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.

¶ How Annibal passed the dangerous 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••••re to the ryuer of Arnus, to the great losse of his meane and cattall, where the fenny ••yre caused hym to lose one of his eies. And of the haste that Flaminius the Consule maketh to gyue hym battayle. Cap. xv. (Book 15)

AS soone as the sprynge of the yere dyd appere Annibal goinge from the place, where he win∣tred: bycause it was sayd that Flamminius the consule was come to Aretium: not withstan∣dyng that there was a more easy & better way: Yet bycause it was further aboute he toke the nexte waye ouer the greatte peryllous fennes, where as at that tyme the ryuer of Arnus hadde ouerflowed more hygher than in tymes past, he commanded the Spany∣ardes with the Affricans, and the moste part of the olde soul∣diours with their stuffe to go before, lest whan they were con¦strayned to stay in any place theyr necessaries shulde be wan∣tyng: next theym he set the Frenchemen, bycause he wolde haue that hoste in the myddell, in whom he had lest truste: last of all he commanded the horsemen to come, giuing in charge to Mago with certayne of the beste Numidians, to come be∣hynde, and to brynge forth the army, specially the Frenche∣men, lest that other wearynes or feare of the long way, shuld cause them to stay or to slyp away, as they are very faynt and fearefull people in suche busynes. The fyrst company walo∣wyng in the thycke mudde and the depe waters, skarcely sa∣uyng them selues from drownyng, folowed theyr standardes and guydes. The Frenchemen that folowed theym, coulde nother saue theym selues from fallynge: nother whan they were downe well aryse agayne, nother coulde their hartes comfort their bodies, nor hope comforte their hartes: some drewe their weary membres with peyne after theym. Some

other, where they ones fell, theyr hartes being ouercomme with wearynes, were constrayned to dye. The watche that they suffred .iiii. days and .iii. nyghtes, without any slepe, was the chiefe cause of theyr confusyon. Whan they could fynde no dry place, where they myght rest theyr weary bodies, the water coueryng al the erth, they heaped theyr stuffe and bag∣gage in the water, one packe on an other, whervpon they re∣sted and saued them selfes. The heapes of dead cattell, whi∣che were dead in all the way, was in stede of beddis to many that were faint and feble, whiche eased them for a lytel space. Anniball hym selfe hauynge sore eies, by reason of the intem∣perate sprynge tyme of the yere, that chaunged now to heate and nowe to colde, being caried vpon an elephant (which on∣ly remained) bicause he shulde be hyghe from the water: yet through his great watche and colde, and by reason of the fen∣ny ayre beinge noysome to his heade, and bycause there was no place nor tyme to heale him, he loste one of his eies. And whan he had passed the fennes, not without great losse bothe of men and of beastes, as soone as he came to dry ground, he pytched his campe, hauing certayne knowlege by his espies, that the Romane hoste was about Aretium, a cuntrey as ple∣sant and fertyle as was in all Italy.

¶ The consull was than fierse and cruell, for the ioy and the pride of his newe office. And he not onely lyttell feared the lawe and dignitie of the fathers of the senate, but also he wan¦ted the feare of the immortall goddis. Fortune also had nou∣ryshed this his foolyshe hardynes with prosperous successe, as wel in the ciuile busynes and affayres at home, as in certain foreyn batayles: so that it appered, that he wente aboute all thynges cruelly and ouer hastily: nother counsaylynge with the goddis, nor with men. And howe moche more redye he was to folowe his owne foly, so moche the busyer was Anni∣ball to prouoke and stere hym to the same. Wherfore leauing his ennemies on the left hande, he went towarde Fessula, in∣tendyng to distroy the fieldes of Hetruria, where he shewed the consull as great waste, destruction, and spoylynge of his frendes as he myght, bothe by robbynge, slaughter, and bur∣nyng: to thintent he shulde therby the rather be prouoked to battayle. Flamminius of his owne nature was gyuen to be busy, although his ennemy wolde haue ben quiete and in rest,

but whan he sawe the goodes of his frendes caryed awaye: and his neyghbours bourned before his face: thynkynge it dishonour vnto hym, to see Anniball wander throughe the myddes of Italy, taking his pleasure without any resistence, he determyned incontinent to gyue battayle, although many of his men perswaded hym, that he shuld tary the commynge of his felowe the other consul, so that they shulde with both their counsayles and hoostes togyther, procede vnto theyr enterpryse agaynste Annibal: and in the meane tyme with the horsemen, and lyght harneysed footemen, to lette hym frome his robbynge and destroyinge the countrey. But he contra∣ry to the aduertisement that was gyuen hym, beinge angrye, rushed forth of the counsel howse, & quikly caused the baners and standerdes to be dysplayde, and lepte hym selfe vpon his horse: but incontinent the hors sodainly fell, and cast the con∣sull to the earthe: whyche vnlucky begynnynge caused those that were present, greatly to feare the successe therof.