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 Acedux, a Spanyarde, by treason conueyde the pledg•••• of Spayne fro the Carthaginenses, and dely••••••ed them to the Romans. Ca. xix. (Book 19)

THan was there in Sagunt a noble spanyard, called Acedux, who before that tyme had ben very faythfull to the Carthaginenses: but than (as it is the facion of many of the common sort of men) whan fortune fayled, his faith lykewyse chaunged. He imagined with hym selfe, what way he myght best at∣tayne the frendshyp of the Romans. After many sundry ima∣ginations, he thought soonest to brynge it about, if he might finde the meanes, to delyuer them those noble mens children, whiche were left at Sagunt as pledges and suerties. For by that meanes he thought the Romans myght beste wynne the hartis of the pricis of Spain. But this enterprise he thought he coulde not compasse, onlesse he myght obteyne the fauour of one Bostar, who lay encamped without the citie vpon the shoore of the ryuer, with a good numbre of Spaniardes, for the sure kepyng of the citie, and to stoppe the Romanes the entre that way from the hauen, without whose cōmandement he knewe well the kepers of the pledges wolde nothyng do. Than Acedux thought with crafte to assay Bostar, and went to the campe where he lay, desyryng secretely to speake with hym: And fyrst he beganne to shew hym the daunger that the countrey was in, consyderyng the stronge armye of the Ro∣mans, whiche was than at hande. He shewed hym also, that the Spaniardes had so longe continued in the frendeshyp of the Carthaginenses, for feare more than for loue. And all by cause the Romane army was so farre from theym: but nowe syns they were come ouer Iberus, it was to be feared, leste they wolde all yelde them selues vnto Scipio. Wherfore he desyred hym to worke wysely therin.

¶ Whan Bostar demaunded of him, what he wold haue him to do for remedy therof, he answered: I wold aduyse you, to sende the children of the noble mē, whom ye haue as pledges in this towne, to their parentes frendes and cities: so shal ye get all theyr hartes and loues by this kyndnes shewyng, whi∣che ye can neuer get with feare. For whan they fynde, that ye

put trust in them, ye shall the more bynde them to be faithful. And I my selfe wyll gladly take the peyne to delyuer agayne the pledges to theyr frendes: and so worke, that I wyll get theyr hartes to you moche more than ye nowe haue. Bostar, meanynge all truthe and playnnes, was anone perswaded to the same purpose, and graunted hym the conduite of the sure¦ties. Than went Acedux priuyly to Scipio his tentes, and there declared vnto hym the good wyll that he bare towarde hym and the Romanes: And appoynted with hym the tyme and place of delyuere of the pledges. Than went Acedux a∣gayn to Bostar, of whom he receyued speciall cōmandemen∣tes and tokens to the kepers of the pledges, to go with him, takyng with them the pledges, whan he wold requyre theym. Than shewed he the kepers of the chyldren, that he wolde depart from the citie in the nyght, to thintente the better to escape the danger of the watches of the Roman hoste. Wher¦fore he wylled theym to be redy to ryde with hym, whan he called on theym at an howre certayne in the night folowinge: They as innocentes in the matter, made all thynges redye to departe at the howre appoynted, at whyche howre he fay∣led not to come. Thus departed he from the cytie, both with the chyldren and also their kepers, and ••re they were ware, he ledde theym amonge a numbre of Romaynes, that by his crafty appoyntement were layde in imbus••hementes for the same purpose: where they were all taken, and brought to Scipio, who delyuered the pledges to theyr cities and frendes: wherby he gate the loue of the more parte of the cities in Spayne: so that they were redy to take armour to the ayde of the Romans, whan so euer Scipio commaunded them. These thynges were doone in Spayne, the se∣conde yere of the battayl betwene the Carthaginenses and the Romaynes.