Prolicionycion [sic]

¶ Capitulum 34

THolomeus epyphanes the fyfth kynge of egypte. eupaters sonne regned four and twenty yere ¶ Trogus libro ter∣cio ¶ And for he began to regne whan he was fyue yere old· Messares of Allexandria prayde the Romaynes that they wold take the warde of the childe and defende the kyngdome of egypte For philip kyng of macedonia and antyochus kynge of Siria / had cast. as it were by couenaunt to dele the kyngdome of egipte bytwene them tweyn ¶ The Romayns were glad of that messa¦ge / and anone sente messagers to the same kinges chargyng that they shold holde theym oute of egypte Iosephus libro duode∣cimo Thanne ptholomeus wext a strong yonglynge and sent one scopa a duke of his in to Siria and made Siria subgette to hym· But not longe after antyochus ouercome scopa and was better frende to the Iewes Eutropius libro tercio ¶ After this the grete Antyochus bycome ptholomeus frende and wedded his doughter cleopatra to wyf and graunted her in stede of dower / si¦ria Inde and fenicia Therfor eyther kynge had of the Iewes But onias the rightfull symons sonne was bisshop and warnid the trybute and counseyled that none shold be payed as it were f••r loue of the lawe ¶ / Netheles it was more for couetyse for he wold not goo speke with the kynge· But his sisters sonne Iosephus went to ptholomeus the kynge and had grace of the kyng and foryeuenesse of the trybute of the seuen yeres and not only that but he was made leder of his kyngdome and treso∣rer of trybutes to his lyues ende two and twenty yere ¶Iose∣phus libro duodecimo capitulo quarto ¶This Iosephus wold essaye the wytte of his yonger sonne hilcanus that was twelue xere old and had gete hym on his broders doughter And by∣toke hym thre honderd yokes of oxen for to ere & sowe in wyl∣dernesse from home two Iourneyes and more and hidde the rey∣nes that the oxen shold be ••yed by ¶ Whan he come to the place ther he sholde crye / the plowmen ra••••e that somme of hem shold wente hoome to the fader and fetche the reynes / the childe sayde nay· but lete s••e somme of the oxen and lete greythe the flesshe

to plowmen mete and to kytte reynes of the skynnes to teye with other oxen. The fader wondred therof & sente hym in his own ste¦de to worship the feste of kynge ptholomeus / for he hadde a yong sonne newely y bore the / fader profered to his sonne hircanus grete ryches for his coste by the weye. and for yeftes to yeue the kynges sonne / the childe seyde nay· and saide that he coude lyue so¦berly and that lesse coste wolde doo his nede· But sende lettres sayd the child to arion procuratour of Allexandria / and pra∣ye hym that he lene me as moche as me byhoueth / the fader hoped that ten talentes were ynough for to worshipe the kynge with his sone / and prayd aryon in his lettres that he wold take the talen¦tes to his sonne· ¶ Hircanus cam with the lettres to Aryon •• And Aryon asked how moche him behoued / A thousand talen∣tes sayd he / But Aryon wolde graunte but ten· And hircanus cast hym in boundes And Aryons wyf wente anone and com∣playned to the kynge / And the kynge axed of hircanus why he dyde soo / ¶For suche seruauntes sayd he shal be punysshyd that can not knowe· ne make difference bytwene the smal and the grete ¶ Aryon herde that the kynge alowed hircanus answer and his dede· and delyuerd to hym a thousand talentes

¶And anone he bought of marchauntes an honderd chyldren lettred and an honderd maydens / eueryche for a talente / Whan the day of the feste was come / hircanus by cause he was yonge. was sette last of the wyse men And the bare bones that other men lefte were in skorne sette to fore hircanus ¶ One Try∣phon a Iaper sawe this and sayde openly to fore the kynge. Loo lord kynge howe this childe hath eten the flessh of soo many bo∣nes / soo his fader that is thy receyuer and tresorer in Siria spoyl¦le••h the moneye of the men of Siria / ¶ The kynge loughe and axed of the childe why he had soo many bones to fore hym

¶Skylfully lord kynge sayd the childe / For houndes eten the boones with the flesshe as thy ghestes done this daye / But men that ben norysshed and taught spare the boones / as ye see that I spare ¶On the morne hircanus axed of euerych of the kyn∣ges frendes. what and howe moche eche of them wolde yeue the kynges sonne ¶And he that wolde yeue mooste answerde and sayde scarcely ten talentes / ¶ Thenne hircanus feynede hym soory •• as thoughe he myghte yeue but fyue / But whanne the daye of the Natyuyte· was come / ¶ Hircanus the childe gaue to the Kynge an honderde children. ¶ And eueryche of

hem bare a talent in his honde and yaue to the quene an honderd mayde children & eche with a talent in hond ¶ Than euery man preysed hym wel Therfore the kynge dide hym grete worship and made. hym ryche and sente him to his fader with lettres of commendacōn and of preysynge. Netheles his fader was wrothe for the grete yeftes that he had yeuen ¶ Also his elder brether had gre••e enuye at hym for the grete worship that he had so f••r∣forth that they werred ayenst hym and tweyne of hem were dede in fyghtyng· Treuisa / Take hede that a talent is a grete weighte of gold or of syluer or of other metal But ther be thre maner talentes / the lest weyeth fy••ty pounde the myddel two and seuen¦ty pounde and th•• moost six score pounde. ¶ Than it foloweth in the historye / Hircanus passed flome Iordan and gadred there the kynges trybute of straunge nacions many yere to gyder and he bylded there a wonder tour Oute therof he pursued ofte the Arabyes men of Arabia alle the tyme that Selencus regned in Siria / Whan Selencus was dede hircanus drad the cruelte of Antyochus epyphanes and slowe him self with his owne hand Aboute the firste yere of this tholomeus the grete Sapio whiche had nobly y born hym and don many grete dedes in spayne. was made consul and sente in to Affryca And he made to him subgett ammorus duc of thaffres & syphaces kynge of numydya / whan that was herd wel nyghe al ytaly forsoke hanybal. hanybal the xvij yere of his comyng in to ytaly was boden by men of cartage to retorne home· And soo he retorned oute of ytaly soore weping And whan hanybal was comē / he destroyid the pees that thaffres had made with Scipio· the condicion of the pees was suche / that thaffres shold haue but thyrtty shippes / & they sholde y••ue fyue honderd thousand pound of siluer / pondo is a pounde· they sholde also sende home alle the prysoners and banysshed men that they had taken. Hanybal had sente thre spyes for to espye Scipions tentes ¶ These spyes were taken and ladde aboute the tentes· and made wel at ••ase with mete and drynk. & thēne Scipio sent them home agayn / thenne was harde fyghtynge bytwene these two dukes-but Scipio had the vyctorye· And Hanybal was nygh taken / pees was graunted to men of cartage And Scipio tourned agayne to Rome / And was after that callyd Affry∣canus In this maner the second batayll punicum ended in his tyme· That yere plantus deyed at Rome he grande atte quer¦ne with a bakar for hyre for hongre and scarsete of corne / And

whanne he myght haue whyle he wrote fables and sayd them Whan the second bataylle punicum was don than come the ba∣tell macedonicum that was ayenst philip the kynge Titus quin∣cius ouercome him and ladde twey kynges sonnes of macedonia & of lacedomonia plegges before his charyot & lad home to the ro¦mains that hanybal had take and sold in grecia & lete shaue her heedes in token of shauyng away of the boundage / the romaines werrid ayenst the grete antyochus kyng of siria for he destroyed the kyngdoms that were nyghe aboute hym And also for he held with hym hanybal that was wente oute of affryca· Eut / li / 4 Antyochus saw that hanybal spake ofte with the messagers of rome & had him suspect & forsoke to haue hym in his counseyll And yf he cleped him otherwhiles to conseyll that was by cause he shold not wene that he was suspecte & forsake and not for to do his coūseyl / but hanybal counseylled alway for to warre aiēst the romayns & not for to abyde & sayd that the romaynes might not be ou{er}come but in their own contray. out of their own cōtrey quoth he they may not be ouercome but at home they ben brutel and lyghtly ouercome· It nedith more to wrastle wysely ayenste them that ben ouercome and speke not· than ayenst them that openly withstondith· But though̄ his counseyll was oft good & spedeful / it was not alowed for the kyng had hym suspect & also for makyng of bagbyters that wold not that he were alowed of the kyng. therfor the kyngis hoost was ouercome bothe in the see and in londe. than Antyochus the kyng forthought that he dydde not by hanybals coūseyl and made hanybal pryuy of his coūseil Eutropius libro quarto ¶For philip kynge of macedonia halpe the romaynes ayenst Antyochus and his sonne demetrius that was prysoner and plegge was sente hoome ayene Scipio nasi¦ca the grete Scipio that hight Affrycanus / his nenew ouercome hanybal in batayll both in the see and in the londe / there he hadde a surname and was cleped Asiagenus of asia that was ouerco∣me. than antyochus the kyng yaue his yonger sonne antyochus epyphanes to the Romaynes pledge for euermore for his elder sone Selencus & hadde pees vpon couenaunte / that he sholde leue Europa and the lasse Asia and holde hym within the hille moūt Taurus ¶ And also he sholde bytake hanybal to the Roma¦yns For he eggyde and counseylde to werre ayenst Rome·

¶ Therfore Hanybal dradde and tournede to Prusia kyn∣ge of Bythynya ¶ Trogus /

libro trisesimo secundo The mene tyme whan Emnenes attalus the kyngis broder of Siria shold ouercome prusia / than hanybal helped prusia by a newe sleght of batayll / for he had diuers ma∣ner addres and serpentes closed in erthen stenes and threwe hem in to the shippes of her enemyes in the myddel of the batayll thā the enemyes were aferd and withdrewe hem anone ¶ The ro¦maynes herde herof and sent messagers and made the kynge at one and axed for to haue hanybal in to theyr owne hande / but hanybal lykked venym of his owne rynge and dyed at ny∣chomedia / It is certayne of him that he sate neuer to soper with∣oute bataylles· He was amonge many wonder fayr maydens & lefte neuer his chastyte· he was neuer bytrayed by ymagynaciō of his owne men nouther of his enemyes ¶R Orocius libro 4 Sayth that the ylonde called Insula vulcani. the whiche ylond was neuer byfore seen sprange vp of the see at Scicilia that yere that hanybal dyed and yet is there alway vnto this day Pol libro sexto Of this hanybal it is redde that whan antiochus the kynge shewed him his hoost royally arayed with gold and with siluer and with other ryche aray and axed hym yf all that suffysed to the Romayns. I trow sayde hanybal it is ynowgh though the romayns be the most coueto{us} mē on liue but he vnder¦stode easyly shortly & frowardly for he vnderstode of the praye and not of the strengthe of the hoost Plenius libro octauo ca¦pitulo octauo· Hanybal ofte whan he had the maystrye compellid prisonners of rome to fyghte vpon the grauel with stronge bees∣tes and promysed one that he wold delyuer hym yf he threwe downe an olyfaunt / And whan the beest was cast / hanybal sente horsmen to slee the man anone right there ¶Pol libro primo Hanybal sayd that he was not worthy his lyf· that myghte be compellyd to fyghte with beestes / but me troweth sothly that ha¦nybal slough the man for grete enuye for he wold not that a Ro¦mayne shold haue soo grete a name and worship of a greter dede than me hadde herd of byfore / ¶ Also for he wolde not diffame the beestes by the strength of whiche he hadde ofte a ferde his enemyes ¶ Eutropius libro quarto ¶ That yere: Sci∣pio Affrycanus dyed at Auntern / that hadde be longe exyled oute of Rome / that was an vnkynde Cyte to him ¶ Valerius libro Whan Scipio was accused of money amonge the Sena¦tours he answerd and sayde whan I wan al Affryca and made it subgette and vnder your power· I toke no thynge therof but

only the name Affrycanus. Also the rychesse of Affryca ma∣de me not couetous neyther the rychesse of asia made my broder Scipio couetous / For eyther of vs was rycher of enuye than of money ¶Salustius This Scipio sawe ones a child gayly arayed and sayd I wonder not that he arayeth wel his childe for it helpith hym more than doth his swerde ¶Valerius Emila Scipions wyf was so goodly that though she wyst that hyr husband loued one of hir bonde women for she wold not dif¦fame her lord conquerour of Affryca by women reese and anger And she absteyned hir soo from vengeaunce and wreche that she made hir bond woman fre and maryed hir right wele whan hir lorde was deede Pol ¶Scipio deyed and ordeyned suche a wry¦tyng on his tombe a••te cyte palustres Thou vnkynde contrey re¦ceyue thou not my bones ¶Augustinus de ci / de / li / 1 / Scipio na∣sica byfore the thyrdde batayll punicum forbade the settynge. vp or enhauncyng of the theatre in the cyte of Rome that twey Iug¦ges had arayed forto arere and Scipio sayd that it is grete ene¦mye to werriours for to norysshe slouthe and lechery· and therfor he pleded soo strongly in the people that all the aray therof was sold and benches stoles formes and al maner subtylytees were done thens / and soo he brought in that men sholde stande and not si••te for to see playes and myrthes for to saue her own manheed That maner was vsed amonge the romayns .v.C.xlviij yere / R Auctours seyn that theatrum was a place shapē as half a cercle and in the myddel therof was a lytel hows that was called see na. in that hows poetes and gestours vp in a pulpyt / rehersed poisies gestes & songes / and without were mynystrals that coū¦trefayted the doynge and the dedes that they spake of in her ges¦tes and songes with bendyng and wyndynge and settynge and styntynge of her ly••mes and her body ¶ Augustinus libro primo capitulo trisesimo primo Thes playes that were cal¦led ludi Scenici. were firste ordeyned by excytinge of the deuyl· for men shulde be exyted to suche dedes / whan they myghte here in the theatre that goddes had done suche maner dedes ¶Augusti∣nus libro quarto capitulo 25 ¶ But in passyng of tyme· a chorle called Titus Latinus was warned by his dreame that he shold telle the Senatours that they sholde restore and renewe the playes that were callyd ludi Scenici / the playes of the teatre and for he was warned twyes and dyd nought therto he loste his owne sone

And for he was warned the thyrdde tyme and dyd noughte therto / he felle in a greuous sekenes till he warned the senatours than he was hoole wonder sodenly / Whan the wonder was seen / the Senatours spende foure suche moneye as they we•••• wonte in pleyes of the theatre as it were to make good for the churles tre¦spas that was four sythes recheles for to warne the senatours as he was warned Petrus 204 The grete Selencus Sother the grete Antiochus sonne regned in Siria and in asia twelue yere for his fader was slayne in pers in the temple of god Na∣neas and throwen oute gobet m••le traytorly by preestes that by∣gyled hym in to the temple. and promysed him tresour that was hid vnder erthe