CARTHALO

To bold hearts Fortune, be not you amazed Carthage Oh Carthage: be not you amazed. The stooping Sun Like to some weaker Prince Let his shads spread to and unnatural hugeness When we the camp that lay at Utica From Carthage distant but five easy leagues Descried from of the watch three hundred sail Upon whose tops the Roman Eagles streachd Their large spread wings, which fan the evening air To us cold breath, for well we might discern Room swam to Carthage. Alarum beats necessity of fight Unsober evening draws out reeling forces Soldiers half men, who to their colours troop With fury, not with valour: while our ships Vnrigd, unused, fitter for fire then water We save in our barred haven from surprise. By this our army marches towards the shore, Undisciplined young men most bold to do If they knew how, or what, when we descry A mighty dust beat up with horses hoves Straight Roman ensigns glitter: Scipio. Scipio advanced Like the God of blood Leads up grim war, that father of foul wounds Whose finowy feet are steepd in gore, whose hideous voice Makes turrets tremble, and whole Cities shake Before whose brows flight and disorder hurry With whom March Burnings, murder, wrong, waste, rapes Behind whom a sad train is seen, Woe, Fears Tortures, Lean, Need, Famine, and helpless tears Now make we equal stand in mutual view We judged the Roman 18. thousand foot 5000 Horse, we almost doubled them In number not in virtue: yet in heat Of youth and wine jolly and full of blood. We gave the sign of battle: shouts are raised That shook the heavens: Pell Mell our arms join Horse, targets, pikes all against each apposd They give fierce shook, arms thundered as they closed Men cover earth which straight are covered With men and earth: yet doubtful stood the fight More fair to Carthage; when lo as oft you see In mines of gold, when labouring slaves delve out The richest over, being in sudden hope With some unlooked for vain to full their buckets And send huge treasure up, a sudden damp Stifles them all, their hands yet stuffd with gold So fell our Fortune's for look as ye stood proud As hopeful victor's, thinking to return With spoils worth triumph, wrathful Syphax lands With full ten thousand strong Numidian horse And ions to Scipio, then lo we all were damp't We fallen in glusters and our wearied troops Quit all: slaughter ran throw us straight, we fly Roman pursue, but Scipio sounds retreat As fearing trains and night: we make amain For Carthage most, and some for Utica All for our lives: new force, fresh arms with speed You have said truth of all: no more. I bleed. We vow by all high powers. Nay most unevitable necessary For Carthage safety, and the now sole good Of present state, that we must break all faith With Massinissa: while he fights abroad Lets gain back Syphax, making him our own By giving Sophonisba to his bed. Thus 'tis thought fit His father Asdrubal on sudeine shall take in Revolted Siphax; so with doubled strength Before that Massinissa shall suspect, Slaughter Both Massinissa and his troops, And likewise strike with his deep stratagem A sudden weakness into Scipios arms, By drawing such alim from the main body Of his yet powerful army: which being done Dead Massinissas kingdom we decree To Sophonisba and great Asdrubal For their consent, so this swift plot shall bring Two crowns to his, make Asdrubal a king. What else? Gel. Nay all is done no mischeifleft Pish prosperous success gives blackest actions glory, The means are unremembered in most story. This is fit Conquest by blood is not so sweet as wit, For how so ere nice virtue censures of it, He hath the grace of war, that hath wars profit. But Carthage well advised, that states comes on, With slow advice, quick execution, Have here and Engineere long bred for plots, Called and impoisner, who knows this found excuse, The only Due that makes men sprout in Courts, is use, Be't well or ill, his thrift is to be mute, Such slaves must act commands, and not dispute. Knowing foul deeds with danger do begin But with rewards do end: Sin is no sin But in respects — Oh I, in Poetry or Tragic scene. Yet hear me: I will speak close truth and cease, Nothing in Nature is vnseruisable, No, not even Inutility it selse, Is then for nought dishonesty in being, And if it be somtines of forced use, Wherein more urgent then in saving nations State shapes are sodderd up, with base, nay faulty Yet necessary functions; some must lie, Some must betray, some murder, and some all, Each hath strong use, as poison in all purges Yet when some violent chance shall force a state, To break given faith, or plot some stratagems, Princes ascribe that vile necessity Unto Heavens wrath: and sure tho't be no vice, Yet t'is bade chance: states must not stick to nice For Massinissas death sense bids forgive Beware to offend great men and let them live For 'tis of empires body the main arm, He that will do no good shall do no harm: you have my mind It is. It is No doubt he hath, or will. Right worthy The Gods foresaw, 'tis fate we thus are forced. That you remove to Cirta, to the palace Of well formed Syphax, who with longing eyes Meets you: he that gives way to Fate is wise. Our trains disclosed, straight to his well used arms He took himself, rose up with all his force, On Syphax careless troops ( Syphax being hurried Before to Cirta fearless of success impatient Sophonisba to enjoy.) Gelosso rides to head of all our squadrons Commands make stand in thy name Asdrubal, In mine, in his, in all: dull rest our men, While Massinissa now with more then fury, Charges the lose and much amazed ranks, Of absent Syphax: who with broken shout, (In vain expecting Carthage secondings) Give faint repulse: a second charge is given Then look as when a Fawcon towers alo ft Whole shoals of foul and flocks of lesser birds, Crouch fearfully and dive some among sedge, Some crepein brakes: so Massinissas sword Brandished aloft, tossd'bout his shining cask, Made stoop whole squadrons, quick as thought he strikes, Here hurls he darts? and there his rage strong arm, Fights foot to foot: here cries he strike: they sink And then grim slaughter follows, for by this As men betrayed, they curse us, die, or fly, or both Often six thousand fell: Now was I come And straight perceaud all Bled by his vile plot. Scipio and Massinissas by this strike Gelosso departs guarded Their clasped palms, then vow and endless love, straight a joint shout they raise, then turn they breasts Direct on us march strongly towards our camp As if they darde us fight, Oh Asdrubal. I fear theile force our camp He that forbids not offence he dos it. Yielded not Asdrubal? He that for wealth leaves faith is abject. Know that only thou Art treacherous: thou shouldst have had a crown. Guard, guard the camp, make to the trench stand firm Think, think how wretched thou canst be, thou art, Short words shall speak long woes: Our bloody plot to Massinissas ear Untimely by this Lord was all betrayed. I forced our army Beatrice a running march, But Massinissa struck his spurs apace Upon his speedy horse, leaves slaughtering All fly to Scipio who with open ranks In view receives them: All I could effect Was but to gain him. Not? More shame. T'out live thy virtue and thy once great name.