OCR Text |
Show Guargy, ThefiftBookeofthe firft part and commanded the Armictomarch. Itis reportedas ominous, that one of their En: es ftucke fo faft inthe ground,as it could not be plucked vp by the Enfigne-bearer; Ofthis tale,whether trac orfalfe, Tally makes aicaft ; faying, ‘That the cowardly knaue did faintly pull at it(as going nowto fightyhauing hardily pitchedit into the earch Neither was theanfwwerof Flamunine (if it were trac ) difagreeable hercto: for he comman- ded,that it fhould be digged-vp,if feare had made the handstooweake tolifrit, asking withall.; whether letters were not come from the /Senate, to. hinder his ptoceedings, Ofthis thtir italonfic, both:hee and the Senate thatdid/giue him caule, are likely to ent. Alithe Tertitorie of Cortona; as farreas tothe Lake of Thrafymene, was.ona, light fire; whichwhiteft che Confull thought to quench with his enemics bloud)) hee pur. fued:Hasnibal fo vnaduiledly, that hee fell with his whole Armie,into an ambuth cunningly laid for hith,berweenethe Mountaines of Cortona, andthe Lake,...There was heecharged vnawaresyon all fides, (fauconely where that great Lake of Perufta,per- mitted neither his enemies to come at hini, flor himeo flye from them ) knowing,not which way toturne, or make refiftance, ,Sowas hee flaine in the place, accompanied with fifteene thoufand dead carkaffes of his Countrie-men. Aboutfixe thoufand)afi his wien, that Kadthe Vantguard, tooke courage, as forrhe moft part it, happens, out of dcfperation ;-and breaking throughthe eneinics , that ftood in. their way recouered thetéps.ofithe Mountaincs: Ifthefe had returned, and giuen chargeypon the Cartha.* ginians backs, it was thought that they might haue greatly amended,if not whollyakte- red, the fortune ofthe day. Butthat violence'oftheir feare, whichkindledby, nccefli tie, had wrought theeffects of hardineffei; was well aflwaged, whenthey cealedto de{paire, offauingtheirliues by fight. They ftoodftill, ina cold fweat, ypon the Hill top; hearing vader thema terrible noife, but not any way difcouering how things went, becaufeofthe great foggethat -held-all that morning. When it grew toward noone,the dyrewascleared, and they might plainely difcernethe lamentable flaughrer oftheir fellowes.: Bit they ftaid:natto lamentit : for it was high time,they thought,to be gone,ere they were'diltried, and attached by the enemies horfee ‘This they hould hauethoughti ponfoonerfincethey hadnomindeto recurne vate; the. fight.For de: 30 fcriedthey iwereyandsMaharbal Cencaftershem {+ who-oucr-tooke them by night in-a Village, whidlvhefurrounded with his hor{e-and fo ve yselded the next dayy tele dring vptheirarmhes, vpomhis promife oftheirdiues and i liberties, ghol This accord Hannibal refufed to confirme; fayingyiThat it was madeby Mabarlel, without {ufficient avarranit,as wafiting hisauthoriti¢ to make it good. Hercinhe taugit them (yetditcletohisiowne honour) whatit wasto keepeno faith and fitted them with Cwar3.§ 6. ofthe Hifforie ofthe World, companies who finding them amazed with repost which they had fewlyheard OF the great oucrthrow, charged them,and brake them:and killing almoft:halfe of them draue the reft vato an high piece of ground, whence they came downe,and fimply yeelded to mercie; the next day. Seruilias him{elfe was inthe meane while skirmifbing with the Gaules ; againft wliom he had-wronght no matter of importance, whenthe newes was brought him, of his Colleagues overthrow and death in Hetryria. that made him hha: ften backeto.the defence of Rome. : Inthefe pafiages,it is cafic to difcerne the fruits of popular i¢aloufie, which perfivaded the Romans to the yearely change oftheir Commanders inthe wars ; which greartoly endangered, and retarded the growth of that Empire, Certaineic is, thatall men are farre better taught by their owne errours, than bythe examples of their fore-goers.£/e- minis had heard,in what a trap Sempronius had beene taken vp butthe yeere before, b thisfubtle Carthaginian ; yet fuffered hee himfelfero be caught foone after in the a manner. Hee had alfo belike forgotten, how Semprosius, fearing tobee prevented by 2 new Conful, and ambitious of the fole honor ofbeating Hannibal in bartaile, without helpe ofhis companion Scépio,had beene rewarded with thame and loffe : elfewould he not, contratic. to all good aduice, hanebeene fo hafty to fight, before the arrinall ofser- wilins, LfSempronius had been continued in his chatgesit is probable that he would haue taken his companion with him the fécond time, and haue fearched all fufpected places, 2o/propet to haue fhadowedan ambufh:both which this new Conful Flaminius neglected. We may boldly auowit,that by being continuedin-his goucrnment of Franceten yeers Cafar brought that mightie Nationtogether withthe Heluetians and many ofthe Germans,vader the Romanyoke;into which parts had there beene euery yeerea new Lieutenant fent, they would hardly,ifeuer, hane beene fubdued. Forit is more than the heft Wit in the World can doe,to informe it {elfe,within one yceres compaffe, of the nature of agreat Nation,ofthe Factions of the Places,Riuers,and ofall goodhelpes,whereby toprofecute 2 warre to the belt effect, Our Princes hauc commonlyleft their Deputies in Ireland three yeeres 3! whence; by:reafon ofthe ¢hortneffc ofthattheir time, many of them hauereturned:as wifé as they went out, others:hane:proficed more; and yet when 3othey began butito knowthe firft rudiments of Warre, and \Gouernment, fitting the Countrie; they haue beene'called home, and new Apprentices fent in their places, to thegreat preiudice bothofthis andthat Eftatex Butiit hath euer becne the courfe of the World, rather to follow:old errouts,than to cxaminethem: andof Princesand GouerNours,toyp-hold their flothfullignorance, bythe old cxamples and policie ofother aS¢sand people. thoughneither likenefle of time, of occation, or of any other circum- ftanceyhaue'perfwaded the imitation: a tricke oftheir own: Forifit were law full ynto the Romans, to-alter,couenants,, of addevato themwhatthey liftedsifthe Carthaginians muft be faine to,pay.certains has dreds;and yet'more hutidreds oftalents,befides their firft bargainc yasplloto renown? theittineereftin Sardinia, and belimittcdintheir Spanifh Conquefts, according.t¢ 4né goodpleafureiofthe Romans,whofe ptefenraduantageismore amplesthan the gona ons ofthe lateconclided:peace:: themcan Hanmibalbe as 2Roman, asthemfelues am miake fhem know,that perfidioufneffe gaineth tio morein.prolperitic, thant lofeth : the chaige offortune. Fifteent thaufand!Italian prifaners,oythereabputs he hadnt hatidsziofiwhich allrhaewerendtiB omansy he fet free without ranfome ,prorelting ¢ he had done before, rhatit was fortheir fakesjandtofreethem and osherstromthes 2 mah tytannie;thathe had vadertaken this warre,But the Remans he keptin busi fon,and fetters making thei leaine to cat liard meatesTpis.was agood ways. ie ‘ inthe people ofItalic} ifnoratouc of Garthage, yeva contampt-of Romeja ifMe wag hail notconcernédthe'generall fafetie;bit onely rhe preferaing ofher ownc nccsA# the pokeoofflauerie,which her ouer-ftrorig etiemics wouldshentt-vpowherincuenerS her oppreffions.: Bian anciefitxeputation,confirmed by fuccefleof many. 28% , can loftinione or twobattailés.. Wherefore moreisto bee done, crethe Cathagint : getady Italigh Partifanss ac 0: tout ‘hn su MEOW I. 9 Hew Fabius the Roman Dictator, foughtito confame the force of Hannibal, by Lngring Warre:Minutius the Mafler of the Horfe, hoxoured and aduancea by the People, for bola 4nd[uece([efall attempting ; adwentures rafbly vpon Hannibal, and % like to periwith hes Armie;but're(cuedby Pabius. Jsge Reatly werethe Romans amazed, at thistheir ill fucceffe,» and at the danger apParant ; whichthréatnedithem in more'terrible manner;than euer didwar,fince Romeit-felfe was taken.! They were good Souldicrs ;-and fo little aceuftomed to receiue an ouerthrow, that when Pyrrhas had beaten them,onceandagaine, in open field,all Italy was ftrangelyaffected withhis fucceffejand heldhint in admiration,as on¢ 50 that could-worke wonders.:. But 2yrrbas his quartell was not grounded vpomhate : he¢ onely fought honout,and fought(asit were)vpon.a brauerie: demeaning himfelfe likea "(Courteous enemy. This Carthaginian detefted the whole Ronian name;againft which he burned with defire of reuenge: Ticizam,;Trebtasand-Thrafymacee,witnetled his purpofe, & is abilitie. Whichito withftand; they fled vnto:arémediethathad longbin out of vfe, and created:a Di@ator.The Di@ators powerwasgreater thanthe Confils,and fearcely Prefently afterthe battaileofFhrafymene,c.cestroniusyith foure hoylanss , Ser find hones mn fubie& ynto controll ofthe whole Gity. Wheretorethis Officer was feldomechofeng horft,drew neérevntothe Campe ofHannibali Hee was fent from AsiroAnoace, hit ailivetheother Conful,to incieate theftrengtli ofF/amjmias but commaing $09 cept i med by oneof the Confils,at:the appointment ofthe Senate: thoughit were fo,thar the increaledonly chemifaduenture, Aabsrbal wasemployed byHanmsPrnte apase tvpon fome extremitiejand for no longet timehani fixe moneths; Hee wastobe nar Confulcifhe ftood vponhis prerogatiue)might name whomhe pleafedsActhis time,the > - tte 3 One |