OCR Text |
Show The third Booke ofthefir(?part Guar.6.§.10, cles didnowvery happivery fame ftratageme,whichlittle or nothing auailed Themifto much difficulty, to ly fucceed.For Xerxes being inhis full trength, it was a matter of! ngeftate, gauea perfwade thofe Inhabitantsof Afiato revolt ; who nowin his. declini in their former who: , ewile Perfianslik "The y. oflibert found he {weet willing earetot their fubieds, bravery, little regarded and leffe feared any treafon tobe contrived by way were now fowary, that from the Samians which wereamongftthem,theytooka they theirarmes:: the Aéi/e(ians whom they did fafpesbut would not feeme to miftrutt, ofA¢ycale; pretene paflages freight the of defence for were it as m, fromthe far placed ttle ding that thefe Milefians did beft of all others knowthofe places. But thefe deuicesli ,took couragey9 guailed them. For the Samians perceiuing that they were held as Traitors inthe heatofthe fight, and laying hold vpon {uch weapons as came to hand , affailed the\Perfians manfully within the Campe ; which example the somians prefently followwhilethe ed, being very glad to haue found fomethat durft:beginne. Icis faid that Greekes were yet in a march towards the Enemies Campe,a rumour {uddenly sannein the Army , that Aterdonius was oucrthrowne in' Greece, which (though perhapsit was given out by the Captaines to encourage the Souldiers) was very true. Forthe battaile ofP/atea was fought inthe morning, andithis of asyca/e in the euening of the fame day. The like report of that great battaile , wherein Paulus Zmilins ouerthrew Perfeut thelaft King of Afecedox , was brought to Remeit: foure dayes, as Lisie with othersdoe,4 record. And Plutarch hathmany other examples of this kinde. Asthat ofthe bartaile by the Riuer Sagra in Italy , which was heard of the fameday in Peloponnefus: That of the battellagainft the Targumians and the Latines,prefently noyfed at Rome:And(which ismoftremarkeable) the viGory obtained againft Lucius 4utonius, who was Rebell to Domitian the Emperour.."This Lucivs Antonius being Lieutenant ofthe higher Germa- nie, had corrupted his Army with gifts and promiifes , drawing the barbarous people to follow him, with great hope to make himfelfe Emperour ; which newes much trou blingthe City of Rome,with feare ofa dangerous Warre; it was fodainly reported that Antonixswasflaine,and his Army defeated. i Hereupon many did. offer facrifice to thegods,and fhew.all mannerof publique oY; 30 as in fuch cafes was accuftomed. Bat when better inquiry was made, ‘andthe Authour of thefe tidings could not bee found ; the Emperour Domitian betooke himfelfe tohis iourney againft the Rebell ; and being now withhis Army in march hee receiue aduertifementby Pofte, ofthe Victory obtained, andthe death of Antonius : wheteuponremembring the rumournoifed before in Rome,of the felfe-fame victory, he foun thatthe report and victory were borne vpon one day , though twenty thoufand furfongs (which make about fiueandtwenty hundred miles) a-funder. It is truely faidot Plutarch, thatthis laft example giues credit ynto many the like. And indeedit wert VY ry ftrange, ifamong fo many rumours, begotten by forgery or miftakings, and folte- red by credulous imagination, ‘there fhould not bée found (as happens in dreames * 42 mong manythoufand vaine and frivolous) a few precifely true. Howbeit wem'y finde , that God himfelfe doth fometimesvfe to terrifie thofe who prefume vpon their ownefirength,, by thefe light meanes oftumultuous noyfes; as hee raifed the fieg¢ 3 Samaria, by caufing afound of Horfesand Chariots to afftight the W4resmites ,and as hefoal bear hee threatned Sewacherib, faying : Behold, rwillfend a blait upon him, and Goo ahoyfe,andreturne to his owe Land. Wherefore it may: well haue beenetrue, that i notes) was pleafed by {uchaimeane asthis, toanimate the Greckes;who(as Herodot went towardsthe Enemies with heauy hearts, being in great feare, left their owne a uenture fhould by no meanés fall out well: confidering in what dangerthey had det as ready tobe fubdued by. aterdonins WN their owne Countryg of Greece', which'w they went wandrin to {eeke out enemies 'a-farre-off, vpon the coaftof Afis. But me among them, euery mandeirce that fame ofthe battaile fought at P/atea being noyfed delivetant" his own valourin the prefent fight,mightbe fome helpto work out the full ns,¥? ofGreece. Inthis alacrity of{pirit;they diuided themf{elues into two Battalia ence' the of the Athenians led the one, bythe wayofthe plaine,: directly towards Campe; the Lredemoniant condudtedthe other, by the: Mountainesand ftreight the Campe\ fages, towinttethe higher ground, ‘The sheniaas did firftfer vpon to get all the honow; the Lasedemanians could arriuc on the otherpart) & being defirous Cuar.6.§.11. ‘ofthe Hiflorie ofthe World. ofthe day to themfelues, did fo fotcibly afaulrit,that they brake way through the Pa: liffadoes and Gabions, and made themlelues Mafters of the place,flaying all that could not fauethemfelues byflight. In this fight the samiams did good feruice ; as is formerly mentioned. But the A4ileficws,who vpon the like iealoufie,were placed by the Perfiens on the tops ofAgjcaleto defendthe paflages;did now(asiftheyhad bin fet ofpurpofeto keepthem from running away )put as manytothe fwordasfel into their hands, letting none efcape; except very few,thar fled through by-pathes: The Lacedemenians that day did little feruice,for the bufinefs was difpatched erethey came in/Only they broke fuch companies 104retired in whole troopes;making themflie difperfed in very muchdiforder, whereby the Ailefiaws were enabled to doe thegreater execution vpon thém. This was the laft fight of that huge Armyleauied again{t Greece,which was nowvtterly broken,andhad no meanesleft to make offenfiue Warre. §. XI. Ofthe barbarous qualities ofXerxes: witha tranfition from the Perfian affaires to matters of Grecce,whichfrom this timegrew more worthy ofregard. = Erxes lay at Sardis, not farre fromthe place ofthis battaile ; but little mind had he to revengeeitherthis or other his great loffes, being wholly giueno- uer tothe loue ofhis Brothers Wife : with whom he could not preuaile by Pintreaty, nor would obtain¢ his defire by force, becaufe he refpected much t her husband: he thoughtit beftto make a match betweenhis owne Son Daris, and the Daughter ofthis Woman ; hoping by that meanstofinde oceafionof{uch familiarity as might worke outhis defire.But whetherit were fo,that the chaftity ofthe Mother did ftill reiect him ; or the beauty of the Daughterallure him; he fooneafter fellinloue with his owne Sonnes wife,being a vicious Prinee,andas illable to gouerne himfelfe in peace,as to guide his Army in war.This yong Lady hauing once defired the Kingto giue her the Garment whichhe then wore; being wrought by his owne Wife : 30 cattfed the Queene thereby to perceiue her husbands conuerfation with her; which fhe imputed not fo muchto the beauty of herDaughter-in-law,as to the cunning ofthe Mo- ther, againft whom thereuponfhe conceiued extreame hatred. Therefore ata Royall taft,wherein the cuftomewas that the King fhould grant their requeft ; fhe eraued that the Wife ofMafi/fes,her husbands brother,the yong Ladies Mother,might be giuenin+ to her difpofition. The barbarous King, who might either haue reformedthe abufe of fucha cuftome, or haue deluded the importunate cruelty ofhis Wife, by threatning her elfe with the like,to wharfoeuerfhe fhould infli@ vponthe innocent Lady, gtanted the Tequeft;& feading forhis brother,perfwaded himto put awaythe Wife which he had, and take one of his Daughtersin herftead. Herebyit feemes, that he vnderftood how 4€villainoufly that poore Lady fhould be intreated , ‘whom hee knewto be vertuous,and whom himfelfe had loued. Mafistes refufed to put her away; alleadging his owne loue, her deferuing,and their common Children,,one of which was married to the Kings onde, asreafons important to moue him tokeepe her. But in moft wicked manNetXerxes reuiled him; faying, That hee nowfhould neither keepe the Wife which ehad , hor hauehis Daughter whom he had promifed vnto him, Mafifies was much Stieued with thefe words,but much more,whenhe returrted home, hee found his Wife mofth tcherly mangled by the Queene Amestrés,who had caiifed her Nofe,Lips,Eares, @né Tongue to be cut off,and herBrefts in like manact,which were caft vnto Dogs.Mas fiftes entaged with this villany,took his way withhis children,& fome Friends,towards $0 Mériz.of which Prouince he was Gouernor,intending to rebell & auenge himfelfe.But ca vaderftanding his purpofe, caufedan Army to be leaujed, which cuthim off by tin ay paring himandall his Companyto the {word, Such was the ‘Fyrannicall cons isi = the Perfia Gouernment,and fuch are generallythe effects of Luxury, whenit Syned with abfolute power. aa itis noted;that he was a Prince of muchvertue. And therefore ri That hed ne an Image of his ouer-throwne,and lying vpon ee win 2 al 3 maifehies ted , whether in regard of his vertue, hee fhould againe erect it, or, of Wshicfe done by hin' to Greese, thould let it lye. But furely whatfoeuer Her othe |