Book VI

The Argument
Varus by Didius on the stormy Maine
Js vanquished: Caesar arriues in Spaine,
And raises Pompey's siege from Vlla's walls;
He takes Ategua: both Generalls
Remou'd from thence, the warre to Munda beare▪
Caesar's despaire; his mens vnsuall feare;
A bloody conquest they at last obtaine,
Young Pompey, Varus, Labienus slaine.

BVt ere the Tragicke warre arriu'd in Spaine,
And did with blood the continent distaine,
The Ocean bore it, and was first the Stage
Of this third fury, and reuiued rage:
There where th' extended Libyan coast doth meet
Almost with Spaines Tartessus, Varus Fleet
Guarded the straightened Sea in Pompey's name;
Thither for Caesar Didius Nauy came:
Two shores their fury at neere distance saw,
Fearing to whether land the warre would draw;
But Affrick bled before; what did remaine
Of Romes dissentions, Fates decreed to Spaine:
That narrow point of Sea on all foure sides
Great Lands from Lands, great Seas from Seas diuides,
In breadth the Libyan continent and Spaine,
In length th' Iberian and great Westerne maine.
The Nauies scarce their furious fight began,
When all in waues the threatning Ocean
Swell'd vp; and they encounter'd from the Sea
As great a danger as the warre could be.
The Southerne wind from Tingitania blowes;
And from the Westerne Ocean Corus rose;
Fierce Boreas met them from the Spanish coast,
And now the Sea on euery side was tost:
Their seuerall waues the different winds did moue,
As if that Aeolus and Neptune stroue
A warre so sad and wicked to preuent,
Or drowne both Fleets while they were innocent.
But greater was their dire desire of fight
Than was the Oceans rage, or winds despight:
To impious warre through stormes as rough they goe
As would the greediest venturing Merchant doe
For Parma's wealthy fleeces, Spaines rich ore,
Or brightest gemmes from th' Erythraean shore.
But when no space almost at all diuides
Both eager Fleets, the rowers take their sides,
Tugge at the oare, and (though the Ocean raues)
With armes vnweary'd cut the curled waues:
The horrid showting of the Souldiers drown'd
All noise of rowing and shrill Trumpets sound.
Yet all these sounds, and all the noise of warre
The winds, and louder stormes out roared farre,
With which, and Darts, the aire is darkned round;
Ships against Ships, beakes meeting beakes resound:
Some by their owne endeuours meet their foes,
Others the winds and stormy Seas expose
Before they thought; to triall of the warre,
Dashing together with more fury farre
The aduerse Ships, than else they would haue met;
Now grew the horrour and confusion great:
Their feares were different; some, while others fought,
Repair'd those ruines which the storme had wrought,
And stopp'd their leaking Ships, preuenting so
The certaine danger of a nearer foe:
Nor could stout Didius now his Souldiers cheere,
Or guide his Fleet; the tempest euery where
Is onely heard; but leauing his commands
Puts all into the winds and Fortunes hands;
No more could Varus for young Pompey doe:
Guided by chance against each other goe
Th' amazed Fleets; some vessells sides bor'd through
By sharpe and brazen stemmes; nor doe they know
Surely to whom they doe their ruine owe,
Whether the weathers fury or the foe.
Nor did confusion of all sounds affright
The eares alone; but through that horrid night,
Which showre-black clouds, & skies tempestuous brought,
With no small terrour the wing'd lightning shot:
No other light to them the day could giue;
No other fire in such a storme could liue.
Some Ships now almost taken by the foes,
The swelling Sea with violence orethrowes,
And vindicates their honour from surprise;
Some sinke, when boorded by the enemies,
Drowning the victors, and the vanquish'd see
A quicke reuenge of their captiuitie.
Fortune did seeme against both sides to fight
A while, and wreake in common her despight,
But long it held not; She at last decided
The day, and shew'd for whom she had prouided
So great a labour of the troubled Maine;
And Caesar's forces a full conquest gaine:
Though Didius blush it should be thought that he
Ow'd to such aids as those the victory.
Varus perceiues the Fates themselues conspire
On Caesar's side, and forced to retire
When now be saw part of his haplesse powers
Orewhelm'd, part seized by the conquerours,
With his poore remnant flies, and gets into
Carteias harbour; thence by land to goe
To Pompey's Campe; Pompey at Vlla stay'd,
And siege in vaine to that strong Citie lay'd.
Caesar with more than his accustom'd speed
(By which his great designes did still succeed)
Hasts to the warre in Spaine, and gone from Rome
In seuenteene dayes was to Sagunthus come,
That true Sagunthus, whose so Tragicke fall
Did once vpbraid the Heauens, and enuy call
Vpon their Iustice, till th' offenders fate,
And small ruine of the Punike State
Absolu'd the gods againe: with Chrystall waues
The Cities Westerne side faire Dur•as laues,
Clothing with verdant grasse th' adioyning plaine,
And gently slides into th' Iberian Maine.
His quicke arriuall, vnexpected there,
With sudden ioy did all the Souldiers cheere:
With speed as great from thence he marches on
Thorough the Celtiberian region,
Nor Duria's streame, nor mount Idubeda,
Nor Sucro's rapid flood his course could stay,
Nor that high glittering Mountaine, that for fame
Of his great wealth retaines the siluer name:
From whose descent rich Baetis takes his head;
Along, the shore of Baetis Caesar led
His cheerefull Souldiers on to Corduba;
Either to take that wealthy Towne, or draw
Pompey from Vlla's siege; the first in vaine
Caesar assay'd, the last he did obtaine:
For Pompey straight, although within the Towne
His brother Sextus lay in Garrison,
Abandons Vlla, and 'gainst Caesar goes;
Who from the walls of Corduba arose
Before his foes approach, loth there to trie
The vtmost hazard of a warre so high.
But passing thence ore Salsus streame, does lay
With more successe, siege to Ategua,
And winnes the Towne, maugre the feeble aid
Munatius brought: but there while Caesar stay'd,
A faire ostent the gods were pleas'd to shew,
A towring Eagle long ore Caesar flew
Till seeming weary, with a faire descent
It gently pearch'd on young Octauius tent,
Who follow'd then his Father to the warre.
A good presage the augurs all declare,
And not alone to shew the warres successe,
But young Octauius future happinesse:
But not so soone, alas, could they foresee
The full effect of this faire augury:
How many ciuill wounds did yet remaine
Ere Rome with patience brooke a Caesar's reigne,
And for her safetie be inforc'd to flie
To Great Augustus happy Monarchy?
For thee, great Prince, and thy insuing State
Was Rome opprest, and Iulius fortunate;
For thee were Marius crimes, and Sylla's wrought:
For thee was Thapsus and Pharsalia fought,
That Rome in those dire Tragedies might see
What horrid dangers follow'd libertie:
And thou at last a welcome conqueror,
Might'st those high titles without enuy weare
Which mighty Iulius with a toile so great,
With so much blood and enuy striu'd to get.
Thou then anew that powerfull State shalt mould,
And long the Worlds high Scepter safely hold,
Aboue all Riualls plac'd; thy god like State
No force shall shake; when shutting Janus gate,
Thou shalt set ope the sacred Thespian spring,
And there securely heare the Muses sing,
Whose stately layes still keepe thy deathlesse fame,
And make immortall Great Augustus name:
Nor euer did the Arts so truly reigne,
Nor sung the Muses in so pure a straine
As then they did, to grace thy glorious time;
As if the Muse before lack'd power to clime,
Or else disdain'd her highest notes to raise,
Till such a Monarch liu'd to giue the Bayes.
Grieu'd for Ategua's losse, and fearing now
That other Townes would, following Fortune, goe
To Caesar's partie, and his cause forsake,
Pompey resolues with all his strength to make
A speedy triall of a warre so great,
And on one hazard his whole Fortune set.
To Munda's fatall fields was Caesar gone;
Thither young Pompey's army marches on:
The Towne was his; and neere the Towne, arose
An high and spatious hill; where Pompey chose
T'incampe his men; from whence he might suruay
The plaines below where Caesar's army lay.
No prodigies forespake the blacke euent
Of that dayes wondrous battell, no ostent
At all was show'd from seas, earth, aire, or skies,
No entrailes spake, no birds gaue auguries:
Those sad protents, that vs'd to strike a feare
At other times in men, were spared there.
Yet were their feares farre greater; they suspect
The silence of the gods, loth to detect
So great a ruine as did then ensue:
Horrour inuades their brests; although they knew
No cause from whence those strange amazements grow,
No outward signes appear'd, their threatnings now
Were inward all; they make, by sad surmise
Within themselues a thousand prodigies.
In Pompey's campe th' amazed Souldiers
Sad silence kept, distraught twixt desp'rate feares,
And tragicke hopes; pale horrour to their eyes
Seemes to present the future Tragedies,
And the deare ghosts of slaughter'd friends appeare:
Yet know not they whether themselues should feare,
Or hope their hands should make th' ensuing Fate.
On one side Caesar's Fortune does abate
Their confidence too much; on tother they
Resolue, orecome, not to out-liue the day:
But (Oh strange Fate!) the bold Caesarians
Grow faint and heartlesse; and those actiue hands,
That had so often drawne their Countries blood,
And 'gainst all Lawes for Caesar's fortune stood;
That had before to their successefull toiles,
Promis'd the Worlds sole sway, and wealthy spoiles
Of euery nation, quake, and faulter here,
Nor from each other can conceale their feare.
How deare this field would cost, what 'twas to goe,
Against the fury of a desperate foe,
Their trembling thoughts reuolue; nor to their friends
Shame they to vtter it; those dauntlesse mindes,
That met with ioy Pharsalia's dreadfull day,
Those that at Thapsus battell could not stay
The Generalls command; preuenting there
The signall, now both fight and signall feare.
But that the feare, which did his Campe inuade
Might not seeme strange, Caesar himselfe was sad
Before the battell, and that cheerefull looke,
That vsuall vigour, whence his Souldiers tooke
Happie presages still, was changed there;
Nor did his wonted confidence appeare:
Perhaps reuoluing the vncertaine Fate
Of things, and frailtie of man 's highest state,
And how vncessant stormes doe beat vpon
The loftie Cedars, learnes to feare his owne
By other mighty falls so lately wrought;
Or Fortune else presenting to his thought
Her many fauours, and his long successe,
He weigh'd the time of Pompey's happinesse,
Who in her fauour claim'd as great a share
As he could now, before Pharsalia's warre.
That he arriued now as high in State
As Pompey was; might feare Great Pompey's Fate:
Whose fall (though wrought for him) had let him see
Fortunes great power, and strange vnconstancy▪
But lest his sadnesse should too much dismay
The Souldiers hearts before so great a day,
He recollects himselfe, and with fain'd cheare,
And forced lookes, taught to dissemble feare,
Thus to his army speakes; Victorious troops,
On whose knowne valour more than Caesar's hopes,
His certaine State depends, see here in Spaine
This fainting Hydra yet shoots forth againe
His last weake heads; let that Herculean might,
That lopt the first, and strongest off in fight,
Make perfect your great labour, which requires
The last hand here: of all your large desires
You are free masters, when this field is fought,
Though all the World for fresh supplies were sought,
In Fortunes power it lies not to expose
Your quiet State againe, or finde you foes.
But what are these that once againe should dare
Molest our peace with vnexpected warre?
What can these barbarous halfe-arm'd Nations doe?
Or what vnfain'd affection can they owe
To Pompey's side? or doe they feare his name,
And haue not heard enough of Caesar's fame?
Haue not the warres by old llerda taught
Our strength to Spaine? what Roman powers are brought
Thither, but young raw Souldiers, and vnskill'd
In Military arts, that nere beheld
A foe before? and those poore few that know
The warre, are such as haue beene beat by you;
And bring more feare than helpe vnto their side:
Will Varus troops your well-knowne strength abide?
Or that so often vanquish'd runnagate
False Labienus, long mainteine the Fate
Of his young Generall? Braue Souldiers on,
Perfect that worke that is so neerely done.
His speech no shouts, no acclamation findes,
Nor could it raise their sad deiected mindes:
And though, the signall giuen, all Trumpets sound,
And Pompey's army from the vpper ground
Make downe to charge, the cold Caesarians
Dare not approach, nor follow the commands
Of their great Generall; when Caesar fill'd
With griefe and rage, seizing a Speare and Shield,
This day, quoth he (no more my Souldiers)
Shall end the life of Caesar, and your warres;
Remember whom you leaue; then forth he flies
Alone to charge th' amazed enemies;
Who, till their wonder was expell'd by hopes,
Awhile made stand; at last from all the troops
'Gainst Caesar's head whole stormes of Iauelins come;
Some in his shield he does receiue, and some
Auoids, declining of his body downe
Till shame not courage brought his Souldiers on
To saue their Generall; and 'gainst the foe
They doe begin a fight so furious now,
As if with this new rage they would appeare
To recompence their ignominious b feare.
Th'auxiliary troops on either side
Gaue backe, and left the battell to be try'd
By none but Roman hands; who man to man,
And foot to foot a constant fight began
With so great horrour, as who had beheld
Pharsalia's fight, or Thapsus bloody field,
Would haue esteem'd those furies light, and thought
He nere saw warre till Munda's field was fought.
Both Generalls alike twixt hope and feare,
With needlesse speeches their fierce Souldiers cheare,
Till weary'd with the toile, they both retire,
And from two little hills behold the dire
Encounter of their men; when Caesar's eyes,
That drie, had view'd whole Nations tragedies,
Began to melt; and whilest bright victory,
Ore both the armies houer'd doubtfully,
Caesar and Pompey had forgot their hopes,
And onely pity'd their engaged troops,
Fearing both armies in the place would die,
And leaue no conquest, but one tragedie.
A balefull silence on the sudden then
Possest the field; no showts of fighting men
Were heard; as if they labour'd to keepe in
Their sp'rits for action; hands alone were seene
To moue, and write in bloody Characters
Their deepe resolues: young Pompey's Souldiers
Beyond this day disdaine to hope at all;
And Caesar's men promise, in Pompey's fall
To all their toiles a rich and quiet close,
And that the World no more can finde them foes▪
At last the battells fortune seem'd to leane
To Pompey's side, and Caesar's fainting men
Gaue backe apace, nor scarce with all their might
Could the Centurions stay their open flight:
When Caesar arm'd with high despaire, preparing
The fatall Ponyard, which he wore, and baring
His manly brest, thus speakes; Oh Fortune, now
I see thou wants not power to ouerthrow
What ere thou build'st: but I accuse not thee;
Enough already hast thou done for me:
Enough haue thy transcendent fauours grac'd
My liues whole course: should'st thou not change at last
Perhaps the erring World might censure me
More than a man, and thee no Deitie:
I that so long haue thy high fauours knowne,
Can thus securely entertaine thy frowne.
There had he dy'd; but as kinde mothers doe
Oft let their children neere to dangers goe,
That then, when they perceiue them most afraid,
They may the more endeare their timely aid:
So Fortune findes an vnexpected way
To saue his Fate; whilest yet his men made stay
And kept the field, King Bogud, that without
The battell stood, wheeles suddenly about
To seize young Pompey's Campe; which to preuent
Leauing his station Labienus went,
And with him drew fiue cohorts from the fight:
Which action chang'd the battells fortune quite;
Whilest haplesse errour through both armies flew,
And Pompey's battell suddenly orethrew;
For misconceit that Labienus fled
Had quite disheartened his owne side, and bred
In Caesar's Souldiers most assured hopes:
Nor could young Pompey stay his flying troops,
Too late (alas) it was to make them know
What haplesse errour caus'd their ouerthrow▪
For routed once ore all the field they flie
A prey to the pursuing enemie.
Vnhappie Attius Varus, where he stood
Enuiron'd round with carcasses, and blood;
Varus, that twice before a warre had led
'Gainst Caesar's fortune, and twice vanquished,
When he had labour'd long in vaine to stay
His flying men, loth to out-liue the day,
Or longer keepe that often conquer'd breath,
Now rushes boldly on, to finde a death
Amid'st the thickest of his enemies,
And gladly there on all their weapons dies.
But when (alas) sad Labienus view'd
How great and swift a ruine had ensu'd
Vpon his haplesse action, cursing Fate
And his owne dire misfortue, too too late
Seeking to ralley his disorder'd troops,
He cryes, 'tis I, that haue vndone the hopes
Of wretched Rome; 'tis I haue lost the day:
Through this dire brest take your reuenging way,
And expiate this fatall ouerthrow,
Or Caesar's swords shall take reuenge for you:
Then (like a Libyan Lion round beset,
Arm'd with a high despaire and rage as great)
Carelesse of wounds or weapons forth he goes
To sell a loathed life deere to his foes:
Till by a thousand swords at last he dies,
And to the shades his angry spirit flies.
Pompey perceiues his army ouerthrowne,
And now the losse irreparable growne,
And though he see no cause that should inuite
Him to out-liue the fury of the fight,
His owne fresh youth perswades him t' entertaine
A future hope to raise his State againe:
High mounted on a Spanish Steed he flies
(Leauing in field his routed Companies)
With speed, Carteia's harbour to attaine,
And saile from thence: but to disastrous Spaine
Sterne Fates the death of this young man decree
And he ere long the selfe same destiny
Forc'd to endure on Spaines vnhappie ground
That his great Father in false Aegypt found.
His brother Sextus scap'd from that sad day
Fortune long hides in Celtiberia
To raise his State againe, againe to breathe
Fresh warre and ruine after Caesar's death,
And once againe with faction rend the State
In that sad time of Romes Triumuirate.
The fight was done, and nothing now ensu'd
But impious rage, and murder; the pursu'd
To Pompey's Campe and Munda's walls (alas)
For refuge fled, but vaine that refuge was▪
So horrid now was the Caesarians rage,
That neither pitie could their heat asswage,
Nor strength defend their wretched enemies
From their dire force; on euery side the cries
And groanes of dying men are heard alone.
Neuer so sauage crueltie was showne
Against the worst of forren foes, as then
The vanquish'd felt from their owne Countrymen▪
Which most appear'd, when to surprise the Towne
(A thing among'st Barbarians neuer knowne)
The workes they rais'd against it to maintaine
The siege, were carcasses of Romans slaine.
Caesar, that nere before did truly see
How hard it was to gaine a victory,
(Since Fortune still his wish with ease had wrought,
And he for glory, not for life had fought
Till Munda's field) recounts what he had lost,
Grieuing to finde what this sad conquest cost,
He sometimes wail'd his owne slaine Souldiers then,
Sometimes the slaughter'd foes, as Countrimen,
And wishes some, to whom he now might show
His mercy, had suruiu'd the ouerthrow;
And almost taxes Fortune, who that day
Had wrought his ends by such an enuy'd way.
Neuer till now did Caesar's pensiue brest,
Truly reuolue how tragicall the best
Successe will be that Ciuill warre affords,
And how deepe wounds his sadly conquering swords
Had made in th' entrailes of afflicted Rome.
Now Thapsus battell, now Pharsalia come
Into his sad remembrance; and almost
He wishes all his Triumphs had beene lost,
Rather than with such horrid slaughter won,
And that he nere had crossed Rubicon:
Scarce can the glories, that it brings, outweigh
The inward sorrow for so blacke a day.
While thus Great Caesar's troubled thoughts were led,
Cenonius enters and presents the head
Of Noble Pompey, whose now pitty'd state
Call'd to remembrance his great Fathers fate,
In treacherous Aegypt; and no lesse than his
Inforced teares of ruth from Caesar's eyes.
How did he die (quoth he) relate to vs
His tragedy: when thus Cenonius;
When Munda's fields strew'd with his slaughter'd troops
Young Pompey saw, and voide of present hopes
Fled to Carteia, to embarque from thence
For forren coasts, fearing the Citizens
And our pursuit, he left the Towne againe,
And quite bereft of all his scattered traine
Wounded and lame, retir'd into a wood,
That not farre distant from Carteia stood,
Hoping the couert of that shady place
A while might yeeld him shelter from the chace▪
We enter'd in, and long the wood suruay'd
With curious eyes, and long in vaine we stray'd:
But farre within a spreading Beech there stood,
Where weary'd now, and faint through losse of blood
Alone he sate; he that had fought so late
'Gainst thee, Oh Caesar, with long doubtfull fate;
He whom so many Roman legions
Did lately guard, so many nations
Obey'd and seru'd, now all forsaken fate
A sad example of mans fraile estate.
When I approaching bad him yeeld to me
In Caesar's name: neuer aliue (quoth he,)
Let Caesar see my head, for nere can that
Be my disgrace, that was my Fathers fate▪
By this vnhappie token let him know
The heire of Pompey, and perceiue a foe
That might haue proued worthy of his feare
So let me goe to him, rather than beare
A conquerours disdaine, or blushing be
The pitty'd subiect of an enemie:
Nor shall you finde I prize, so cheape a life
(Though vanquished) as without any strife
To send it him: Then with a courage high
Aboue his strength, aboue the misery
Of his forsaken state, among vs all
He flies; or to preuent, or sell his fall
Deere as he could; alas, for victory
Fortune forbid him hope; nor did it lie
Within the power of his vnwilling foes
To saue that life which he resolu'd to lose;
But meeting wounds away at last it fled:
Caesar, with sighs, beholds the Noble head,
Pittying his fall, and bids Cenonius beare
It thence, to finde the body, and interre
Them both in such a manner, as became
Th' vnhappie ruines of so great a name:
And thence, secur'd from feares, marches away
By Baetis streame, to stately Corduba,
Now the Herculean Gades, faire Hispalis,
Munda, so lately fatall, Vcubis,
Ategua, and all the other Townes
Which fence the wealthy Beticke regions,
Breathe nought but peace, nor longer to oppose
Caesar's preuailing Fortune, harbour foes▪
Nor doe these onely their subiection yeeld
To Caesar, but the farthest, the most wilde,
And sauage Nations, rough Asturians,
Fierce Callaicians, bold Cantabrians
From all the farthest distant shores of Spaine
Doe humbly sue his fauour to obtaine:
The loue they bare to Pompey's name before
Was quite oreborne by Fate, and could no more
Maintaine a faction against Caesar's power;
Who now a sole vnriuall'd conquerour,
From that subiected coast hasts to be gone
To visite Rome, which now was his alone,
And there in fearelesse Triumphs to display
The wofull glories of blacke Munda's day.