| OCR Text |
Show The fit Bookeof the firft par Cuarz§ a6, homes,thofethat had efcaped: yItwas therefore likely to come.to.paffe within awhile thatthey fhouldbeall confumed : fince newSouldicrs weredaily prefled forth oftheir Townes; and the'old ones neuer returned, Such talke was frequent among thofe ofthe Colonies : efpeciaily wheretheythat were tranfported intoSie#, had moft com aftios hate friends.. ‘Wherefore it was concladed bythe people of CdrdeaSutrinm,Al asand other good ‘Townes ,tothe number of twelue, That they fhould boldy deny vntothe Romanstheiv farther helpes This was thoughtthe likelieft way-to obtaine peace; where. of otherwifethcy faw littlehope, as long as Hannibal lived. When the Confils heard the Embaffadors of thefe Lownes make fuchdeclaration, and proteft theirdifabilitieof giuing any-farther-helpe ; they were much amazed: Theywilledthe Embaffadoursto 10 returne home; and bring abetter an{wer , forafimuchas this was none other thantrea. fon : they badethemtd confider, that the people were not. Campans.or Tarentines, but the off fpting Ofthe Romans »-and no lefle partakersiofth e Empire, than they thatinhabited the Mothci-Citie) Burall.would notferue:: the Embafladgurs continuing topro: teft, thatthey:had already done whatthey could; and thatthey had remaining ,neither men, normoney. It waswell for the:Xomans,that the other eighteene Coloni es didnot imitare thefetwelue; but fhewed themfelues willing to vadergoe whatfocuer:fli onldbe layed vponthem, withoutshrinking! vnderthe burden...' This thcir offer was fo highly pleafing to the Confils, that the Embaffadors of thofe faith full Colonies,were brought vato the Senate, and produced into the Affembly ofthe people :.where 5 With comme- moration ofall their former goodferuices', thistheir prefent louewnto the State was?" magnified, and thankes accordingly beftowed vypon them; with promife, thatitfhould not be forgotten. As forthe Embafladors ofthofetwelue Golonies,that refufed tocon- tribute;it was thought beft.ncithertoretainethem inthe Citie,noryet to difmiffethem, Not takeany notice ofthematall;but Jequethem to their.owne.confideration oftheirill deferuing. Itmay greatly be doubted, whatthe. example of thefe. twelue people would haue wroughtin thofe that were fo willing to hel pe the State,if Afdrubel had been then com- ming into /adie.. Forthen muft the, Romanes haue betaken them{elués wholly. totheit owne defence; whereas now,to the great comfort oftheir fubieésthey employedtheit 4 forcesin the conqueft of/talie, with hopefull.and) fortunate fucceffe. Neuertheleffe, they were faine to opentheir mot ptiuietreafurieandithencetake out the goldthat had beene layed vp to feruetheiin:cafes ofigreateft-extremitie., Of the money thusextia- Ged , one quarter was deliicredto Fabixsthe Confull, to {et him -Wwell out againft the Tarentines; allthereft wasfenv into \Spaine to Scépio, for the maintenance ofhis,Armie; and to prouide,that U4arabal might not paffé from thence into,/tedie. Ivislikely that Fabius did not {pendall his money;finding fuch eafiefucceffe at Tarestum,as was {hew- ed before. Butto top the journey ofo4/arubals neither the money fent into Spaine, nor any victories wonby Scipio could fuffice.Neuertheleffeit fell out happily for theipeople Of Rome,that this yeere, & the next were fpent,before his comimi ng-and they better pre-4¢ pared,that ar leffe watningthey could hauebeene; to entertaine him. Hereiewereno amiffe tonote, That fince the Romans, being in fo great necefliticofmoney, were drinent tofurnith the Armiein Spaine, withthe greateft part-ofiall their ftocke that wasiefts it muft needsbe, that either the bootie taken in new Carthage,was far elle than fame had reportedits or elfe that Scipio had not.as yet wonneits: howfocuer Livie ratherinclines to thofe,whofay that he gotit fooneafterhis arriuall , 4M. Claudius Marcellws,and T. Quintus Crifppiniaere chofen Confulsafter Fabiw and Fuluius, In their yeere it was, that Afarubaltookehisio urney out ofSpaine y though he camenotinto Ira/ie vntill the yeere following. Afterthe'great battaile at Camne, Hann bathad loft much timeabout Came andWeplesjin feeking to make himfelfe Mafterol.a good hauen,forthe landing ofithofe:ficcours: that: were promifed from Carthage. The hope that he repofed in Philip , caufed him to' turne his principalli care to:the Eafterne Parts of Italie, where he made teadya faire entranceifor the Macedenian, if he had been¢ ready tocome. Bur fince his hopewasvanithed,and the:long promifed ficcott ofA aruba was (though farre later than liad beene expedient) réady:toartiue she yee deale with the people ofHetruria, through whofe Cduntries ‘his brother .tvasto pals that therein he might makea partiea gainft the Romans:Theloffe ofCapua,Tarentamgne many otherTownes,might hauetetrified all other ofthe vta/ian Towns,ftom hatkenie Crarg.§.16.oe oftheHiftoriethe World, 453 to any folicitation ofthe Carthaginians. Yet the pouerty ofthe Romans,wearine s oftheir adherents,together with the fame ofa greater Army. comming,than that which Hannibal broughtinto Italy;did imbolden many ofthe Hetrurians, e{pecially the Ares tines, to take fuch counfell. as they, thoughtmoft expedientfor themfelues,withour res gard oftheir fidelitieto Rome.The Roman Senate, hearing therumouroftheir conf;piracy,tent Marcellw the new chofen Conful into Hetruria: whofe comming did: {6 terris fiethem,that they refted quiet fora while.All the yeerefollowing they were deuifing how to breakeout:as contrariwife the Roman Propretors ; partly by terrourof feuere iudgements& inquifitions,and partly by the force oftwo orthree Legions,with which lo theyvifited all fulpectedplaces, kept them honeft againft theirwils, and: took many Hoftages for better aflurance. Thetwo Confuls had an earneft defire, to make ftrong watre vpon Hanuibal without moretemporifing :_perfwading themf{elues, that in bate tailethey fhould be too ftrong for him. Cri/pinws had further his particular detire; to make his Confulfhip notable by the winning of fome good Toyene : as Fuduits and Fa- Liu had gotten honour by Capua and Tarentum. Therefore he went aboutthe fiege of Locri;one ofthe beft cities which the Carthaginian then held in Italie:and broughtthi- therall forts ofengines; fending fora fleet out of Sicil to helpe him. But Haxnibal was notflowto relieue thecity: the fame ofwhofe approach, made Crifpinus defitt from his enterprife,& retire vnto his Colleague,that lay at Venufia. hitherfollowed Havnibal, 20towhomthe Confuls daily offered battaile.. This great man of warre had no-need to ftand vpon his reputation: which was already fo confirmed, that his refufing to: fight, wasnotlikely to be afcribed vntofeare; but rather deemedaspart ofhis wifedoine.He entettained the Confuls with many light skirmifhes,& fought totake them ‘at fomead= vantage ; referuing his owne numbers as full as he could,vatoa time of gieater imploy- ment.In this lingring manner ofWar, Atarcel/ws took no pleafire : but fought to coms pellthe Enemyto battaile,whether he would or no.The Admiral ofthe Roman flceraz bout Sicil, 2. Cincins,was commandedagain to affailethe Towne of Locri:which might Well enough beforced,if Hamnibal continued as he began totrifleaway the time at Wes nufia,To the fame purpofea part oftheGarrifon that lay in Tarentum,was appointed to 3020 by Landto the affiftance ofGiscivs. But Haxwibal had an eyebehindé him. Helaid an ambuth inthe way,between Tarentum and Locti,wherinto theRomans fell:and having loft abouethree thoufand oftheir company,were well glad,the-reft. ofhemjto quit their enterprife,and faue their owneliues within Tarentum.Asforthe Coululs,it was the des fite ofHanzibal,to wafte their Armieby little and little: whichto doe, he neglected nd aduantage, Therelay betweene him and them an Hillocke; ouer-growne with wood, that feemedfitto couer a number ofmen: who lying there vadi{cerned,mightfall vpon fuch,as fhould ftraggle from the Roman campe;and cutthemoff. Thereforehefenrthi- ther by night fome companies of Numidians: whomhee-willed to keepe themfelues clofe, and attend their beft aduantage. Tothis piece of ground, the Confuls thought: it 4° fit to remouetheir campe : A¢arcefws thinking that he neuer lay neere enough vato Hanwibal.Thither therefore both of them: rode to view theplace,accompanied with the fom of Marcellus, a few Colonels, and otherprincipall men : and not many more than two hundred horfe,moft ofthem Hetrurians.The Numidian Centinel gaue warningof their pproachto his fellows;who difcouered not themfelues,vatill they had firounded the Confuls & their train. The Confuls,as necefliry compelledthem;defended themfelues: Oping to be quickly relicued from their campe that was ncere at hand.Butthe Hetruris ns ran away from them,atthe firft: and left them,in that great danger, tothe weake affiftance of no more than forty horfe-men,that were of the Colonie of Fregelle. Thefe So Fregellans abode by the Confuls ;.and did what they. could to haue brought them fafé off. But when Marcellus wasftricken thorow witha Lance, and fell downe dead, thea began euery onetofhift for himfelfe,and efcapeasthey might.Cri/pswus the other Con ful,had his deaths wound,beingftricken with two Darts; and young Marcellus was likes wife wounded; yetthefe two recoueredtheir campe: The reft ofthe Colonels and Of ficers stogether with the LiGors thatcarried the bundles ofRods and Axes before the Confals,wereall flaine or taken; To the dead body of the Confull Asercelins; Hannibal 8auchonourable Funerall,accordingrothecuftome of thofetimes : and beftowing|his athes ina filuer pot,couered it with a crownof gold;andfo fentthémto yong Marcellws to be by him interred, where he thought good; FEF EE Prefently |
