THe auncient name of Spayne, was some­time called Hiberia: A prouince of such largenesse, as hath bene thought incredible. Conteining by the olde accompt .xij.C.L. miles, as wel in length as bredth. It hath the same Confines, that it hath euer had, vz. y^e Pyrenaei Mountains to the North Occean, and the Tyrrhene Sea, to the Pillours of Hercules.

The first inhabitaunce of it is di­uers, as of al Countryes: of the which to make much a doe, I doe not intend: sauing y^t I will not omit, how y^t the Phoenicians traded Merchandise and toke vp place of habitation ther, & that Arganthonius King of Tartesso, gaue certeine Grecians that came to visite him, conuenient grounde to dwell in.After some hee lived but▪ 120. and after some 300. yeares. Which king, as stories telleth vs, liued an C.L. yeares. This Region so rich & aboundant, the Carthaginians, coue­ted to possesse before the Romaines, and [Page] vexed them so cōtinually that the Ro­maines wer called of one part to giue them ayde. Amilcar of Carthage, sur­named Barcha, was the first y^t did any great feat in Spayne, who béeing accu­sed at home for his doings abroad, and afrayd to come to aunswere, immedi­ately after the warre of Africa, which was caused of his vntruth, not keping promise with y^e souldiors, y^t serued him in Sicily, he went with his armie into Spayne, & spoyled y^e country which had not offended. Wherfore the Lords and princes of Hiberia, cōfedered together, & slew him after this sort. In y^e front of their hoast, they had placed certeine carres of woode, which went afore, & they followed in order. The Carthagi­nians not knowing what they ment, made a laughter at y^e matter: but whē they began to buckle, y^e Hiberians set the carres a fire, which made the Ox­en so in rage, y^t they droue vpō y^e Afri­canes, & brake their battaile, by which occasion, the Spaniards killed many of them,A milcar slaine. w^t their Capitaine Amilcar. But the Carthaginians finding a swéetenes [Page 2] in Spaine, sent an other armie thether, & made Asdrubal sonne in law to Bar­cha, General of y^e same,Ther vve sundry of this name vvhereoft one vvas naturall brother to Annibal. & made Anni­bal, his brother in law, his liuetenant, which afterward atchieued, so great a fame of Chiualrye. And these two, won all the country vnto y^e riuer Ibe­rus, wheroff it had the name, and diui­deth it in the midst. The Saguntines, The Za­cynthiane builded Sa­gunt. a generation descended of the Zacyn­thians, inhabited in y^e midst of y^e moun­taines, & the Riuer, with certein other people of Grecia. These being afrayde of y^e Carthaginians power, sent foure Ambassadours to Rome to ha [...]e their help. The Senate sent their Orators to Carthage, wher it was concluded, y^t the confine of y^e Carthaginians domini­on in Spayne, should be the riuer Ibe­rus, & that y^e Romains should not passe the hether side of the same, nor y^e Car­thaginians goe beyond it, & that y^e Sa­guntines & other Greeke people should remaine frée. Shortly after this agréemēt,Asdrubal slaine by a slaue. to reuenge the death of his master. Asdrubal was slain of a slaue, y^e reuēged y^e death of his master, whom y^e same Asdrubal [Page] had cruelly murdered. And the armie ther, made yoūg Annibal Barcha their General, of whom they had conceiued great hope. This Annibal had a pri­uie malyce against the Romaines, bée­ing therto incensed of his father when he was a childe, and made to sweare vpon the Altar of the burning Sacri­fice, that he should be perpetuall ene­mie to the Romaines. The inward grudge and Old malice of Annibal toward the Romaines. Hée thoughte long to picke a quarrell against them, & perswaded the Torboletanes, neigh­bours to the Saguntines, to come vnto him and complaine of iniuries y^t they should doe them.

They did so, and he sent their Am­bassadours to Carthage, & with priuie letters procured his friends to fall out with y^e Romaines, which thing taking place, he caused the Torboletanes, once againe to come vnto him, & complaine of y^e Saguntines, in y^e which they also obeyed him. He, vppon this pretence, sent to the Saguntines, that they shold appoint xv. discréete men to treate of this controuersie: whom being come to his presence, he commaunded to shew [Page 3] their matter: they aunswered, they would leaue that, to the iudgement of the Senate of Rome.

Annibal made no more words, but the same night passed the Riuer with all his Campe, and spoyled the coun­trey euen to the walls of Sagunt, Sagunt be­sieged. and after layd siege to the cittie. The Sa­guntines sent for ayde to the Romains, who after their manner, sent Ambas­sadors to Annibal, to record vnto him the chapiters of accorde. When they were come into Spayne, he sent them word, they shold come no nigher him, wherfore they wēt to Carthage, wher they had but small enterteinment. And so with the debating of the mat­ter, and deferring to send help in time, the poore Saguntines were driuen to extreame desperation. For Annibal helde them so streight, that they had oppression of famine, and all kinde of lacke. Wherefore entending to dye valyauntlye, they brought all their corne into the market place, and cor­rupted it, and then issued out in the night and assaulted the watche of the [Page] Campe,Valiaunt stomacks of the Sagun­tines. and killed many of their ene­mies, and in the ende they were all slaine. Which when y^e women in the towne perceiued, some lepte from the top of their houses, some choked them­selues, some killed first their children, and then they followed,Sagunt cō ­quered. and this ende had this noble and rich citie of Sagunt. Annibal entred the citie, & in it plan­ted inhabitaunts of his own country, and named it Carthage Spartagena. The Romaines were much abashed at the losse of this citie, and sent Ambas­sadours to Carthage, to haue Annibal delyuered vnto them, as a breaker of league and accord. The Carthaginians, made lyght of them, and dalyed at the matter: Wherefore the Romaine Am­bassadour, tooke vp a quarter of his gowne, and folded it together, saying: In this lappe I haue peace and warre,Open d [...]fi­aunce be­tvveene Rome and Carthage. chuse which you wil. Nay (quoth they) offer which thou lyst, I offer warre, (quoth he,) and we take it (quoth they) And vpon the same, they wrote to An­nibal y^e he shold range ouer al Spaine, sparing no countrey, & so he did, & ei­ther [Page 4] by faire meanes or foule, brought it to his deuotion.

Now had Annibal that he would haue, all whose desire was to inuade Italy, & prepared for it accordingly, al­lying himselfe with the French-men, and leauing his brother Asdrubal in Spaine. The Romaines who thought y^e warre would be hottest in Spayne & Afrike, sent their power thether, not once thinking, that the Carthaginians would haue come into Italy. Tiberius Sempronius Longus tooke his voyage into Afrike, with C.lxii. ships, & two Legions. And Publius Cornelius Sci­pio came into Spayne, with .lx. ships, x M. footemen, and vii.C. horsemen, and his Brother Gneus Cornelius Scipio was his Liuetenaunt. Publius by the waye vnderstoode of the Mer­chaunts of Marsilios, that Anniball was passed the Alpes: Wherefore hée fearing that the Italians should bee ta­ken napping, left the gouernment of the Armie to his brother, and with one Galley, went into Tuscaine, to make preparation against Annibal. [Page] After a while this Publius, retourned into Spayne as Vice-generall, & with his brother kept warre with Asdru­bal.

It chaunced that Siphax Kinge of Numidia, Called new Barbarie. made such inuasion vpon the Carthaginians, y^t they sent for As­drubal & a part of his armie to come home, in whose absence, y^e .ii. Scipioes by their pollycie, got wonderfully in Spayne. Wherefore when the Cartha­ginians wer accorded w^t Siphax, they sent againe Asdrubal into Spayne, w^t moe men, and two newe Capitaines, Mago & Asdrubal Gisgo: after whose retourne, the Romaines had inough to doe, and yet seemed to haue the better hande.

Publius Cornelius Scipio and his brother slaine with too much hardinesse.When they wer in Winter campe, newes came to Publius Scipio, y^e As­drubal was comming toward him: he went with a few men to espye his do­ing, and being some-what too hardye, was caught in a trayne, and he and al his men slaine.

His brother vnderstanding the fray, and not knowing the chaunce, came [Page 5] foorth with his light horsemen to ayde him, but y^e Carthaginians encountred him with such a multitude, y^t he was driuen into a Tower, and there, with all his men destroyed. Thus perished these two worthy Capitaines, men of noble courage.

This was heauy tidings at Rome, and by and by Marcellus and Claudi­us were sent into Spayne, with .ii.M. horse, x.M. men, & a Nauy, & money conuenient. They did no great good there, insomuch as the Carthagini­ans encroached so farre as the Moun­taines.

The Romains wer in great agony, for if they shold haue giuen ouer Spaine, they looked for double warre in Italy, & yet had they so much a doe at home, y^t they could spare no power abroad: Notwithstanding to auoyd the worst, they appoynted a daye for the creati­on of a fit Capitaine into Spayne. There was no man woulde take the matter in hande, till Cornelius Scipio sonne to Publius that was slayne in Spayne, A patterue of a most valiant to­vvardly & victorius Cap [...]aine. being scarcely .xxiiii. yeare of [Page] age stoode vp, & lamenting the death of his father & vnckle, whose reuēgemēt he said, apperteined to him, spake with such vehemencie, as a man rapte of God, insomuch that the people were wonderfully glad of him, & chose him Capitaine generall into Spayne. But the auntient fathers sayd, he was too rash, & to great an auauntour, & doub­ted of his procéedings. Wherfore hée came again, & spake as he did before, & yet (he sayd) he wold be loth, his youth should be any let to y^e maiestie of the People of Rome, therfore if any man would take the enterprise in hand, he would willingly giue place, but for al their words, ther was no man would take the thing vpon him, but he and so there were appointed x.M. men, v.C. horse, and xxviii, long shippes, no more could be spared for feare of Annibal. When he was come into Spayne, he mostrued his men & purged the hoast, and spake with such vehemencie vnto them, that he was thought to be sent of god, which opiniō whē he knew, he confirmed it by his polytique deuices, [Page 6] and pretended to doe all things by di­uine inspiration.For he vsed many times to go into the Tēple alone and to shut the dore after him and therevppon vvas thoght to haue cō ­ferēce with Iuppiter. Numanda besieged & vvonne by Scipio. When he had lear­ned that the enemies were encamped in diuers places▪ and that Mago was at Sagunt, now called new Carthage, with x.M. men, he determined to giue the first onset there, as well for y^e smal number, as for y^e cōmoditie of y^e place, without the which, y^e Romaines shold haue but hard landing in Spayne. He toke his iourney before night, & in the morning was at Carthage, & immedi­ately layd his siege and entrenched it, whereat the Carthaginians were asto­nished. The next day he entended to assault it, and appointed scaling lad­ders and engines for euery part, except one, where the wall was low and not warded, being defensed with a stan­ding water and the Sea.

When all things were furnished, and the ships at the mouth of the port, before day he commaunded his souldi­ours in part, to giue the assault from the engines to annoy them aboue, and in part with other engines for y^e pur­pose to batter the wall beneath.

[Page] Mago had appointed his men like­wise, partly to break out at the gates & to fight beneath with their swords, bicause it was too narrowe for the pikes, and partlye with stones, & fire, and other deuises to defende from the wall. Ther was an hote assault, ther was no courage vnshewed, there was no deuice to seeke. The Romaines that stoode at the batterie beneath, wer sore handeled of them that issued out with short weapons: but they whose harts euen encreaseth in daunger, so man­fully behaued themselues, y^t they droue the enemie in. They that defended the Battlements, began also to shrincke, so that the Romaines began to take holde with their scaling ladders: But they that had fought without, moun­ted the wals, & repulsed the Romaines very valyauntly. Scipio did the office of a good Capitaine, incouraging his Souldiours, and continuing the fight, till y^e time came y^t he had appoynted, & made no man priuie.Secrecie & vvise dea­ling in a polytique At middaye the water that was on one side of y^e wal, was so low, that a man might wade [Page 7] ouer by the mid-legge.General of great force Wherefore he tooke the occasion, and cryed vnto thē: Now is the time (valyaunt souldiors) now is y^e time, wherin God hath ap­pointed you to winne this cittie. The Sea and the fresh water maketh you way, bring your ladders, follow me, and all is yours. He tooke a ladder, & entred the water, and his band of men followed, he was the first that set the scale to the wall to haue gone vp, but certeine of his Gard and other stayed him, whiles the Souldiours brought their ladders and scaled. Reliefe came vnto this side, with great tumulte on euery parte, and the fight continued long and sharpe, till at length the vic­tory was the Romaines, who first got certeine lyttle Touers, vpon y^e which Scipio made the Flutes & the Drums to goe, to encourage the rest of the Romaines: at the which sight, some of the Citie fledde, as all had bene takē, and some abode by it manfully, til cer­teine of the Romaines lept downe and opened y^e gates to Scipio, who entred with all his armie: & then euery man [Page] fledde, some this way, some that way. Mago with a good band a while kept the Market place, & after his men wer slaine, & he could not holde out, he fled with a few into the Castle, where, for lacke of all things, he yéelded shortlye after. When Scipio had taken this, so rich & mightie a cittie in one day, & the iiij. after his cōming into Spayne, eue­ry man thought him to do all things rather by diuine inspiratiō, thā by mās policie, which opinion, he all his life maintained, by such means as he vsed, which was many times, to enter alone into y^e high Tēple of Rome in y^e Capi­tol, & to shut y^e dores to him, as though God had ther taught him his lesson. Wherfore in Triumphes al other I­mages are takē out of y^e Cōmon place, but y^e Image of Scipio is takē out of y^e Capitol. Whē he had got this citie, which shold be as a receipt & munitiō as wel in peace as in warre, he sacri­ficed to god, praised his host, & recōfor­ted y^e inhabitants, recording to thē the memorie of his auncestors. The rich­es of y^e Citie was infinit, for ther was [Page 8] aboundaunce, & great store of armure, artillerie both for y^e land & sea, vittaile & corne, Iuory, golde, & siluer, coined & vncoyned, the pledges & prisoners of Spayne, & all other things afore taken frō y^e Romaines. The prisoners he set free, to win friēdship of their coūtries. He most bountifully rewarded him,A vvorthy vvarrior to encourage his souldi­ors revvar­deth ech ac­cording to their valy­ant seruice. y^e first boldly scaled the wall, & halfe so much to y^e second, & ratably to y^e rest. Al y^t precious things he sent to Rome, wher sacrifice was made iij. dayes to­gether. Now began y^e Carthaginiās & al Spayne to trēble at y^e feate of this Scipio, as a thing passing man his rea­sō. Immediately vpon y^e fame of this victory, a coūtrey in Spayne called Be­tica toke y^e Romains part,Vvhich is novv the countrey of Granada. & Mago one of the contrary Capitaines inuaded that Region. Scipio hearing thereoff, made spéede thether-wards, and with little labour, enforced him to forsake the ground.

Asdrubal, Mago & Massimissa, vnited their forces together, & Scipio tooke his place a mile off, or little more. They had in their campe aboue .lxx.M. mē, & [Page] v.M. horsmen, with .xxxvi. Elephants. Scipio had not the thirde part, & ther­fore durst not come to fight, but spent the time in skirmishing. And when he saw his vittailes fayled him, and thought it reproch to depart, he made sacrifice, and assembled the souldiors in conuenient place to be heard, and with countenaunce chaunged, lyke a man inspired of God, he told them that his accustomed Angell had appeared vnto him, and giuen him courage to fight, forasmuch, as victory did rather consist in the ayde of God, then in the number of men. And that they might beléeue him the better, he caused the Maisters of the Ceremonies and sacrifices, to report what they saw in the same. And whiles he was about this matter, behold a number of birds, came flying ouer him, which béeing wont to be taken for a luckie token, he did not let it passe, but tourned his body and sight toward their flight, and as a man in furie, cryed to the armie to behold this token of victory. At the sight whereoff, euerye man tourned [Page 9] himselfe as he did, and required that they might go fight:A wise ca­pitaine let­teth no oc­casion slip, that may a­nie reayes further his affaires. When he per­ceiued his deuise to take place, he said he would follow the signes of heauen, and ordered his men for the battaile. And when the souldiours had taken repast, he committed the horsemen to Sillanus, and the footemen to Laelius, and Martius.

When the Capitaines of the eni­mies sawe this sodaine assault, they armed themselues with great confu­sion, hauing yet taken no repast. The onset was giuen on both partes at once, as well by the horsemē as foote­men. The Numidians that were there with Massimssa vsed to come fearsely vpon their enimies, & spende their Darts, and then retyre, & when they had a while fled, they would re­turne as fearsly againe. Scipio had deuised that the Romaines should fol­low thē so neare with speare in rest, that their launching tooles shold stand them in little stéede. And so they had y^e worst in that fight, but the footemē of the Romaines were so ouerlayd with [Page] the multitude of the others, that all the day they had the worst, although Scipio neuer ceased to encourage & refresh them, til at the last he left his horse & taking a tergate from a soul­diour, stept into y^e middest of them & cryed, now Romaines helpe your ca­pitaine, help your Scipio in this daū ­ger, at the which, partly for shame, & partly for feare of their capitain they thrust vpon the enimies w^c such vyo­lence, y^t they coulde not endure their force for y^t they were with long figh­ting & lack of sustenance very faint, being now neigh night, & hauing catē nothing all y^e day. This was y^e bat­tayl at Cerbona. Battaile of Cerbona. Wher y^e victory was a great while doubtful, of y^e Romanes viii.C. and of the Carthaginians x.M. fiue C. were slaine. After this losse, the Carthaginians retyred more & more, til Scipio droue thē to a place, wher they were conueniently strong, & had reliefe of all things: Wherefore Sci­pio left Sillanus to beseage them, & he himself went further into Spaine. Sil­lanus did so wel w^t his enimies, that they recoiled stil, till they came to the [Page 10] streict, & passed ouer to Gades. Anni­bal had sēt for his brother Asdrubal, y^t was prouiding mē at North Spaine, to come to him into Italy: And bicause he would deceiue Scipio, he tooke his way Northerly by y^e moūtaines Hy­renaei. In this meane time Liuius was come frō Rome, to succéed Scipio & told him y^t the Senate minded to sēd him into Affrica against Carthage, which enterprice he had long desired, & was glad of it. He sent Laelio into Barbaria to Siphax w^t many giftes, requesting him of aliance, if hée came into Affrick, for y^e former loue y^t had bene w^t him & his auncesters, Siphax promised so to be, receiuing y^e gifts, & sent likwise to Scipio. When the Carthaginians vnderstoode this, they also made out Asdrubal to Siphax to require him of confederacie:The vētu­rous enter­prise of Scipio. whiche whē Scipio heard, he thought to pre­uent him, & w^c two Gallies, sailed to Barbary: whē he was cōming y^e galies of Carthage, y^t were before him lay in wait for him, but by y^t benifite of the wynd he escaped, & got y^e port. Siphax gaue gētle entertainmēt to thē both, [Page] and priuely cōcluded leage with Sci­pio, and sent him away: The Cartha­ginians had laide for him againe, but yet by good fortune he againe escaped. A number of the inhabitants beyond the ryuer,Novv cal­led Biskay. called Celtiberians, were in Campe with Hanno, whom Marti­us droue to such a strait, that they were forced to send him messēgers to treat of accord: he bad them first deli­uer their Captaine, and the fugitiues & then expounde their message: they tooke their captaine & the fugitiues, & brought thē to Martius: he required also the prisoners, & they brought thē: then he commaunded them to dely­uer him their mony, and come downe to the plaine, for it was not méete that they whiche sewed for pardon, shoulde kéepe a place of strength.

When they were come downe, hée saide vnto them, Although yee haue deserued to die, hauing forsa­ken your countrey that obeyeth vs, and serued our enimies, yet I am con­tent to let you all goe safe, if you wil leaue your armour. At the whiche [Page 11] word, they were so agreeued, that they cryed out and said, they would rather die then so to doe, wherevpon began a cruell fight, in the which the halfe of the Celtiberians were manfullye slaine. Sillanus went to receiue a citie called Castace, but whē he came there he was repulsed, wherof he sent word to Scipio, who made readie to come vnto it, and by the way assaulted the Citie of Illiturgo: This citie when the Scipiones were aliue, was friend to the Romaines, but after their death plaied a traiterous part, and delyue­red the Romaines, to the Carthagini­ans. Scipio remembred this iniurie,Illiturgo vtterly ra­zed, and all the inhaby­tauntes slaine. & in foure houres destroyed it, and al­though he were wounded in the neck, yet he gaue not ouer til he had y^e vic­tory: wherfore the souldiers without any cōmandement, despising al spoile, killed men, women, & childrē, & laid y^e city to the ground. Being come to Ca­stace he Marshalled his camp in iii. se­ueral places, & refrained from fight, to sée what they would do. The citizēs renouncing y^e garisō of the Carthagi­nians [Page] deliuered the citie to the Ro­maines, where Scipio left a man of their owne, to gouerne it. Ther was a citie called Astapa, which had conti­nued in faith with y^e Carthaginians, & was beseiged of Martius. They of the citie considering, that if they were taken▪ they shoulde be sold as slaues, caused al their ritches & substance, to be brought into the market place, & layde a stacke of woode about it, & set their wiues & children vpon it.Desperate & inuinci­ble courage of the Asta­pians. Then did they choose fifty of their best men, and bound them by othe, that if their citie were taken, they should first kill their wiues & children, & than them­selues, hauing first set al on fire: when they had called y^e Gods into witnesse of their purpose, they came out & assalted Martius y^t looked for nothing lesse, & at the first brunt put y^e light horse­men to flight: the battaile of footemē made resistance & fought it out. The Astapians shewed great prowesse, & though they were inferiour in nūber, yet were they nothing inferiour in valour: And being deuoide of hope, [Page 12] fought without stop, till they were al killed. Whē y^e fiftie of the towne per­ceiued y^t, they dispatched the women & the children, & set the woode a fire, and killed themselues. Martius, had their noble hearts in admiration, and re­frained from ruine of their houses.

It chaunced that Scipio fell sicke,Mutinie of Souldiours against their capi­taine. and left the charge of all the campe to Martius, wherefore such soldiours as had spent their gaines vpon plea­sure, and thought they were not suf­ficiently rewarded, and that Scipio did attribute their trauailes to his glory, were not content but rebelled against Martius. They cāped by thē ­selues, they made their own captains and gouernours, they prouided all things, & sware to hold together. Ma­ny of y^e coūtry tooke their part, & Ma­go sent money to them, to allure thē to their sids. They alwayes tooke the mony, abode stil together.Discipline and pollicy of a noble capitaine. Scipio wrot his letters to them that were occasiō of this mutinie, excusing the matter & saying, y^t his sicknes had béen cause, why he had not condignly rewarded [Page] them according to their deserts, and y^t he would do it immediatly vpon his recouerye. Some of them with faire words he caused to be entreated, and generally wrote to them all, to leaue their opinion, and come to him to re­ceiue their reliefe: some had y^e letters in suspect, and some thought good to giue credite, and so by accorde they went toward Carthage. When Scipio vnderstoode their comming, he com­maunded the chiefe Gentlemen to accompany them, that were the Ca­pitaines of the ryot, and vnder pre­tence of entertainment, to haue them into their tentes, and make them sure. He also gaue order to the Liefe­tenants and Marshals of the army, that the next morning they should be redie with their trustie men, and if any made any businesse while hée spake, forthwith to dispatch them. He betimes in the morning, called them to y^e assembly, & had al things accor­dingly. The soldiers wer scarsly vp, & made them ready with hast, being a­shamed, that their sicke Capitaine [Page 13] should be vp before them, and came vnarmed and vnready. He lamen­ted at their fact, and saide: I will with your helpe, chastise the causers of your offence. Then he caused way to be made, that the gentlemen might bring in the Capitains, who cryed to the Souldiours for helpe, and by and by y^e Marshals dispatched thē. When the multitude saw this, and how they wer naked and enclosed with harnes­sed men, they were heauy & sad. He caused all the remnaunt of the chief & heades, to be beaten at the pale,Rebellious souldiers executed. and after beheadded, and to the residue hée proclaimed a frée & generall pardon. And thus he redressed his Armie.

There was a Prince of Spayne, that had to name Indibilis, & was in league with the Romaines. King Indi­bilis rebel­led and be­ing ouer­throvvn in battaile en­tred into new league and vvas pardoned. Scipio went against him, and he refused not to fight, but hauing lost twentie thou­sand of his men, he was compelled to aske peace, which was graunted him, vpon paiment of certeine summes of money. Massimissa came to Scipio to confeder with him, moued by a dis­pleasure [Page] wrought against him at Carthage. Massinissa becōmeth a most faithfull confe­derate with Scipio and the Ro­maines. He was brought vp in the Citie, and espoused to Sophonisba, daughter vnto Asdrubal, y^t was Ge­nerall of the Armie. King Siphax al­so was in loue with the same Gentle­woman, whose beautie was renou­med ouer all Africa, & bicause he saw an other man preferred, he tooke dis­dain, & allied himselfe w^t y^t Romains. The Carthaginians cōsidering what a losse they shold haue of such a prince, sent him word, y^t if he would returne againe to them, they would giue him Sophonisba to his wife. He tooke y^e cō ­dition,Siphax ma­ryed to So­phonisba. & forsooke y^e Romains, they ma­ried hir to him, in y^e absence of hir fa­ther & hir former husband, not ma­king thē priuy to it. When Asdrubal heard of it, he thought to beare w^t it, bicause it stoode with y^e benefit of his coūtry▪ & wold not tell Massinissa of it, who was w^t him in campe, but yet he had priuie intellygence of it, & se­cretly went to y^e Romaines, w^t whom euer after most faithfully he continu­ed. Then Mago that was Admirall, [Page 14] perceiuing that Fortune beganne to lowre & frown vppon them, left the streightes of Gades, and went into Fraunce and Liguria, and so the Ro­maines tooke it, and after that time sent yearely Officers to gouerne the coūtry. Scipio reduced the Zanthianes into the forme of a Citie, & of y^t name of Italy, called it Italica, The coun­try of Tra­iane and A­driane Em­perours. which was the countrey of Traiane and Adriane that after wer Emperours of Rome. He retourned to Rome, with a great Nauy & a rich pray, & ther triumphed to y^t admiration of all men. Whē Sci­pio was departed to Rome, Indibilis rebelled again, & the presidents of the countrey to withstand him, made an armie of such garisōs as wer ther left, & of such other help as tooke part with thē, & had y^e day against him, where he was slaine, y^e rest of the countrey was punished according to their deserts.Indibilis slaine. This was y^e end of y^e first expeditiō y^e Romaines made into Spaine. After a seson, whē they had to do w^t Philip of Macedon, more trouble begā in Spain, & Sēpronius Tuditanus, M. Claudius, [Page] and Minutius, were successiuely sent thether,Cato a most stout Capi­taine & ve­hement O­rator vvan more cities in Spaine than hee abode daies and did no great good. Where­fore at length Cato went in person, a young man in déed, but a seuere and painefull Capitaine, and an eloquent Oratour, insomuch that he was wor­thely compared to Demosthenes. When he was come into Spaine, hée had an armie of xl.M. men, whom he cōtinually trained in feats of armes, and when he was appointed to fight, he sent away his Nauie to Marsyles, declaring to his souldiours that only victorye must be their refuge, which standeth not in huige multitudes, but in valyaunt courages. And so when he had vsed such wordes vnto them, as men vse rather in reproofes, than in exhortations, he began the fight, & in euery place encouraged his men valyantly. The field continued equal, till the euening: he with thrée bands of men went vp to an hill, to beholde in euery place how the battaile went, and saw that in the midde battaile his men had the worst: wherefore hée ranne thether with such a fury with [Page 15] his fresh men, that he himselfe was the forwardest in the conflict, crying & fighting so fiercely, that the enimies were put to flight, whom he chased al the night, and tooke their Campe: and all the whole armie attributed y^e en­terprise and thankes onely to him as the chiefe and first author of the victo­ry: he deuided the spoyle among his men, and required pledges of the cit­ties. He sent his letters to euery cit­tie, commaunding the messengers so to appoynt their iourneyes, that al­though they wer sent seueral wayes, some to one cittie & some to an other, yet they might arriue, & debate their letters all in one daye.

The letters commaunded euerye Magistrate of the sayd Citties,A notable pollycie of Cato. that immediately vppon the sight thereoff they should beat downe the walls of their Cities, and they y^t did not obey, should looke for all extremitie. They hauing no time to consult with their neighbours, and supposing it had ben but a seuerall cōmaundement, afraid of a further inconuenience, wer com­pelled [Page] to obey, and so in one day, al the cities about the riuer Iberus, wer de­faced by the policie of the Capitaine, & continued quiet a long time after.

In processe of time, for lack of com­petent ground to occupy, there was a new tumult among the people, for the appeasment whereoff, Fuluius Flaccus was sent, who droue y^e people to their holdes: but one great rout kept to-ge­ther at Complega, which was wel for­tified & newly buylded:Flouting & mockerie requited. They great­ly molested the Romains, & sent a mes­sage in mockerie to Flaccus, that he should leaue a Iacke, an Horse, and a Sword, for so many as he had killed, and flye out of Spayne, before he had any more hurt: he sent them worde, he would shortly bring amongs them, many moe Iackes than they shoulde vouchsafe well to thinke well off, and incontinent layd siege to their Citie. They nothing aunswerable to their late brauerie, and lustinesse, ran their way, & he spoyled all the country. Ti­berius Sempronius Gracchus succéeded Flaccus, Biskay. when the Celtiberians had be­sieged [Page 16] the Citie of Carabia, friend to the Romaines, y^e citie was at poynt to be rendred, & bicause the siege was so streight, Gracchus could not send them word of his comming, wherfore he de­uised with a Capitaine of his called Cominius, which could speake y^t coun­trey language very well,Great care and pollicy vsed by Gracchus for the suc­couring of his besieged friends. & clad him with a Spanish Iack, who got among them that went a forraging & so from the Campe fled into the Citie, & told the selye besieged, that the Romaines were at-hande: wherefore they endu­red the siege, and in thrée daies by the comming of Gracchus were delyuered of the same. Out of the Citie of Com­plega, ther issued xx.M. with branches of Olyue in their handes, in token of supplycation, and being come nigh the Romaines, they set fiercely vpon thē,They that meane mis­chiefe ma­ny times fall into mischiefes themselues. & put them to great trouble. Gracchus of purpose forsooke his campe, & fayned to fly away, & whiles they wer about the spoyle, he returned vpon thē, & slew so many of them, y^t he got y^e town, wher­in after he had staid a certein while, he gaue the lands of the country to such [Page] as had néede of ground: whō vpō cer­teine conditions and bondes, he con­federed with the people of Rome, which capitulatiō did good seruice, in all the warres that followed, and by this meane, the name of Gracchus was notable in Spayne, and also in Rome, where he had Tryumph.

Certeine yeares after, there arose a cruell warre in Spayne by this oc­casion.

A Cittie of Celtiberia, called Sege­da, Sharp vvar renued. being comprised in the articles of Gracchus, allured certeine towns to them, and reedified their wals, whose example induced the Tithians ano­ther nation of Celtiberia, to doe the lyke. The Senate forbad them the buylding of the Walls, and required the tribute, and their seruice, accor­ding to the composition of Gracchus, They aunswered that they were for­bidden y^e building of any new cities, but not the repairing of their olde, and that the tribute which they wer bound to paye, was after forgiuen of the Senate, and so it was in deede: [Page 17] but all such priuiledges, were vnder­stand for y^e time, that they continued faithful to the people of Rome: wher­fore Quintius Fuluius Nobilior, was chosen capitaine against them, with an armie of xxx.M.

Whan the Segedanes had know­ledge of his comming, bicause their wals were not finished, they fled to y^e Arasthianes desiring them to be recei­ued with their wiues and children, and they were content: And chose one Carus a Segedane, their generall ca­pitaine, a man expert in feats of war. He iii. dayes after he was capitaine, laid an ambushment of xx.M. in a place for the purpose, and assalted the Romaines as they passed: The fight continued doubtfull, but at length Carus had the victory,Great slaughter of the Ro­maines. and killed vi. thousande of the verye Romaines borne, which was a great losse: but in following the chase rashly, the horsemen of the Romaines, that war­ded the cariage, set vpon him, and slew him, fighting most valyauntly, the murther there was great, and grea­ter [Page] had bene, if the darkenesse of the night had not stayed the same. This was done the next day after the feast of Vulcan in Rome, at which time the Romaines would neuer after take any battaile in hand.

The Arastianes assembled in Nu­mantia, a strong citie, and chose Ara­thane, & Lencone, for their capitaines. Nobilior went thither with-in thrée dayes, and camped thrée myle off. Massinissa sent him iii.C. horses of Numidia, and x. Elephants, with the which he made order for to fight, and placed the Elephants behinde, with a deuise, that way shoulde bée made for them: And when the onset was giuen, away was opened for the Ele­phants, which so affraid the enimies and their horse, that they fledd. The Romaine capitaine followed to the harde walles,Discommo­dity of Ele­phants in vvarres. and did verye well, till one of the Elephants had a blow on the heade, with a stone, that was cast from the wall, with the which he became so frowarde and so ra­ging, that he turned vpon his frindes [Page 18] and beate downe all that was in his way, and the other affraide with his roaring, did the like, thrusting▪ & throwing the Romaines to y^e grounde. And this is the discommoditie of Ele­phantes, which when they beginne to rage, there is no rule with them, and therefore be they called common enimies. The Romaines by this oc­casion fledde with such disorder, that the Numantines issued out and slewe iiii.M. of them, and tooke thrée Ele­phants, and many ensinges, when Nobilior had recouered himselfe, hée went to beate the Citie of Apenio, which was a great reliefe to the eni­mies, but he did nothing there, but re­tourned by night with losse to his campe.Lovvring lucke of Nobilior & his compa­nie. He sent Blesius capitaine of the horsemen, so confeder with a coū ­trie for succour of horse-men: who in his returne fell in an Ambush­ment, where his friendes forsooke him, and he very manfully fighting was slaine, and all most all the Romaines. And vppon these daylye losses, the Citie of Ocile, where the [Page] Romaine munition & treasure, was rendered to the Celtiberians, where­fore Nobiliar was driuē to such shift, as he lay all that winter in the fielde, and sustained such disease with hun­ger and colde, that many perished pi­tifully.

The yeare following Claudius Marcellus came in his place, bringing with him viii.M. men, & v.C. horse, & where his enimies had layd ambush­ment for him, he auoyded it, & with all his hoast, layd seage to Ocile, and at the first assalt tooke it. And vppon the receipt of certaine pledges & xxx. Talentes of golde, he pardoned the Citie.

The Nertobriganes sent vnto Mar­cellus to knowe his pleasure what they might doe to obtaine peace, hée bad them send him an hundred horse and they should haue it: they were content, & appointed y^e number which followed the taile of the armie, & did euermore some hurt to the caryage, & when they were come in Marcellus sight, they offred their seruice, and ex­cused [Page 19] y^e offence to be done by thē that knewe not the accorde, but Marcel­lus deteined stil with him the men as prisoners, and solde their horses, and made a rode into their country, & laid seage to y^e citie, which whē they saw, they sent an haralde with a Wolfes skinne in stéede of a rod, to demaund pardon. Marcellus said,Double de­ling of Marcellus. if the Arbace­anes, Bellanes, & Tithianes woulde in treate for them, they shold haue their request. They were content so to do, & desired Marcellus that they might haue a moderate punishment, and be conteined in the conditions of Grac­chus: But some there were, y^e would not agrée to it, bicause ther had bene variunce betweene them, wherefore Marcellus sent them Ambassadours of both parties to Rome, to dispute their cause before the Senate. Hée wrot priuate letters, exhorting to ac­cord. Whē they were come to Rome, y^e Ambassadors of their friends were lodged within the citie, & they which were of their enimies, without. The Senate was not disposed to peace, & [Page] gaue them none other aunswere, but that Marcellus shoulde declare vnto them the will of the Senate, & apoin­ted a new army, of the which Lucius Lucullus was capitaine. And thē was the first time that the souldiours wer taken vp by hap, and not by election, as was wont to be, wherefore many citizens were offended. The Leifete­nant of the armie was Lucius Corne­lius Scipio, whiche afterwarde tooke Carthage, and Numantia. Marcellus protested war against the Celtiberi­ans, and yet kept still with him the Ambassadour that had ben at Rome, and all was to make an ende of the warre before the comming of Lu­cullus. Certeine people of the Arbace­anes tooke Nertobridge, & made their chiefe resort to Numantia, whither he marched, & camped within v. mile of the citie.VVilfulnes & couetous­nes of Lu­cullus. The capitain of the Numā ­tines called Lintenone, desired to speake with Marcellus, which being to him graunted, they cōcluded that y^e Bellanes, Titthianes, and Arbaceanes should remaine & be lest frée, where­vpon [Page 20] mony & pledges were receiued, & so the war of this people, was en­ded, before the comming of Lucullus.

Now began y^e time of y^e Romaines declination from their auncient puri­tie and state: for notwithstanding y^e peace was made by the Romaine cō ­sull, yet Lucullus for desire of glorye, & couetous of mony, inuaded the Vac­ceanes, who had neuer offended the Romaines. He passed the ryuer Ta­gus, Novv cal­led Taio. without any commisson from the Senate, and camped at Cancea: they of the towne came forth to know the cause why he lay there, he aunswered to reueng the Carpentanes, whō they had iniuried, & with this aunswere they retourned. And when the Ro­maines went a foraging, they lay in a waite, & set vpon them, & slew many of them, & droue y^e rest to their camp, wherefore he came out against them in order,Stout cou­rages with out skill & order, soon ouerthro [...] ­en. and they a long time had the better hande, but when they had wasted their shotte, and not experte in firme battaile, they tour­ned their backs, & at the streightnesse [Page] of the gate, thrusting one another, ve­ry many were slaine.

The next day the olde men of the towne came out to know what they might doe to bée friendes with the Romaines: Lucullus bad them to bring vnto him pledges, and an C. ta­lents of gold, and to serue him in the warres. They graunted all: than he required his garrison to be receiued, & they were likewise content: Then put he in two M. picked men,VVicked & shameful dealing of Lucillus. & com­maunded them to be sure of the gats, & the wals: which being done▪ he en­tred with all his hoast, & gaue com­maundement to kill man and childe, without respect: so were they cruelly murdered & slaine, calling the Godds to witnes of their iniurie receiued at the Romaines hands: Lucullus sacked the Citie, and for reward wan to the Romaines a perpetuall slaunder.

The other people drewe together into strong places, & burned all such things as they could not carrie, bi­cause they woulde leaue nothing for Lucullus: he made a long voyage in [Page 21] desert places, and at length came to a Citie called Endecacia, wher xx.M. were assembled. Than he like a fond man moued them to accord:Crueltie getteth ha­tred at all hands. they ob­iected vnto him the calamitie of the Causeanes, demaunding if he woulde bring them to lyke amitie. Wherfore he being in a rage, (as al men be, that haue done euill, who rather ought to repent) spoyled all the countrey, & then layde siege to the Citie: They of the towne came out, and skirmished, and so kept him occupyed. There was one among them of a goodly stature, and faire in armes, that came many times forth, and challenged any Romaine to fight hand to hande, and bicause none tooke the defence, he flouted and scor­ued the Romaines and went his way.Combat betvveene Scipio and an other big chalen­ger of huge stature. Thus he vsed long time, till Scipio, a man of smal stature, could no longer stay himselfe, but would néedes fight with him, and by good fortune killed him, as great as he was.

There was a company of the Ci­tie that wer gone for a conuay of vit­tayle, before Lucullus came, & bicause [Page] they could not enter the Citie, they came by night, & gaue alarme to the Campe, and they of the Citie did the lyke, so y^e they wer sore troubled in the host, and besides this, they wer not ac­customed with the meates of y^e coun­trey, hauing neither salt, oyle, nor vi­neger, they eate all things fresh, wherby they were sicke of the fluxe, & ma­ny of them died. When the ramperes were finished,Lucullus vntruth & breache of promise made him and all his to fare the vvorse. they battered the wall, and entered the citie, but by very fine force, they wer repelled, and in the re­tire, fell into a fenne, and the more part perished. They of the Citie re­payred the wall by night. In continu­aunce of time, their want wared so great, that they were not able to hold out, and yet would not yéelde for the vntruth of Lucullus. Wherefore Sci­pio tooke the matter in hand, and pro­mised, that in the accorde, no fraude should be vsed:Iust deling & vertue is beloued e­uen of the enimies. They were content to trust him, bicause of y^e great fame and renowme that was generallye reported of him. They were content to giue to the Romaines x.M. Iackes, [Page 22] fiftie pledges, and a number of Cat­taile. Lucullus that sought for nothing but mony, required golde and siluer, thinking to finde plentie there, but he was deceiued, for those people did not care so greatly for it, and had none to giue him.

After this league, he went to the citie of Pallantia, which was of more strength, & better defenced with men, and all other things necessary, he had counsaile not to meddle with it, but yet he had hope to be enriched by it, his expectation fayled, for the Horse­men of the Pallantines kept him al­wayes so from vitaile, that he fell in lacke, and was forced to depart, and they followed him to the riuer Orio, which he passed, and tooke places, for his Winter herborow

There was an other Countrey of Spayne, called Lusitania, Portugall. which liued after their owne lawes, and vnder a Capitaine of Africa, they did much hurte to the Romaines, they ouer­threwe Caliphurnius [...]iso, and [Page] Manlius, and killed vi.M. Romaines, and besieged a nation that obeyed the same, called Blastophenitianes, which had that name, bicause Hannibal had mingled certeine Africans with them. Their Capitaine had a blowe on the head with a stone, of the which he dy­ed, and in his place they made one Ces­sacrone. He encoūtred with Mummi­us that was come from Rome with a new armie, and was put to flight. Mummius chased him without order, which he perceiuing stayd his men,Romaines through their ovvn folly ouer­throvvne. & retourned vpon the Romaines dispar­sed, and killed x.M. of them, recoue­ring his owne Campe that was lost, and gayning the Romaines, with all their armes and ensignes, which hée shewed abroad in Spayne, for a brag and glory of his victorye. Mummius with fiue. M. that were left, kept him­selfe in a sure place, being afrayde to come out into the playne, and watch­ing the time, when the enimie sent a­way their spoyle, he sodainly set vpon them, and flew many of them, recoue­ring againe all his losse.

[Page 23]An other sort of the Lusitanes be­yond the Riuer Tagus, molested the Romaines, and besieged the Citie of Ocile. Mummius followed them, & at diuers times killed xv.M. of them, and tooke their pray from them, and de­uided it to the Romaines, and that which could not be caried, he sacrificed to the Gods after the fashion of war. And for these feates, Mummius had Tryumph when he came to Rome.

After him succéeded Marcus Atti­lius, which destroyed a great Citie cal­led Ostrace, and brought all the coun­trey to accorde, but he was no sooner gone to winter campe, but they rebel­led againe, and anoyed the Romaines.

Seruius Galba that succéeded Atti­lius, intending sodeinly to surprey and take them vnawares, marched in a night and a day, about l. mile,The chāce of vvarre diuers. and im­mediately vpon his comming embat­tayled his wearie Souldiours, & with the sodeine assault, put the enimies to flight, but in the chase vsing little dis­cretion, and not considering the wea­rinesse and faintnes of his souldiors, [Page] which were compelled to rest them many times by the way, the other ga­thered together, and set vppon them being scattered and weake, and slew vij.M. Galba with the remnaunt of the horse-men fled to Carmena, where he assembled all them that were fled, and when he had renued his armie to the number of xx.M. hee went to Winter in Cuuestagi.

Lucullus who hadde made warre vpon the Vacceanes, without commis­sion, would not goe home for feare of iudgement, but remayned with the Capitaines of the armie, & comming with his men into Lusitania, did much hurt in one part of the countre, & Gal­ba sacked the other. Many of the peo­ple sent vnto him to renew the accord made with Attilius & he fained to bée content saying: that he knewe well, pouertie & lacke of liuing made them to offend, & therfore he would giue thē a plentiful ground to inhabile, & they being glad of his promise, came to him with al their goods, whom he deuided into thrée parts, & appointed a Plaine [Page 24] for them to staye, till he had assigned their place, wher they shoulde buylde their citie. Then he came to y^e former, willing them to leaue their harnesse, bicause they wer friends, & caused thē to be entrenched, & they wer content: which wen he hadde brought to passe through-out, he sent his souldiours among them, & killed them euery one, they calling & crying vpon y^e Gods, as witnesses of periurie & crueltie. So he punished falshood with falshood, as a Barbarian, & not as a man worthy the name of Rome. Uery few escaped from this murder, of y^e which Viriatus was one, which after was a Capitain, & did many notable feats, as shall be shewed. Galba gaue a fewe trifling things to the Romaines, and kept the rest to himself, for he was more coue­tous than Lucullus, Neither barrel bet­ter Hering. & more rich thā a­ny Romain, but of such nature as wel in peace as warre, y^t for his profit, he passed neither for periury nor lyes, & although euery man hated him, and though he was many times accused, yet for his riches he alwaies escaped. [Page] For in his dayes, the Romaines be­gan to sette more by money than by truth.

An other company of the Lusitans, made an head, and ranged the coun­treyes of the Romaines. M. Ventidi­us, was sent from Rome with an ar­mie, who droue them from the field, and made them take a Castle: where being in desperation of al things, they were forced to send to Ventidius, to haue peace and grounde to inhabite, which he promised them. But one Viriatus who (as before is sayde, had escaped the crueltie of Galba, recorded vnto them, the vnfaithfulnesse of the Romaines, and howe ofte they hadde bene oppressed, vnder pretence of an oth and attonement, which the Ro­maines no longer regarded than they lusted,Viriatus a stout vvar­riour and vvorthy Capitaine and repeated to them the ex­ample of Galba and Lucullus, and pro­mised them to conuey them safe, if they would be ruled by him. They were mooued with his wordes, and made him their Capitaine.

He placed in the front of the ar­mie [Page 25] his Horse-men, as though hée would fight, and gaue warning, that as soone, as he tooke his Horse, they that were a foote, shoulde flye by di­uers wayes, as well as they coulde, to the citie of Tribola, and ther abide him. He kept with him, them that were most méete for Horsemen, and when he mounted on horseback, they fledde their way with all hast. Ven­tidius doubted to followe them in so many parts, and abode to sée, what Viriatus would do that stoode still. He skirmished with the Romaines all the daye, and the next, too and fro, and when he thought the foote-men to be past daunger, he went his waye by night, with such spéede, and by such wayes, as the Romaines could not tel how to followe. This feate got him great fame in all the country, & euery man ranne to him, wher-by he kept warre a great while with y^e Romains, and did them much hurt. Ventidius followed til he came to Tribola, Vi­riatus layd an ambushment for him in a place ful of woode, & when he espied [Page] his aduauntage, he with the company that he had, fayned to flye, till Venti­dius was past the trayne, than retur­ned hée, and the bushment discouered, and so beset the Romaines, that they were either slaine or taken prisoners, and Ventidius himselfe was one,Ventidius slaine, and his army discomfited but bicause he was not knowen, being an olde fat man, he was cut in péeces, & of xx.M. Romaines, scarcely x.M. es­caped to a Citie of the Coast, called Carptesso, which (I thinke) was som­time called Tartesso, where the olde King Arganthonius lyued. The Tre­surer of the Campe, tooke the charge vpon him a fresh, and gathered v.M. of of the countrey about, which he sent to kéepe Viriatus backe, and he so laid for them, that one escaped not to bring newes. The Treasurer stood close in the towne and durst do nothing til he heard from Rome, Profperous successe of Viriatus. Viriatus inuaded the rich countrey of Carpentania, and without all feare, spoyled at his plea­sure.

Caius Plantius came from Rome, with x.M. mē, & a M.iii.C. horse. Thā [Page 26] Viriatus pretended to fly, after whom he sent iiii.M. men, which were al­most all destroyed and slaine. He pas­sed the riuer Tagus, and camped in an hill ful of Oliues, although it wer called Venus Mount. There Plantius came vpon him, and made hast to re­couer his dishonour, and after a sore fight he was discomfited, and compel­led shamefully to flye, with great losse of his men: & the rest of the Sommer he kept within townes, and durst not come foorth. Viriatus went abroade the countryes, requiring paiment for the sauing of their Corne.

When these newes were known at Rome, they sent Q. Fabius Maxi­mus Emilianus, sonne of that Emilius, that ouercame Perseus king of Mace­donie. They gaue him authoritie to take what men he would, he to giue respite to the olde souldiours, tooke vp young men of the first beard, hauing no practise in warre, and came to Or­sone a Citie of Spain, w^t xv.M. men, & ii..M. horse, but he durst not enter­prise to take any battaile in hand, till [Page] he had trayned his men in feates of armes, and bene at Gades to Sacri­fice to Hercules. Viriatus met with a company of his men that went a for­raging, & killed the most part, whom being againe set in arraye and order by their Leader, the same Viriatus discomfited the second time, and tooke a great praye from them. When Maximus was come, he durste not fight in open field, but kept his men in exercises, and gaue them leaue to skirmish, to proue their hearts, and to espie the aduauntage of his enimies doings. When he went for vittayle, he warded the Dimilances with men of armes, that scoured the countrey, as he had séene his father Paulus doe in Macedonia. After the Winter hée came forth to battaile, and ouercame Viriatus, and put him to flight, and of two Cities that he kept, he tooke the one, & burned the other, & droue him to an holde called Vecor, & then went to herborow at Corduba.

Now was Viriatus nothing so brag as he was wont to be, but sought [Page 27] helpe, & induced the Arbaceanes, Tit­thianes, and Bellanes, al warlyke peo­ple, that had kept warre of them­selues, to take his part, which was an occasion of great a doe. Viriatus was in an other part of Spaine, and fought with Quintus Pompeius, that was an other Capitaine of the Romaines, and had the losse, and from thence fled to Aphrodisio, Venus Hill, and from thence came sodeinly vppon the Ro­maines, and put them to flight, and tooke some of their Standards, and chased them into their Campe, and then droue awaye the garrison and Warde from Vtica, and sacked the countrey of the Basetanes, Quintus sending vnto them no ayde, for lacke of knowledge and courage: but re­mayned in house, till Sommer was ended.

The yeare after, Fabius Maximus brother to Emilianus succéeded Quin­tus, and had two Legions of the Ro­maines, & other of their friendes, that ther was xviii.M. men, & a.M.vi.C. horse. He wrote to Micypsa king of [Page] Numidia, that in hast, he should sende him succour of Elephants, and with a part of his armie went toward Vtica, and by the way, Viriatus gaue him alarme, with great shoutes, and terri­ble behauiour, but he repulsed him without losse. When x.Elephants were come from Africa, he camped in a large field, and fought with Vi­riatus, and put him backe, but at one time, when the Romaines chased with out order, he tourned vpon them, and killed thrée. M. & droue the rest with­in, and followed so hard that he found few or none in the way towarde the Campe, but they were fled into their Cabbins, out of the which, the Capi­taines had much a doe to draw them, and had it not bene for Fannius, Fannius praysed. sonne in law to Laelius, who shewed y^t night great wisedome and manhoode, the Romaines had bene vtterlye destroy­ed.

Viriatus ceased not, neither by the darke of night, nor by the heate of day, to molest them with all deuice, till Emilianus had mooued his campe [Page 28] to Vtica. Viriatus being distressed for lacke of vittayle, and hauing a small armie, burned his Campe by night, and went into Lusitania. After whose departure, Emilianus spoyled the countrey, and fiue Cities that had succoured him, and from thence hée went by Cunea, and so into Lusitania against Viriatus.

By the way, two Kingleaders of Romaine théeues, did him much dis­pleasure, which were called Curius, and Apuleius, Curius was afterward slayne, and Emilianus recouered his losse, and tooke diuers Cities, of the which some he spoyled, and some hee pardoned, and of x.M. prisoners, he beheaded fiue hundred, and killed the rest.

This done, he passed ouer the Wynter and went to Rome, hauing bene two yeare in Office.

His brother Maximus Emilianus, tooke a Capitaine of théeues by yéel­ding, and pardoned him, and cut off the handes of the other. [Page] He followed Viriatus, and layd siege to Frisana, into the which, Viriatus got in by night, and the next daye came so sodeinlye and fiercely out, that first the Pieners and then the Souldiours fledde: whome he droue to such barrein and wylde Moun­taynes, that they had no hope of es­cape.

Viriatus was not too proud of this victory, but thought that now hée had a good occasion,The Ro­maines and Viriatus friendes & louers. to make an honoura­ble peace with the Romaines: And so vpon treatie it was concluded, that he shoulde bée taken, as the Romaines friend, & al they that wer vnder him, should remain Lords of such possessi­ons as they had. Thus had this war an ende by y^e benefit of a Romain eni­mie. But it did not long continue: For Cepio, Brother to Emiliane, thought it dishonourable to the name of Rome, and not to be ratified. The Senate was content, that hée should séeke new matter to fal out with him: But he ceased not writing, till the league was openly reiected. [Page 29] Wherefore by this authouritie Ce­pio went against Viriatus, and tooke the citie of Arsa, whiche Viriatus had forsaken, and was retired bicause he had no conuenient power. He ouer tooke him at Carpentania, and hadde farre greater power than Viriatus had, wherefore Viriatus woulde not fight with him,Viriatus his policie but sent away y^e most part of his men by a priuie path, and placed the rest vppon an hill, in order of battaile: and when he knew them to be come to the place which he ap­pointed, he set spurres to the horse with such spéede, and celeritie, that y^e Romaines might cast their cappes at him, & so with y^e scorne of his enimie, he saued himselfe.

Cepio sacked the Vettones and y^e Callecianes, in Portugal, many fol­lowed y^e example of Viriatus, & liued of Robbing▪ Sextus Iulius was sent against them, who founde more a do than at the first he supposed, the coun­trey was so great and the riuers so many, as Taio, Linia, Leca, or rather Lima, Duero, & Gauda Loquitur, Be­tis, [Page] all Nauigable, that they might es­cape at their pleasure. Wherefore Brutus considered that it was impos­sible to ioyne with them all, and a rebuke to let them continue, and small glorie to ouercome them, wherefore he thought best to assaulte their holdes, thinking when euerye man was driuen to defende his owne, their broode shoulde bée the sooner broken. So following this deuise, hée beate downe all he could meete. The woemen were in the warre with their husbandes, and shewed such manlye heartes,Manlye heartes in vvomen. that when they were killed, they did not cast forth one worde. Manye fledde into the mountaines, and for lacke of foode, required pardon, whiche he fréely gaue them, and tooke their pray.

When hée hadde thus done, hée passed the Ryuer Orio, and raunged ouer the countrie, taking pledges of them that accorded with him. And he went ouer the flodde Lima, where no Romaine had done so much, and from [Page 30] thence to the Ryuer Niben, Novv Rio Cauado, Braga in Portingale. and ledde his armie against the Braccarianes, bicause they had stopped vitaile that came vnto him.

These be people, with whome their wiues goeth to warre, and dye valiauntly without any shrinking, or scryking, and whē they fight they ne­uer flée, nor any whit lament when they die: Many of these being taken, the women to auoyde captiuitie, kil­led their children, and afterwardes themselues, choosing rather to dye worthily, than to liue wretchedly. Thus, Brutus wan much, and came to a citie called Labrica, whiche had many times broken promise with him, and once againe they desired par­don, and rendred themselues, he re­quired all the fugitiues of the Ro­maines, all their armour and certeine pledges, and last of all, that they should forsake their city, which when it was done, hée called them to a Parlaiment, in the whiche hee re­proued them of their ofte rebelli­on, and breaking of their promise, [Page] with so sharpe words, that they fea­red some grieuous punishment, being on ech side enclosed with al the army, but he rested satisfied with repeting them with this reproch, and refrained from further vengance, And when he had taken their corne, and their com­mon treasure from them, contrarie to all mens opinion, he let thē dwell in their owne citie.

Thinges being thus ended it fell out that he must returne to Rome. And before he went, it chaunced that Viriatus sent to him iii. Ambassadors Aulace, Ditalcone, and Minuro, to treat of accorde, which Ambassadors by faire promises were corrupted, & did agrée for a some of mony, and o­ther thinges, to kill their tapitaine the valiant Viriatus. Descriptiō of Viriatus & hovv he vvas trai­terouslye murdered. This Viriatus was a man of verye small sléepe, though his trauaile were neuer so great. And for the most part, slept in in his harnes, bicause he might bée readie at all assayes. And it was law­full for any souldiour to come and speake with him by night, whiche [Page 31] vse the traytours knewe, and at the first sléepe entering into his tent as though they had had some matters of weightie importance, they cut his throate, for otherwise they could not hurt him, being so well armed, after whiche villanous déede, they went their way safe, no man suspecting thē or hearing any noyse: When they were come to Cepio, they demaunded their rewarde for their fact. He grā ­ted them all their possessions, and for the rest sent thē to Rome, in y^e mor­ning they of the campe marueiled y^e Viriatus came not forth, & thought he had reposed himselfe to some ease. But in the end when they heard no­thing of him, certeine of them went in, and founde him deade. Wherevp­on throughout the whole armie, there was great dolour as might wel bee, & no meruaile, considering the losse of so good & valiant a capitaine, and the case that they presētly stoode in: & one thing greatly grieued them, that they could not finde the murtherers.

They burned his bodie after the [Page] manner, vppon a great stack of wood with many ornaments, and great sacrifices, and with their bandes of horsemen, rode about it, magni­fying and praysing him. Whan the fire was quenched, and the exequies done, they made a goodly sepulchre in his honour, & set forth Iusts, & attor­niaments with most solemne pompe, and chalengies, man to man, so great was the loue and desire that euerye man had of him.Praise of Viriatus. And surely he was a man most expert in gouerment, most circumspect and warie in perill, and most bolde and hardie, in dispi­sing the same, in deuision of any pray or bootie, he obserued such iustice, as hath not ben heard: he wold haue no more for his part thē any other cōmō person had. And though they desired him to take prefermēt he would not, and that also which fell to his share, and portion, he gaue away alwayes to them that were forwarde men, and valiaunt, wherefore he might say y^t which none other capitaine coulde, for his armie being gathered of a [Page 32] mixture and rifraff of all sorts, conti­nued in obedience vnder him viii. years w^t out any mutinie in y^t world, and at all daungers were most rea­die to serue him.

After him they chose Tantalus to their capitaine, who tooke vpon him to assalt Sagunt, whiche was nowe Carthage, Cartagena. but being repelled from thence, and wery of his wandring, hée was content to yealde vnto Cepio: he tooke their armour from them and gaue thē ground to inhabite, bicause they should refraine from robbery & pillage. After Cepio came Cecilius, Metellus, & subdued the Vacceanes.

Ther were two strong cities that would not giue ouer, Termantia, and Numantia, of the whiche Numantia was situate in a rocky place, deuided with two ryuers, fensed with moun­taines, & cōpassed with thicke woods,Numantia now called Soria. and onely on one side had way to the plaine which was fortified with ma­ny ditches, and pillaires ouerthwart. They were good men on horsebacke and a foote, and might make viii.M. [Page] fighting men, the which small num­ber, for their worthy valour wrought the Romaines much a do. There was of the Romaines xxx. thousande men, and two thousand horse, well trai­ned and practised in war. Pompeius lay at the seage at Numantia, & went forth on a time to viewe a certeyne ground: the Numantines came from the hill, & killed his horsemen, where­vpon he with such mē as he had mar­shalled his hoast, and came into the plain to fight. The enimies descended downe, and affronted them, and after as they had bene afraide fledde vp to the hill, whither if the Romaines fol­lowed, they were sure to be lost. And so Pompeius euery day had the worst in these skirmishes, although his nū ­ber were a great deale more, where­fore he brak vp seage, & went to Ter­mantia, Pompeius & his men for laide vnto by the Numātines & Termā ­tines, as to a more easie enterprice, but he founde it of the same nature: For at y^e first onset, he lost 7.C men, and a capitaine of x. thousande that brought a conuaye of vittaile, was put to flight, and thrée times encoun­tred [Page 33] in one day, and at length dri­uen to the Hils and Rockes, where many miserably perished, both Horse and man, and all that night tooke no rest, and in the morning, were assai­led againe, and fought all day till night deuided the fight, where-fore Pompeius forsooke the fielde by night and went to the citie of Malia, in the which was a garrison of the Numan­tines. They of the towne at the com­ming of Pompei secreatly killed the garrison by crafte, and receiued him.

From thence he went to Swedi­tania, which place a capitaine called Tangino, haried and oueranne with spoyle, with whom Pompeius fought, and him discomfited, taking manye of his men prisoners.Desperate dealinges. And such gene­rositie was in the heartes of those théeues, that they rather chose to dye then to liue slaues, some killed their Lordes, and then their selues: some killed themselues onely, and being put in shippes to be conueyed awaye, they made such ports and holes, that they sunke their shippes, and drow­ned [Page] themselues, and all the residue of the company.

Now Pompei returned againe to Numantia, with an intent to turne the course of the ryuer another way, and so to famish the city. They of the towne came fearcelye out in a brunt without any noyse of trumpet, and beate away the labourers: and laide a waite for a capitaine that guided vittaile, and slewe him and most parte of his men. And an other time issued out vppon the Romaines that made a trench, and slew about a M.iiii.C. with the capitaine.

Bicause of these losses, diuerse Senatours with more helpe was sent to Pompei. And he was dri­uen to lye the Winter in the fielde, where his souldiours for the colde and watch, were much troubled, the ayre also vexed them, and the water, and engēdred the flixe among them, of the which many dyed.

A number appointed went on a time for vittaile, for whome the Nu­mantines had laide a stacke, and o­ther [Page 34] with their weapons of shotte, molested the Romaines, and repro­ched them, with villanouse wordes, whiche they coulde not abide, but marched to fight with them, when so­dainely they of the Ambushment discouered and killed many of them, as well Gentlemen as other.Pompei greatly troubled in minde for his losses, & mishap at the siege of Numantia. Pom­peius was much troubled and great­ly netled with these losses, and by the counsaile of the Senatours went to lye with his campe the rest of winter in cities. And bicause he looked for a successor, & feared to be accused, he be­gan to practise a priuy peace with the Numantines. They of the towne also hauing lost manye of their best capi­taines, & thereby brought to extreme want, sent Ambassadours likewise to treat of peace. Pompei in opē audiēce said, y^t they must commit thēselues to y^e Romaines discretion, for otherwise he knew no way of accord, but priui­ly he cōcluded w^t them to haue again the fugitiues to receiue pledges, & 30. talēts of siluer, al y^e which was fulfil­led, and halfe the mony paide downe.

[Page]When time came, Marcus Popili­us arriued in Spaine to be successour vnto Pompeius, by whose comming Pompeius was now delyuered from feare,Double dealing of Pompei vvith the Numātines and so when the Numantines brought y^e rest of y^e mony, he denyed the accorde, and said he ne [...] consen­ted to such dishonourable league, the Numantines affirmed it, and tooke witnesse of the best men in his campe. Where-fore Popilius sent them both to Rome, to pleade their matter before the Senate. They wer both hard, and yet the Senate was disposed to continue the war against the Numantines. Popilius tarried out his yeare in Spaine, & went his way without any great honour. In his place came C. Ostilius Mācinus, who was diuerse times ouercome and driuen to his lodging. And bicause their was a voyce that the Cantabra­nes, and the Vacceanes came to ayde the enimies, he fledde by night in the darke, with-out making any fyres, and gotte to an olde forsaken campe which Fuluius Nobilior hadde made, [Page 35] and stayed there without any fortifi­cation in the worlde, being beseaged of the Numantines, that manased vt­ter decaye to him and all his. Wherefore to a voyde further incon­uenience, he made such reasonable leage with them as he could? Which thing when it was heard at Rome, it was not lyked, and Emilius Lepi­dus was sent capitaine thither, and Mancinus called home to iudgemēt. And after him went the Ambassa­dours of Numantia.

While the matter was debated at Rome, Emilius was wearye to stande still idle in Spaine, and there­fore picking a quarrell against the Vacceanes, inuaded their coun­trey, he layde seage to Pallantia that had committed no faulte. And sent his sonne in Lawe Brutus in­to other partes of Spaine. Where­fore the Senate sent two Ambassa­dours vnto him, meruailing that hée woulde séeke newe occasion of war, séeing the losse had bene so great of late. He shewed reasons y^e all Spaine [Page] woulde haue the Romaines in con­tempt, if the war should be left now, and that the Numantines woulde thereby wax so strong, that it would be hard hereafter for the Romaines to bridle or annoy them, and so sent away the Ambassadours without conclusion.Deuise of Flaccus to saue himself and his men Flaccus one of his capi­taines was gone for vittaile, and by the way was caught in a traine, who séeing himselfe in such extremitie and daunger, sodeinly eryed out, Pallantia is taken: at which words his souldi­ours made such shoutes, as men bée wont in victory, insomuch that the enimie afraid of themselues, retyred, and so he saued himselfe and the vit­taile, onely by y^e deuise of one word.

The seage continued long at Pal­lantia, and the Romaines lacked vi­taile, they had eaten alreadie their and beasts,Famine and mortalitie, able to dant euen the stoutest. & begā to die of hūger. Emilius and Brutus sustained famine & disease long, but at length they were for­ced to giue ouer, wherevpon the ca­pitaines went about the campe, com­maunding to depart before day, lea­uing [Page 36] behinde them all things, euen their wounded fellowes, and sick sol­diours, which pitifully embrased thē,Vnnaturale & more thē brutish vn­kindnesse, to leaue our friends and companions in extremi­tie. and desired their helpe, but for all that they departed like men conque­red, with tumult and disorder. The Pallantines issued out vpon them and did them much hurt, following the chase from morning till night: The Romaines being thus scattered, hither and thither, shifted away, and ranne some hither, some thither, as hap lead them: So, that if by the purueyance of God, the Pallantines had not rety­red, they had bene vtterly confoūded. When this was hearde at Rome, they depriued Emilius of his office, & condempned him in a sume of mony. Audience was giuen in the Senate house, to Mancinus, and the Ambas­sadours of the Numantines. They al­leadged the Chapiters of accorde, and he layde all the blame in Pompei that was capitaine a-fore him: but hée was pardoned before, and therefore this blame depended vp­pon him. And so the Romaynes, [Page] by decrée gaue Mācinus into y^e hands of y^e Numantines, Mancinus [...]eprochful­ly vsed. bicause w^t out their consent, he had dishonourably conclu­ded with them, folowing the example of their auncestours, that gaue their Consul into y^e power of the Sanuites, bicause he hadde made a shamefull peace.

The Numantines would not take him, wherefore Furius ledde him into Spaine, naked, and spoyled of all thinges. The charge of the armie was cōmitted to Calphurinus Piso, who entred the dominion of the Nu­mantines, and after that he had a lit­tle ranged, and trauersed the ground of the Pallantines without doing any harme, but spent the rest of his time in harborough at Carpetane. The people of Rome were weary of this tedi­ous warre,The noble & victori­ous Scipio. and determined to create Cornelius Scipio, Consull, as he who onely (as their hope was) coulde dis­patch this enterprise, but bicause hee coulde not be consull by reason of his young years, y^e senate was content y^e peple shold repeal y^e law for one yere. [Page 37] And so he was made Consull, and came into Spaine. He tooke vp no soul­diours by order, but such as would go with him of good will, and such as came to him from Cities and Kings confederated, he tooke to supplye the number, many slaues, and made one band of such as wer his assured friēds and companions, which bande he cal­led Philonide.

These souldiours to the number of foure M. he tooke to his cousin Buteo to leade, and he went afore in haste to Spayne, where he found the army lost and effeminated with ryot and sediti­tion: he considered wel, that he shold neuer do no feat with his men, except he had them in awe and order, and therefore he was no sooner come, but he banished al Merchants, Whores,The vvar­lyke disci­pline of Sci­pio. & Southsayers: For now the Souldi­ours were so frayed with the former losses, that they would do nothing but with Prophecies, he assigned few ser­uaunts and Pieners, he sold al beasts of Cariage, except such as were néed­full, he woulde haue no Cookes in [Page] the army, nor instruments of the kit­chin, but a spit and a pot, & tooke an order for their dyet, which was no more than sufficient.

He would not suffer them to haue any beddes, and he him selfe was the first that slept vpon a couch of straw. He forbad the souldiours in the waye to ryde vppon the beastes of cariage, saying, there was no great hope of his trauaile, who could not walke a foote. He reproued them that had seruants to rubbe them in the bathe, saying: that Mules without hands, had néede of some to clawe them.

He by this meanes, brought the armie, againe to temperaunce, and obedience, and accustomed them to re­uerence and feare, and was harde to entreat, except it were in matters iust and honest. He vsed to saye, that gentle Capitaines were profitable to their enimyes, and harde Capitaines were profitable to themselues.

When he hadde brought them to good order, yet durste he not venter in anye assaye, till he had trayned [Page 38] them furder. Wherefore he made e­uerye daye newe Campes, one af­ter an other, to kéepe them occupied, and cast great Ditches, and fill them agayne, buylded high walles, and pul­led them downe agayne. And he in person was there from morning till nyght, to encourage the Labou­rers.

In his waye, hée marched euer­more in a square Battayle, and would suffer none to goe out of their place: Hee rode about the armye, some time before, some time behinde, and made the sicke Souldiours to ryde in stéede of the Horsemen. The Mules that were ouerladen, he caused to be lyghted, and deuided the burden among the footemen.

When hée camped in Sommer, hée woulde haue the Horses that hadde bene abroade by daye, to rest at night, and haue other goe in theyr place. Euerye thing was ap­poynted to euerye manne, who to appoynt the place, who to digge the Trenche, who to buylde [Page] the wall, and who to set the tents, to all the which was a time and mea­sure assigned.

When he perceiued the armie to be in good discipline, and of lustie cou­rage, he remooued toward Numantia, and by the way made no great busi­nesse, but kept himselfe close, least o­therwise he shoulde growe into con­tempt among his enimies, if at the beginning, he should receiue any losse: therefore considering well the state of the thing, and the importaunce of the Empire, he thought he wold come with all force at once, vppon the Nu­mantines, he wasted euery thing, and cut downe the Corne, before it was ripe.

Ther was two wayes to Numan­tia, one short and plaine, which they perswaded him to take: he aunswe­red that he must thinke as wel of his Retyre, as of his March, and conside­ring the enimies were armed lyght, and hadde the Citie on their backes, they might so trouble him with his heauye carriage, that all his labour [Page 39] should be in vaine: for if he did ouer­come, he should get no profit, and if he were ouercome, he should haue great losse. He sayd further that he was an euill Capitaine, which would aduen­ture to fight with-out great aduaun­tage, and he was a sage Capitaine, that would not fight, but when mere necessitie compelled him: euen as wise Phisitions, refraine from cutting and searing, till they haue proued al other medicines and salues. Wherefore he gaue order to goe the longer way a­bout, and to wast the lande of y^e Vac­ceanes, from whence the Numantines had reliefe.

The Pallantines had layed an am­bushment in certeine hills, and with an other company molested them that cut downe the Corne.The Au­thour of this history Scipio sent a Capitaine of his, named Rutilius Ru­fus, (who wrote this Pamphlet) with foure Troupes of Horse-men, to re­fraine their incursions, Rufus did his Office, and encountred with them, who of purpose fledde to the Moun­taynes, and he followed them too bold­lye, [Page] but when he suspected fraude, hée made his men leaue the chase, & one­ly with their staues kéepe them off. When Scipio sawe him approach too nigh the Hils, doubting of the traine, he came forward to helpe him, and di­uided his men into two partes, to as­saile the enimies, and by encountring and retiring not hastelye, but with the vse of their shot, he saued all the other. After this he leuied his campe, and went forward.

There was a déepe riuer, daunge­rous to wade, and full of myre, about the which, the enimies were ambush­ed, which when he perceiued, he tooke an other way about, going night and day, and for lack of water made wels, in many of the which was found bit­ter water. And in the ende, the men passed safe, although with paine, but of his Horses and Moyles, there dyed a great number.

Marching thorow the country of the Cauceanes, vppon whom Lucullus had made iniust warre, he proclay­med by his Herauld, that they should [Page 40] not doubt, but retourne euerye man home to his countrey to doe his busi­nesse. Than went he forward into the countrey of Numantia to lye ther the Winter, till he had .xii. Elephants, & a band of Archers and slingers sent him frō lugurth, Nephew to Massi­nissa, & as he was about a spoyle, he fell on a time in an ambushmēt nigh a towne, the greater parte where-off, was enuironed with a fenne & marsh, and the other with a sharpe Hill and a thicke Wood, in the which the bush­ment laye. The hoast of Scipio was deuided, and one part was gone into the Wood, to séeke their pray, and had left their ensignes without, an other company of Horsemen not verye ma­ny, were gone on for raging and ran­ging about, and were affronted of the bushment. Scipio himselfe remayned with the ensigns, and called forth the souldiors with a Trompe, and before they were retourned, a companye of a thousand in an heape, went to suc­cour the Horse-men, which began to shrinke. [Page] And with the other, whom he had set in martiall arraye, he himselfe went forth and made his enimyes to flye, yet would hée not pursue them.

After this, hauing planted two Camps before Numantia, the gouern­ment of the one he gaue to his Bro­ther Maximus, and the other gouer­ned himselfe.

Polllcie of Scipio to vvinne the citie by fa­mine.The Numantines came manye times out, and prouoked the Ro­maines to fight, but Scipio made lyght of it, not intending to trye the mat­ter, with such desperate people, but rather to conquer them by famine. Wherefore he buylded seuen Bastio­nes, and sent to the Nations his con­federates there-abouts, appoynting what men they should send him, ouer whom he appoynted seuerall Capi­taines, and them he commaunded to entrench the towne.

Numantia was thrée mile about, and the trench was as much againe, and euery part had his Gouernour, with order that when they were mo­lested of the enimie, they should make [Page 41] a token with a red cloth vppon a long speare, and if it were by night, they should make a fire.

After the first trench was made, hée caused an other to be begon, & to laye a foundation for a wal, y^e bredth whereoff was viii.foote, and the height x. beside the battlements: and at eue­ry Arches bredth, was a tower, and bicause he could not kéepe the propor­tion of the wall for a standing water that was there, he made a thick ram­pier to serue in place of y^e wall. This Scipio was the first (as I thinke) that entrenched a Campe, before that Ci­tie which refused not to fight.

There was a Riuer called Duero, which did the Numantines much ease, as wel for the conueyance of vittaile, as for the priuie passage of men, wher off some diued vnder the water, and some with small Uessells, when the winde was great,The riuer Duero cha [...] ned ouer. passed thorowe at their pleasure. And bicause he could make no bridge ouer it, for the swift­nesse and Carriages of the water, he made two Fortes at either side, and [Page] from the one Fort to the other, he ty­ed long Beames with Ropes, ouer­thwart the Ryuer, to the bottome of the water, and in the Beames were pricked swerd blades, and all kinde of sharpe poynted fooles, the which tour­ning vp and downe with the streame of the water, kept the enimyes from passage, as well by ship as by swim­ming. This was the thing that Sci­pio most desired, to kéepe them from all out-going, and receiuing of anye thing in. Upon the towres of the wal, he placed engines to shoote dartes & stones, and the walles were fully fur­nished with cast and shotte, and the Forts stoutly warded with Archers, and slingers. And beside this, he gaue order, y^t a number of men shold be al­waies redy to signifie from one to another, what chanced, & that they of the Towers should, in any lacke set vp a banner, where the thing was, and that the other shoulde followe the same.

And this was to know euery so­deine accident, but in such cases, as [Page 42] were to be precisely and secretly de­clared, other wise he ordeined, that the message shoulde bée brought by mouth.

He deuided his armye into two partes, which was of the number of fortie thousande persons, one part kept the Walles, and the other ser­ued to fight abroade, of the which, twentie thousande were ordinarye, and twentie thousande in relyefe. All these hadde their place appoyn­ted, from the which they might not passe, but with lycence, and repayred to the same, at the sight of a to­ken.

Of the other side the Numantines ceased not to assaulte the Warde, some-time on one side, and some­time on an other, but the defence was so meruaylous and so sodeyne, and the multitude of Standerdes so great, and the number of menne so manye, which at the sounde of a Trompe, euen as it were in a mo­ment, came to the wall & the noyse [Page] of the drommes so terrible, that ma­ny times the Numantines remayned amazed. This enclosure, that com­passed sixe mile and more, Scipio eue­ry day and euery night, paced & went ouer in his owne person, to sée what was done. The enimies being thus shut from al hope of reliefe, could not long continue.

There was one Ritogenes, one of the chiefe of the Citie,Valiant en­terprise of Ritogenes. who with fiue companions and as many seruaunts and horses, in a darke night, passed from the Towne to the Trench, and with Ladders for the purpose skaled the same, taking the watch a sleepe, & with their deuices cōueyed ouer their horses, & went to the Citie of the Ar­uaceanes, and as humble suiters be­sought them to help the poore Numan­tines their kinsmen and neighbours. The Aruaceanes did them no hurte, but for feare, charged them to de­part.

From thence they went to Lucia, a strong Citie, where the youth was enclyned to fauour them: But the [Page 43] auncients sent word of it to Scipio, & he in the night went foorth, and by breake of day, had compassed the Ci­tie, and required the heades of the young men to be giuen him: they aun­swered, that they were fledde and gone. He menaced to sacke their Towne, except they were delyue­red.Punishment of vvilful & vvilde yong heads. Wherfore for feare they brought them foorth, to the number of foure hundred, whose handes Scipio cutte off, and went his way.

The Numantines oppressed with the miserie of famine and penurie,Hunger ma­keth the stoutest to stoupe. sent fiue men to Scipio, to know what clemencie he would vse with them if they did render. The chiefe of the fiue stoode greatly vpon his honour, and magnified the purpose of the Numan­tines, who so valyauntly had stood to y^e defence of their lybertie, wyues, and children, and affirmed that it should be a thing cōuenient to the noble na­ture of Scipio, to take pittie of so no­ble a people. Wherefore (quoth hée) receyue vs to thy mercye, with con­uenient punishment, or come and [Page] fight with vs, that we may dye like men.

Scipio, who knewe well ynough how it was with them, required that they should simply render themselues to his discretion, which aunswere when it was reported to the Numā ­tines, like men madde and furious, they killed the v.messengers, as brin­gers of euil news: so fierce was their nature by continuall calamitie, not accustomed to obey.

And after they had spent all their beastes,The misera­rable & la­mentable state of the Numantins. and fedde vpon Lether sup­pled in water, last of all they fell to eating of deade mens flesh, whiche they either founde decayed or kil­led them selues, where vppon their nature was become like the nori­ture that they tooke, and at length conquered with famine, and pesti­lence, they yealded to Scipio.

Hée commaunded them to bring foorth all their armour, and come them-selues, into a place appoyn­ted.

But they deferred the day, bicause [Page 44] some desired to ende their lyues by famine, in the lybertie of their coun­trey.

Such hyghe courage was in this lyttle Citie, that so many tymes had driuen the Romaynes to make such accorde with them, as they neuer dydde, wyth anye other Naty­ons.

Euerye man knoweth what a Capitaine this Scipio was, that laye at the siege, with thréescore thou­sand men, & yet they with their eight thousand, prouoked him many times to fight.

But surelye hée was more ex­perte than anye other Capitaine, and by his long experience in warres, knewe that it was a thing boote­lesse, and woulde not auayle, to fight and deale with such sauage people anye other waye, than to subdue them by hunger, which is remedilesse, and the onelye thing, that coulde ouer-throwe the Numan­tines, as it didde in déede. They [Page] that determined to dye in the space of thrée dayes dispatched them-selues, some one way, and some an other. The other came forth at the place ap­poynted,Numantia conquered by Scipio. all deformed and horrible to sée, their bodyes wer foule, and their hayre long, their nayles ouergrowen, and ful of filth, their garments ill fa­uoured and worse sauoured, and the whole feature of their body vgly and terrible, their countenaunce strange & fierce, their affections cruel & beastly, being by their dyet tourned from the nature of men.

The Romaines were asronished at the sight, with meruaile at their dispo­sition of bodye and minde, they con­sidered the penury, the dolour, and the paine that they had takē, they abhor­retd he remembrance of their feeding, being driuen one to gnawe anothers flesh: their infected ayre, their peri­shing by hunger, their decay by sword, made the Romaines heauie in that their time of ioy. Scipio reserued some of them for the triumph, and solde the others.

[Page 45]This capitaine that had ouer­throwne two mighty cities, and hard to be taken, reserued Carthage, that was so great, and had Empire both by sea and lande, and destroyed Nu­mantia from the foundatiō, that was but little, and of smal receipte, which he did either bicause it was so expedi­ent for the Romaines, or bicause hee was a man of cruell nature to them whom he tooke by force, or (as some men thinke) bicause he thought his glorie should growe by the quantitie of their affliction, and therefore he is called Africanus, and Numantinus of the calamities that he wrought these two cities. Whan he had diuided the countrey of Numantia to the next ci­ties, and quieted the suspected places, with payment of money, he went home by shippe.

After him came other capitaines and did no great feates, sauing onely Didius, slew a xx.M. Aruaceanes, and made y^e Citizens of Termeto to leaue their strong situation, and dwell in the plaine. He also tooke Colenda, ix. [Page] moneths after he had beseaged it. And in one thing followed the cruel­ [...]te of Lucullus, for he made a number of Celtiberians beléeue, that he would giue them lande to inhabite, and ap­ponted them to come to a place assig­ned with their wiues and children. And when they were come in deede,Crueltie & falshod of Lidius. he made his armie to kill them euery mothers sonne. After him came Flac­cus, and killed xx.M. of them, and at the citie of Belgida the people was disposed to rebell, and caused the Se­natours to consult what was best to be done, and bicause they were long or the could conclude, they set fire on the place and burned them all. After the which time there was no great a doe, till Q. Sertorius, a noble man of Rome, and of the faction of Cinnia, made much a doe in Spaine against the Romaines, against whom Ceceli­us Metellus, and Gneus Pompeius were sent, and after that Certorius was traiterously slayn by Perpenna, one of his owne sort: Pompey made an end of the warre, and slewe Per­penna. [Page 46] After him Caius Caesar had somewhat adde with Pompeies chil­drē, who wer fauoured in y^e country, and last of al Octauius Cesar subdued them that disobeyed, and made an end of them. All the which things bicause they were done of the Romaines a­gainst Romaines, in the time of ciuil warre, they be declared in the bookes appropriate to the same. And whē the Emperour of Rome had the Lordship of all the world, and euery land was at his commaundement, than Spaine was cōpelled to receiue such gouern­ment as he did appoint, which [...] president of iustice, and a [...] warre. And after the decli [...] [...] of the Romaine Empire, they r [...]uered libertie, and grewe into kingdomes, as other countries did.