The historie of tvvo the moste noble capitaines of the worlde, Anniball and Scipio of theyr dyuers battailes and victories, excedyng profitable to reade, gathered and translated into Englishe, out of Titus Liuius, and other authoures, by Antonye Cope esquier.

¶ Howe Anniball renewyng the warre, conducted his army into Fraunce to passe the mountaynes. Cap. vii. (Book 7)

AFter Sagunt was wonne, Anniball (as afore-is sayd) went to newe Carthage for the wyn∣ter, and there heryng what was done and sayd both at Rome and Carthage, and that he was not only the capitayne of the warres, but also the chief cause therof: partyng and deuidyng the residue of the pray, and thynkyng to lose no longer tyme, called the souldyours of Spayne togyther, and exhortynge them to warre, sayde on this wyse:

¶ I suppose that you my frendes do knowe, seingal Spayne is peasyble and at reste, that eyther we muste fynysshe the warfare and sende home our souldiours, or els begyn war∣res with some other nation. If we seke renoume and victory in other countreys, our owne nation shall not onely flouryshe in goodes, tranquillitie, and peace of theyr owne at home, but also enioy the rychesse, the iewelles of the spoyle at our conquest. Wherfore seing ye must trauayle farre from home, and vncertayne it is, whan ye shall retourne agayne to se your houses, and those whome you loue, yf any of you wyll go se his frendes, I shall gyue hym spendynge for a season, but I warne you all, that ye be here ageyne with me at the sprynge of the yere, at whyche tyme I intende to begynne the war∣res, by the goddis fauour, with great hope of wynnyng and prayse. Euery man was gladde of the libertie that Anniball of his fre wyll had gyuen them, to go se their countreys and frendes. The rest from trauaile whiche they had all the win∣ter season, made them stronge and lustye in theyr bodies and couragious to endure the labours and peynes that were to come. And at the begynning of ver they assembled togither, as it was commaunded.

¶ Whan Anniball had taken the musters of all nations that came to ayde hym, he departyng from Gades, accomplished his vowe made to Hercules: and bounde hym selfe with new vowes, if his other enterprises dyd prosperousely succede. Wherfore prouydyng as well for to withstande inuasions, as to inuade by warre, leste whyle that he iourneyed by lande, through Spayne and France towarde Italy, he shulde leaue

Affrica open and naked to the Romayns from Sicilia, he de∣termyned to leaue there stronge garrisons in all places. And for that cause he sent for a bend of Affricanes, namely of those that vse to throwe dartes, and were lyght harneysed: whiche number of Affricanes he leste in Spayne, and than sente he a great number of Spaniardes into Affrica to kepe that coun∣trey, to the intent they beinge eche of them farre from theyr countreys and frendes, shuld (as though they were pledges eche for other) play the good souldiours, and stickyng toge∣ther, defend in that they myght the one cuntrey of the other. After he had ordered and assigned strong garrisons to euery part and region, as to Carthage, Spayne, and Affrica, remo∣uyng his army from Gades to new Carthage, led them from thens to the ryuer of Iberus, and to the sea coste. There (it was sayd) he sawe in his slepe a yong man of a heuenly shape, whiche sayd he was sent from Iupiter vnto Anniball, to con∣ducte hym into Italy, shewyng to him before the destruction of Italy: and that he shuld procede in his vyage, & serche no more? for the destenies were hid & secrete. Whan he had sene and herde these thinges, he conueied his hoste, deuided into thre partes, ouer the riuer of Iberus. Diuers of his frendes he sent before hym, to wyn the hartes of the frenchemen with giftes, through whose cuntry he must nedes passe: and also to viewe the passages ouer the mountains. He conducted .lxxx. and .x. M. fotemen, and .xii. M. horsemen ouer the foresayd water of Iberus. Than subdued he diuers townes & domini∣ons therabout, which lay at the fote of the mount of Pyrene, and there he appoynted Hanno with .x. thousande footemen, and a thousande horsemen to remayne to kepe those passages and straites, whiche lay betwene France and Spayne, whan they began to approche nigh to the foresaid high and dange∣rous mountayns, and that it was openly knowen, that the war was taken against the Romains, thre thousande of the Car∣petanes footemen, sodainly departed from the hoste, and for∣soke him: not for feare of the warre, but for the longe iorney, and perillous passage ouer the mountayns, almoste vnable to be passed. Anniball seing he coulde not change theyr mindes, and that it was doutfull to kepe them by violence, lest it shuld stere the fierce myndes of the resydue and make them wery, sent after thē aboue .vii. M. other more, suche as he supposed

to be wery of the warfare: fay••ing that he had also licenced them that were fyrst stolen away, to depart home, bycause of the tedious iourney: this dyd he to thintent the reste shulde haue none occasion to leaue or forsake hym. And than lest by prolongyng the tyme, he shuld hynder the myndes of the re∣sydue, he ledde his hoste forthe with spede, and passyng the mountaynes of Pyrene, pitched his tentes before a towne, called Illiber. The frenchmen although they herde that the Carthaginenses were come to warre vpon Italy, yet bicause the fame went, that the Spaniardes on the other syde of the hyll of Pyrene, were by them subdued, and strong garrisons therfore there lefte, being afraide of seruitude, armed them, and moche people assembled at a towne called Ruscino. Whi∣che thyng whan Anniball herde, fearyng more delay of tyme, than warre, with as great haste as myght be, he sent oratours to theyr rulers, desyryng to speake with them: shewyng that he came not as an ennemy, but as a guest or frende to France, and that he wolde not, if it pleased theym, drawe his sworde, before he were passed France. The frenchemen hering this, incontinent remoued to Illiber, and with good wyll came to Anniball, whiche wan••e theym with gyftes, to suffer hym to haue free passage through their townes and countreys.