemed he rather had the name and opinion onely of a tyranne then otherwise that he was so in deede For there neuer followed any tyrannicall nor cruell act but contrarilie it seemed that he was a mercifull Phisition whom God had ordeyned of speciall grace to be Gouernor of the Empire of ROME and to set all thinges againe at quiet stay the which required the counsell and authoritie of an absolute Prince And therefore the ROMANES were maruelous sorie for Caesar after he was slaine and afterwardes would neuer pardon them that had slaine him On the other side the cause why the SYRACVSANS did most accuse Dion was bicause he did let Dionysius escape out of the castell of SYRACVSA and bicause he did not ouerthrow and deface the tombe of his father Furthermore towching the warres Dion alway shewed him selfe a Captaine vnreprouable hauing wiselie and skilfullie taken order for those things which he had enterprised of his owne head and counsell and did amende the faults others committed and brought things to better state then he found them Where it seemeth that Brutus did not wisely to receiue the second battell considering his rest stoode vpon it For after he had lost the battell it was vnpossible for him euer to rise againe therefore his hart failed him and so gaue vp all and neuer durst striue with his euill fortune as Pompey did considering that he had present cause enough in the field to hope of his souldiers and being beside a dreadfull Lorde all the sea ouer Furthermore the greatest reproache they could obiect against Brutus was that Iulius Caesar hauing saued his life and pardoned all the prisoners also taken in battell as many as he had made request for taking him for his frende and honoring him aboue all his other frends Brutus notwithstanding had imbrued his hands in his blood wherewith they could neuer reproue Dion For on the contrarie side so long as Dion was Dionysius frende and kinseman he did alway helpe him to order and gouerne his affaires But after he was banished his contrie and that his wife was forciblie maried to an other man and his goodes also taken from him then he entred into iust and open warres against Dionysius the tyranne But in this poynt they were contrarie together For wherein their chiefest praise consisted to witte in hating of tyrannes and wicked men it is most true that Brutus desire was most sincere of both For hauing no priuate cause of complaint or grudge against Caesar he ventred to kill him onely to set his contrie againe at libertie Where if Dion had not receiued priuate cause of quarrell against Dionysius he woulde neuer haue made warre with him The which Plato proueth in his Epistells where is plainlie seene that Dion being driuen out of the tyrans Court against his will and not putting him selfe to voluntarie banishment he draue out Dionysius Furthermore the respect of the common wealth caused Brutus that before was Pompeys enemie to become his frende and enemie vnto Caesar that before was his frend only referring his frendshippe and enmitie vnto the consideracion of iustice and equitie And Dion did many things for Dionysius sake and benefit all the while he trusted him and when he beganne to mistrust him then for anger he made warre with him Wherefore all his frendes did not beleue but after he had driuen out Dionysius he would stablish the gouernment to him selfe flattering the people with a more curteous and gentle title then the name of a tyranne But for Brutus his verie enemies them selues confessed that of all those that conspired Caesars death he only had no other ende and intent to attempt his enterprise but to restore the Empire of ROME againe to her former state gouernment And furthermore it was not all one thing to deale with Dionysius as it was to haue to doe with Iulius Caesar. For no man that knew Dionysius but would haue despised him considering that he spent the most parte of his time in drinking dycing and in haunting lewde womens company But to haue vndertaken to destroy Iulius Caesar and not to haue shroncke backe for feare of his great wisedom power and fortune considering that his name only was dreadfull vnto euerie man and also not to suffer the kings of PARTHIA and INDIA to be in rest for him this could not come but of a maruelous noble minde of him that for feare neuer fainted nor let fall any part of his corage And therefore so sone as Dion came into SICILIA many thowsands of men came and ioyned with him against Dionysius But the fame of Iulius Caesar did set vp his frends againe after his death and was of suche force that it raised a young stripling Octauius Caesar that had no meanes nor power of him selfe to be one of the greatest men of ROME and they vsed him as a remedie to encounter Antonius malice and power And if men will say that Dion draue out the tyran Dionysius with force of armes and sundrie battells and that in contrarie maner Brutus slue Caesar being a naked man and without gard then doe I aunswere againe that it was a noble parte and of a wise Captaine to choose so apt a time and place to come vppon a man of so great power and to finde him naked without his gard For he went not sodainlie in a rage and alone or with a small companie to assaile him but his enterprise was long time before determined of and that with diuers men of all the which not a man of them once fayled him but it is rather to be thought that from the beginning he chose them honest men or else that by his choyse of them he made them good men Whereas Dion either from the beginning made no wise choyse in trusting of euill men or else bicause he could not
otherwise by open force it was impossible to be had Wherefore after the death of Alexander that kept castell being poysoned as it is reported by Antigonus practise the castell being left in the handes of his wife Nicaea who gouerned the state of CORINTHE and did carefully cause the Acrocorinthe to be kept he immediately sent his sonne Demetrius thither and put Nicea in good hope to mary her with this young Prince a thing that pleased this Lady well though she was very olde So for her selfe she was wonne straight by meanes of his young sonne Demetrius whome he vsed as a stale to intrappe her Howbeit Nicaea for all this goodly offer forsooke not her castell but alwayes made it straightly to be looked vnto Antigonus seemed to make no accompt of it but dayly gaue him selfe to make sumptuous sacrifices feasts and playes to the gods within the citie of CORINTHE for the marriage as though he had ment no other thing but bancketing and iolitie all that might be When the hower was come to see these sportes and that the Musition Amaebeus began to singe he him selfe made as though he would accompany Nicaea vnto the Theater being conueyed thither in a sumptuous riche lytter as it had bene for a Queene She was very glad of this honor and thought nothing lesse then of that which happened her But when Antigonus came to the ende of the streete that turned to goe vp the hill towards the castell he had her keepe on still to the Theater and him selfe in the meane time left Amoebeus there with his singing and all the feast of the mariage and went straight vp to the castell forcing him selfe aboue his strength and yeares When he was at the toppe of the hill and found the gates shut he knocked with his staffe and commaunded the garrison to open him the gates They wondring to see him there in person did let him in When he was gotten into the castell he was so exceding ioyfull of it that he had no reason to moderate his ioye but would bancket in the middest of streetes and in the market place hauing minstrells to playe vpon their instruments at his table wearing garlands of flowers on their heads for ioye and did so fondly and lightly behaue him selfe as if he had bene a light young man and not as he was an olde man who had proued such sundry chaunges of fortune and yet suffered him selfe to be thus caried away with pleasure that he imbraced and spake to euery man he met Whereby it is easie to iudge that ioy possessing a man without wit or discretion it maketh him besides him selfe and doth more trouble his wits then payne or feare Now Antigonus hauing wonne the castell of the Acrocorinthe as you haue heard he put into the hands of those he trusted best to be safely kept and therefore made Persaus the Philosopher Captaine or the castell But in deede Aratus was in mind to haue attempted to taking of the castell in Alexanders life tyme yet he let it alone bicause he ioyned him selfe with the ACHATANS But at that tyme there was offered him another occasion againe to attempt it and this it was At CORINTHE there were foure brethren borne in SYRIA of the which one of them being called Diocles was a souldier of the garrison of the castell and the rest hauing robbed the kings treasure went straight vnto SICYONE to AEgias the banker whome Aratus imployed in his facultie These three brethren immediately told him part of the gold they had robbed and afterwards one of them called Erginus comming often to see him by litle and litle told him all the rest By this meanes AEgias fell into famillier acquaintance with him and talked with him of the garrison of the castell of the Acrocorinthe Erginus told him that going vnto his brother vp those steepe and highe rockes he found a path as it were cut out of the rocke that went to a place of the wall of the castell which was very lowe AEgias hearing that auswered him smyling also my friend what meane you to steale a litle peece of golde to hinder the king when in one howers space you can sell such a great masse of money together for aswell shall you dye if you be apprehended for this felony as if you were otherwise attained for treason Erginus with that fell a laughing and promised that he would feele his brother Diocles minde in it for he did not greatly trust his other brethren So returning shortly after he bargayned with Aratus to bring him to a place of the wall that was not aboue fifteene foote highe promising that he would helpe him to execute the rest with his brother Diocles. Aratus promised then to giue him fifty talents if he brought his enterprise to passed and if he sayled that he would then giue either of them a house and a talent Erginus would haue the whole 50. talents put into AEgias the bankers handes Aratus had not so much ready money and besides he would not take it vp at vsery for feare of giuing cause to suspect his enterprise Wherefore he tooke all his place of gold and siluer and his wiues iewells and layed them to gage to AEgias to disburse the sayd summe But Aratus had so great and noble a mind in him and was so bent to doe notable acts that knowing howe Phocion and Epaminondas had bene esteemed for the iustest and honestest men of GRAECE bicause they had refused great giftes that were offered them and would neuer sell nor stayne their honor for money he yet surpassing them was contented to spend his owne to bring any good enterprise to passe did put his life in daunger for the common benefit of his contry men they them selues knowing nothing of his enterprise which turned all to their benefit What is he then that will not wonder at the great magnanimitie and corage of such a man and that will not euen nowe as it were be willing to ayde him considering how dearely he bought so great a daunger of his person and howe he laied his plate and all the riches he had to gage to be brought the night among the middest of his enemies where he was to fight for his owne life hauing no other gage nor pledge but the hope of such a noble enterprise and nothing els But now though the enterprise of it self was daungerous an error chauncing through ignorance at the first made it yet more daungerous For Aratus had sent Technon one of his men before with Diocles to viewe the wall This Technon had neuer spoken with Diocles howbeit he thought in his minde what manner of man he was by the markes that Erginus had giuen him of him that he had a blacke curled heare that his face was blacke and that he had no beard Nowe Technon being come to the place where Erginus sayd he would be with Diocles he stayed before the towne in a place called ORNIS
So whilest he was tarying there the elder brother of Diocles called Dionysius who knew nothing of the enterprise nor was made acquaynted withall and looked very like his brother Diocles came that way by chaunce Technon being moued by the markes he sawe in him like vnto those he was told of asked him if he were nothing a kinne to Erginus The other aunswered he was his brother Then Technon perswading him selfe it was certenly Diocles that spake to him without asking him his name or making other inquiery of him he tooke him by the hand and began to talke with him of the practise he had with Erginus and to aske him of it Dionysius taking the matter vpon him feeding on his error returned forthwith into the citie holding him on still with talke Technon mistrusting nothing But euen as Dionysius was ready to take him fast by the choller his brother Erginus came Who perceyuing now Technon had mistaken the matter and the daunger he was in beckoned to him with his head to flye and so they both ranne for life vnto Aratus to saue them selues Howbeit Aratus was nothing the more discoraged for this but sent Erginus straight to cary his brother Dionysius money and to praye him not to be aknowen of anything who furthermore brought him with him vnto Aratus But after they had him once they made him suâ—r for starting for they bound him and locked him vp fast in a chamber whilest they went about their enterprise So when all things were ready Aratus commaunded the rest of his army that they should tary behind armeâ— all night and he him selfe with foure hundred of the best men he had not knowing them selues whether they went nor to what intent went straight to the gates of the citie passing by the temple of Iuno This was about the middest of summer when the Moone was at the full and the element very cleere without clowdes insomuch that they were affraid their armors would glister by Moone light and bewray them But as the formost of them came neare vnto the citie there rose clowdes out of the sea that darkened all the citie places thereabouts and shadowed them Then all of them sitting downe on the ground plucked of their shoes both bicause they should make lesse noyse as also for that their footing should be â—â—eâ—er and that they should slippe lesse vpon the ladders But Erginus and seuen other companions with him like men that trauell came secretly into the gate of the citie and slue the porter and warders there At that very instant Aratus caused the ladders to beset vp against the walls and made a hundred of his souldiers get vp on them and sent also to commaund the rest that they should follow him with all possible speede Then drawing vp his ladders after him as fast as he could he went through the citie with his hundred men toward the castel with such a ioyfull cheere as if he had had it already in his hand for that he saw he was not discouered But as he went on he saw foure of the watch comming with a light against them They saw not Aratus and his company but the enemies saw them plainely a farre of Aratus his men therefore stoode vp close against old walls to tary their comming and at the first onset slue three of them but the fourth hauing a blowe on his head with a sworde ranne away making an outcry that the enemies were in the citie The trompets forthwith sownded the alarom all the citie was in an vprore the streetes were straight full of people ronning vp and downe and of lights in euery corner both beneath in the citie as also in the castell and the noyse was great euery where Aratus in the meane tyme forced to get vp the hie rocks fayer softely at the first and with great payne and difficultie being out of his pathe he should haue found which he missed being very deepe into the rocks and with many crookes and crankes went to the foote of the castell but sodainely euen as it had bene by miracle the Moone appearing through the clowdes when they were in their worst way it gaue theÌ„ light brought them to that part of the wall where they should be and straight the Moone was shadowed againe Now the three hundred souldiers whome Aratus had left at the gate by the temple of Iuno when they were come into the citie being full of lights and in vprore and besides could not find the path by the which their Captaine Aratus went before them they stoode close together vnder a rocke that shadowed them sorowfully looking to heare some newes of Aratus who was then fighting with the garrison of the castell the which made head against him with all the force and power they could Vnder the castell there was a great noyse heard of men that fought but yet the noyse was so confused by the sound rebounding against the rocks and mountaine that they could not deuise whence it should come So they being in this perplexitie not knowing which way to turne them selues Archelaus Captaine of king Antigonus men hauing a good number of souldiers with him went vp the hill with great cryes and noyse of trumpets to set vpon Aratus and his company behind But after he was passed by these three hundred souldiers of Aratus band they gaue charge vpon him as if they had bene layed there in ambushe of purpose and slue the first they encountered withall and made the others so affrayde and Archelaus him selfe that they dispersed them and made some flye one way some another waye So as they were ouerthrowen Erginus came to these three hundred men comming immediatly from them that fought and brought them newes that Aratus and them of the castell were come to the sworde together and valliantly defended them selues lustely fighting for the wall and therefore it was tyme for them to helpe him quickly Then the souldiers bad him bringe them thither straight and so he did So they clyming vp the hill did signifie by thier cryes to their men that they came to ayde him Furthermore the Moone beeing then at the full and shining on their harnes made their enemies in the castell thinke that they were a greater number then in deede they were bicause of the longe waye they had to make to gette vppe vpon the rockes and also bicause of the sound in the night that made their crye seeme to be of a greater number then they were At length they ioyning with Aratus they fought it out so lustely that they draue the garrison out of the walls and by breake of daye wanne the castell So that their exployt was discouered by the rising of the Sunne and besides all the rest of their armye that came from the citie of SICYONE whome the CORINTHIANS very gladly receyued and did set open their gates vnto them and ayded them to take king Antigonus men Afterwards when they thought that all was safe
man of the world that he was iustly driuen out of his countrie Tarquine sharpely aunswered that he would make no man his iudge and Porsena least of all other for that hauing promised him to put him againe in his Kingdome he was nowe gone from his worde and had chaunged his minde Porsena was very angrie with this aunswer iudging this a manifest token that his cause was ill Wherefore Porsena being solicited againe by his owne sonne Aruns who loued the ROMAINES dyd easely graunte them peace vpon condition that they should redeliuer backe againe to him the lands they had gotten before within the countrie of THVSCAN with the prisoners also which they had taken in this warre in liew thereof he offered to deliuer to them againe the ROMAINES that had fled from them vnto him To confirme this peace the ROMAINES deliuered him ostages tenne of the noblest mens sonnes of the cittie so many of their daughters emōg which was Valeria Publicolaes owne daughter Peace being thus concluded Porsena brake his armie withdrewe his strength trusting to the peace cōcluded The ROMAINES daughters deliuered for ostages came downe to the riuers side to washe them in a quiet place where the streame ranne but gently without any force or swiftnes at all When they were there and saw they had no garde about them nor any came that waye nor yet any botes going vp nor down the streame they had a desire to swime ouer the riuer which rāne with a swift streame was maruelous deepe Some saye that one Claelia swamme the riuer vpon her horse backe that she did imbolden incorage the other to swimme hard by her horse side recouering the other bancke and being past all daunger they went presented themselues before Publicola the Consul Who neither commended them nor liked the parte they had played but was maruelous sorie fearing least men would iudge him lesse carefull to keepe his faith then was king Porsena that he might suspect the boldnes of these maidens was but a crafty slight deuised of the ROMAINES Therefore he tooke them all againe sent them immediatly vnto king Porsena Whereof Tarquine hauing intelligence he layed an ambushe for them that had the conduction of them Who so soone as they were paste the riuer did shew them selues brake vpon the ROMAINES they being farre fewer in number that the other did yet very stowtely defend them selues Now whilest they were in earnest fight together Valeria Publicolaes daughter and three of her fathers seruants escaped through the middest of them and saued them selues The residue of the virgines remained in the middest among their swordes in great daunger of their liues Aruns king Porsenas sonne aduertised hereof ranne thither incōtinently to the rescue but when he came the enemies fled and the ROMAINES held on their iorney to redeliuer their ostages Porsena seeing them againe asked which of them it was that beganne first to passe the riuer and had encouraged the other to followe her One pointed him vnto her and told him her name was Claelia He looked vpon her very earnestly and with a pleasaunt countenaunce and commaunded they should bring him one of his best horse in the stable and the richest furniture he had for the same and so he gaue it vnto her Those which holde opinion that none but Claelia passed the riuer a horse backe doe alledge this to proue their opinion true Other doe denie it saying that this THVSCAN king did onely honour her noble courage Howsoeuer it was they see her image a horse backe in the holy streete as they goe to the palace some saye it is the statue of Valeria other of Claelia After Porsena had made peace with the ROMAINES in breaking vp his campe he shewed his noble minde vnto them in many other things and specially in that he commaunded his souldiers they should carie nothing but their armour and weapon only leauing his campe full of corne vittells and other kynde of goodes From whence this custome came that at this daye when they make open sale of any thing belonging to the common weale the sergeant or common crier crieth that they are king Porsenas goodes and taken of thankefullnes and perpetuall memorie of his bowntie and liberalitie towards them Further Porsenas image standeth adioyning to the palace where the Senate is vsed to be kept which is made of great antike worke Afterwardes the SABYNES inuading the ROMAINES territorie with a great force Marcus Valerius Publicolaes brother was then chosen Consul with one Posthumius Tubertus Howbeit all matters of weight and importaunce passed by Publicolaes counsell and authoritie who was present at any thing that was done and by whose meanes Marcus his brother wanne two great battells in the last whereof he slewe thirteene thousand of his enemies not losing one of his owne men For which his victories besides the honour of triumphe he had the people also at their owne charges built him a house in the streete of mounte Palatine and graunted him moreouer that his doore should open outwards into the streete where all others mens doores dyd open inwards into their house signifying by graunte of this honour and priuiledge that he should allwayes haue benefit by the common weale It is reported that the GRECIANS doores of their houses in olde time dyd all open outwards after that facion they doe cōiecture it by the comedies that are played Where those that would goe out of their houses dyd first knocke at their doores and make a noyse within the house least in opening their doore vpon a sodaine they might ouerthrowe or hurte him that taried at the streete doore or passed by the waye who hearing the noyse had warning straight to auoyde the daunger The next yere after that Publicola was chosen Consul the fourth time bicause they stoode in great doubt that the SABYNES and LATINES would ioyne together to make warres vpon them besides all this there was a certaine superstitious feare ranne through the cittie of some ill happe toward it bicause most parte of the women with childe were deliuered of vnperfect children lacking some one limme or other all of them came before their time Wherfore Publicola looking in some of Sybillaes books made priuate sacrifice vnto Pluto did set vp againe some feastes solemne games that were left of had bene commaunded before time to be kept by the oracle of Apollo These meanes hauing a litle reioyced the cittie with good hope bicause they thought that the anger of the goddes had bene appeased Publicola then begāne to prouide for the daūgers that they were threatned withall by men for that newes was brought him that their enemies were vp in all places made great preparation to inuade them Nowe there was at that time amongest the SABYNES a great riche man called Appius Clausus very strong and actiue of bodie otherwise a man of great reputation eloquence
aboue all the rest of his countrie men but notwithstāding he was much enuied and could not auoyde it being a thing common to great men He went about to staye those intended warres against the ROMAINES Whereupon many which before tooke occasion to murmure against him dyd nowe much more increase the same with saying he sought to mainteine the power of the ROMAINES that afterwards by their ayde he might make him selfe tyranne King of the countrie The common people gaue easy eare vnto such speaches Appius perceyuing well enough how the souldiers hated him deadly he feared they would complaine accuse him Wherefore being well backed stoode to by his kynsemen friends and followers he practised to make a sturre among the SABYNES which was the cause of staying the warres against the ROMAINES Publicola also for his parte was very diligēt not only to vnderstād the originall cause of his sedition but to feede on further increase the same hauing gotten men meete for the purpose which caried Appius such a message from him That Publicola knewe very well he was a iust man and one that would not be reuenged of his cittizens to the generall hurte of his countrie although the iniuries he receyued at their hands deliuered him iust occasion to doe it neuertheles if he had any desire to prouide for his safety and to repaire to ROME learning them which causeles wished him so muche euill they would both openly and priuately receyue him with that due honour which his vertue deserued and the worthines of the ROMAINE people required Clausus hauing long and many times considered this matter with him selfe resolued that it was the best waye he could take making vertue of necessitie therefore being determined to doe it he dyd procure his friends to doe as he dyd they got other also vnto them so that he brought awaye with him out of the countrie of the SABYNES fiue thousand families with their wiues and children of the quietest and most peacible people among the SABYNES to dwel at ROME Publicola being aduertised thereof before they came dyd receyue them at their comming to ROME with great ioye and all manner of good curteous enterteinment For at their first coming he made them all and their families free cittizens assigned vnto euery persone of them two ingera of lande which cōteined one acre one roode eleuen pole 69. partes of a pole by the riuer of Tyber vnto Appius self he gaue him 25. iugera to wit 16. acres 4. pole 16. acres a halfe 4. pole 76. partes of apole receiued him into the nūber of the Senatours And thus came he first vnto the gouernment of the common weale in ROME where he did so wisely behaue him self that in the end he came to be the chiefest man of dignitie authoritie in ROME so long as he liued After his death he left behind him the familie of the Claudians descēding frō him which for honour and worthines gaue no place to the noblest familie in ROME But nowe the sedition amongest the SABYNES being pacified by the departure of those that were gone to ROME the seditious gouernours would not suffer those that remained to liue in peace but still cried out it were to much shame for them that Clausus being a fugitiue and become an enemie should honour their enemies abroade that being present durst not shewe so much at home and that the ROMAINES should scape vnreuenged who had done them such apparant wronges So they raised great force and power and went and encamped with their armie neere the cittie of FIDENES and layed an ambushe harde by ROME in certen hidden and hollowe places where they put a two thousand choyce footemen very well armed and dyd appoint the next morning to send certaine light horse men to runne and praye to ROME gates commaunding them that when the ROMAINES came out of the cittie to charge them they should seeme leysurely to retire vntill they had drawen them within daunger of their ambush Publicola receyuing full intelligence of all their intention by a traytour that fled from them vnto him made due preparation to encounter with their priuie ambushe and so deuided his armie in two partes for he gaue his sonne in lawe Posthumius Balbus three thousand footemen whom he sent awaye by night commaunding them the same night to take the hilles in the bottome whereof the SABYNES were layed in ambushe Lucretius fellowe Consull with Publicola hauing the lightest and lustiest men of the cittie was appointed to make head against the vaūtcurriers of the SABYNES that minded to approche the gates And Publicola with the rest of the armie marched a great compasse about to inclose his enemies behinde The next morning betimes by chaunce it was a thick miste at that present time Posthumius coming down from the hilles with great showtes charged them that laye in ambush Lucretius on the other side set vpon the light horsemen of the SABYNES Publicola fell vpon thier campe So that of all sides the SABYNES enterprise had very ill successe for they had the worst in euery place the ROMAINES killed them flying without any turning againe to make resistance Thus the place which gaue them hope of best safety turned most to their deadly ouerthrowe For euery one of their companies supposing the other had bene whole vnbroken when a charge was geuen vpon them dyd straight breake neuer a company of them turned head toward their enemie For they that were in the campe ranne toward them which laye in ambushe those which were in ambushe on the contrarie side ranne towards them that were in cāpe So that in flying the one met with the other and founde those towards whom they were flying to haue bene safe to stand in as much neede of helpe as them selues That which saued some that were not slaine was the cittie of FIDENES which was neere the campe and specially saued those which fled thither But such as came shorte of the cittie and could not in time recouer it were all slaine in the fielde or taken prisoners As for the glorie of this honorable victorie albeit the ROMAINES were wonte to ascribe all suche great notable matters to the speciall prouidence and grace of the goddes yet at that time notwithstanding they dyd iudge that this happy successe fell out by the wise foresight and valliantnes of the captaine For euery man that had serued in this iorney had no other talke in his mouth but that Publicola had deliuered their enemies into their handes lame and blinde and as a man might save bounde hande and feete to kill them at their pleasure The people were maruelously enriched by this victorie aswell for the spoile as for the ransome of the prisoners that they had gotten Nowe Publicola after he had triumphed and left the gouernment of the cittie to those which were chosen Consuls for the yere following dyed