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.

¶ Massanissa speaketh secretely with Scipio, and entreth in leage with the Romaynes: Mago sayleth into Italy, to ioyne with Anniball. Cap. lvii. (Book 57)

IT is before declared, howe Sillanus had secrete com∣munication with Massanissa, and had wonne hym to be friende to the Romaynes: but the conclusyon of this communication was deferred, tyll Massanissa myghte speake with Scipio personallye, for the more sure and faythfull assu∣rance of theyr alliaunce. Whiche caused P. Scipio to enter∣pryse that longe peynfull iourney, to come nere to the sea side, to mete hym. Of whose approchynge Massanissa, being in the yle called the Gades, was aduertised by L. Martius: He fai∣ned to Mago, that his horses were lost and spylt, for that they were so longe kepte within the yle, without any exercise: and his men also were empayred throughe idlenes, not puttynge them selues in vre to do any feates of armes. Furthermore he saide, their longe lienge in that ilande caused derth and scarsi∣tie of all thynges. Wherfore he desired licence of him, that he mighte, with his horsemen passe ouer in to Spayne, there to spoyle and wast the countrey nere to the sea syde.

¶ By this perswasyon he obteyned lycence, and came ouer in to Spayne. At his fyrste arryuaile, he sente thre noble men of Numidie to Scipio, wherof he wylled him to reteyne with hym two of them, as pledges: And to sende againe the third of theim, to acertayne hym of the tyme and place of theyr me∣tynge: by whose conducte he myght be broughte to the place appoynted. When the daye came, they met to gether, with a smalle numbre in their companye: where Massanissa, at the fyrste syghte, althoughe before he had a greate admyration of Scipio, throughe the noble fame of his actes: yet vppon the syght of hym and his presence, he had hym in moche more ve∣neration. For besydes that of nature he was indowed with goodlye and large stature: wherein he shewed a marueylouse

magnifycence: yet the same was set forthe the more by reason of his goodly long heare, and his comly apparell, after a man∣ly and warrelyke fashion. He was also of a myddle age, at his full strength, and was become so beautyfull after a sickenes, of whiche he was late recouered: that his lusty youthe semed re∣newed: wherby he was more pleasaunt to beholde. At theyr first metyng, Massanissa half astonied, gaue hym humble than∣kes for his goodnesse shewed, in sendynge home his brothers sonne: whom he before had as prisoner. From which tyme (he sayde) he ceassed not to seke occasion of his friendshyp and a∣mitie, for the whiche, nowe that he had obteyned it, he gaue thankes to the goddes. Trustynge that he wold so apply him¦selfe in his affayres and the Romaynes causes, that theyr com∣mon welthe was neuer more aduaunced by one man, beinge a straunger vnto them. Which his harty beneuolence and good wyll that he bare to them, he coulde neuer before (althoughe he wolde) haue shewed to hym and to them in Spayne, beinge to hym a straunge, and an vnknowen countrey. But in case the Romaynes wolde sende Scipio as theyr capitayne into Affri∣ca, where he was bred and brought vp, he doubted not, there to do them such hie seruice, that the honour of Carthage shuld no longe while endure.

¶ Scipio gladly behelde hym, and also heard hym: knowinge surely, that he was the chiefe of al the horsemen in the army of his ennemies, and a lusty yonge man, of a nobleherte and cou∣rage. Wherfore after they had entreated of theyr busines, gi∣uynge faythe the one to the other, of faythfull loue and amity, they departed: Scipio to Tarracon, and Massanissa to the ile of Gades. but bycause it myghte appere to Mago, that he had done some feate in Spayne: Scipio suffered him to spoile certayne goodes and groundes on the sea cost, and to take the praye with hym.

¶ Mago beinge desperate of any good spede to be hadde in Spayne, was in mynde to sayle into Affrica, when sodeynlye letters came to hym from Carthage, commaundyng hym with his nauy of shyppes, that he had at the Gades, that he shulde sayle ouer into Italy. Where hyringe as moche people as he myghte, of frenchemen, and Liguriens, he shoulde with all spede ioyn him selfe with Annibal. And for that purpose great summes of money were sent him from Carthage. Besydes that

he leuied and exacted as moch money as he coulde of the Ga∣ditanes, compellinge euery man to brynge in his money. Be∣sydes this he spoyled the temples. With all this riches he ar∣ryued at the ile of Minorque, where he gathered together .ii. M. yonge men, whom in the beginnynge of sommer he toke with hym, and fayled ouer into Italy with .xxx. great shippes of warre, and many other shyppes loden with prouisyon. He had in his hoste at that tyme .xii. M. fotemen, and two. M. horsemen. With this numbre he sodeynlye arriued at Geene, whiche towne he toke with small resystence, beinge vnprouy∣ded of men of warre. From thense he sayled alonge the costes of Liguria, nexte to the mountaynes called Alpes, and hering, that a people of that countreye, called Ingawni, helde warre with certayne mountanoys called Epanterii: he landed there, and makynge a leage or amitie with the Iagawnes, he graun∣ted them to inuade the mountanoys with certayne of his peo∣ple. The rest he sent to Carthage, to defende the costes of the sea there. For it was bruted abrode, that Scipio was mynded to lande his nauy in Affrica.

¶ He had no longe season taryed there, but his armye stil en∣creased. For the frenchemen dayly resorted vnto hym, hering the fame and glory of his name. Of his arriuaile in Liguria a∣bout Geene, Sp. Lucretius sent letters to Rome to the se∣nate, aduertisynge them, that where Asdruball was about .ii. yeres paste slayne with his armye in the frontiers of Italy, to the great comfort of the citie, that great ioye was but in vaine, and passed lyke a shadowe, onlesse they prouyded nowe spedye remedy. For a newe armye was come with Mago from Car∣thage, to begynne a newe warre lyke the other: onelye the capytayne therof was chaunged. These newes moued moch the senatours. Wherfore they sente letters to M. Liuius, then proconsull, commaundynge hym to brynge his host from Hetruria to Arminius. Cn. Seruilius the pretour hadde also commaundement, to bringe thyther from Rome two newe le∣gions. Thus laye bothe the hostes of Romaynes, and the ar∣my of the Carthaginenses, with theyr friendes, the oone not farre from the other, a longe season, without any thynge do∣inge worthy of memory.