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.

¶ Of Lucius Aemilius Paulus, and C. Terentius Varro consulles, and the oration of Q. Fabius Maximus to Paulus, before his departynge from Rome, to∣warde his hoste. Capitulo. xxi. (Book 21)

NOt longe after, Lucius Aemilius Paulus, and C. Terentius Varro were chosen con∣sulles. And after that all other offycers were chosen, the armye was augmented, to euery legion a thousande footemen, and one hundred horsemenne. What the num∣bre was of the newe host is scarsely agreed amonge wryters. Some holde, that they were of the Ro∣maynes .lxxxvii. M. CC. whanne the battayle was holden at Cannas. C. Terentius, before he departed the citie, open∣ly made dyuers orations, wherin he declared, that the warre in Italy was through certayne of the noble menne of the cy∣tie, whyche warre shulde longe tyme continue amonge them, yf they shulde haue many suche captayns as Q. Fabius was. For yf he had done his deuoyre as a good capytayne, Anni∣ball had ben subuerted longe before. but he promysed, that he wolde ende the warre the same daye that he should fyrst meete with his ennemye. And the nexte daye before they departed oute of the cytie, Lucius Aemilius his felowe made also oone Oration to the people, whyche was more trewe thanne thankefull vnto the Cytezens: In the why∣che he spake nothynge agaynste Terentius Varro his fe∣lowe, but that he meruayled, howe any Capytayne beinge in the citie, shulde knowe, what he shulde do whan he were armed in the fielde, before he knewe other his owne hooste, or 〈2 pages missing〉〈2 pages missing〉

a good numbre of men to gettethem come and cattall. but as they roued abrode vnauysedly, the Romans inuaded theym, and slewe a. M. and .vii. C. of them, with the losse of .C. of theyr men. Than wolde the Romanes haue folowed the rest in the chase, had not Paulus the consull commanded the con∣trary, whose turne was to rule the hoste that day. For it was before agreed betwene them, to gouerne the armye, the one, one day, and the other, the next day, and so by tourne. Than were the souldyours very angry towarde Paulus, sayinge to Varro theyr capytayne, that if he had not letted them, they had not fayled to haue beaten Anniball frome his campe, and also oute of Italye. Anniball was not so sorye for the losse of his men, as he was gladde, that the Romaynes were in suche delite and ioye of theyr smalle vyctorye. Wherfore he este∣med the angry consul to beredy to take any bayt that he wold laye for hym.