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.

¶ Syphax maketh a new fialde with Lelius and Massanissa: where he is taken prisoner, and his men put to flighte. Massanissa then taketh the citie of Cirtha, and there in hast, marieth Sophonisba, wyfe to kinge Spphax. Cap. lxiiii. (Book 64)

THe morowe after the battaile was fought, and the kyng Syphax escaped, as is before declared, Scipio sent Le∣lius and Massanissa, with all the Romayn horsmen & the

lyghtest harneissed footemen, and also the Numidians, to fo∣lowe the kyng and Asdruball: whiles he went about to wynne the townes and countrey adiacent to Carthage. They within xv. dayes came into Numidia: at whose coming, a people ther¦of called Masesuli, receiued gladly Massanissa, and deliuered hym the whole realme, as to theyr ryghtfull kynge, whose co∣minge they had so longe desyred, expellynge cleane out of the cities and fortresses therof, all the garnysons of Syphax, soo that he was glad to kepe hym within the bondes of his owne realme. His harte swelled at this displeasure, wyllynge to be reuenged: whervnto his wyfe and her father moche intyced hym, and prycked hym forwardes. He hadde great plentie of men, and also of horses, whyche moche encouraged hym to make a newe fielde. Wherefore he assembled as many as he thoughtable, gyuyng theim horses and harneys: diuydynge his horsemen and footemenne into companyes, appoyntynge to theim capitaines, accordynge as he before had learned of the Romaynes. Thus hauyng all thinges in a redynesse, he marched towardes his ennemies, with as great an hooste as he had before: but they were almoste all newe souldiours, and yonge men of warre. Whan he came nere the host of the Ro∣mains he there fortified his campe. And anone certayne of his horsemen issued and badde base to an nother numbre of the Romayne horsemen. And who soo was beaten, retourned a∣gayne to his company, and was anon rescued of an other num∣bre of his company. Thus by diuers issuynges and helpynge euery part theyr companies, beyng either ashamed or angrye of theyr driuynge backe, the battayle beganne to be quicke on bothe partes, so that at the last the hole companyes of horse∣men on bothe partes were come to the fieldes. The noumbre of kynge Syphax hoste was come so thicke to the bataile, that the Romaynes were fayne to recule, and had been put to the worse, had not the Romain legyons of fotemen come to theyr succours. At whose comynge the kynges people musynge of theyr order and maner of fyghtyng, began to stay, and at the laste were dryuen backe, and began to flee. Syphax, wyllynge to withholde his people from flyght, beganne to exhort them to abyde, and manfully to fyght, shewynge vnto theim, bothe the shame and also the ieoperdye that woulde ensue through theyr flyinge.

¶ And whyles he rode about the fielde, comfortyng his peo∣ple, he hapned to come nere a company of Romaynes, where his horse was stryken downe and slayne vnder hym, and he ta∣ken alyue, and brought to Lelius. His people fledde as faste as they myght, and came to the citie of Cirtha, whyche was the chiefe citie of all that realme. There were of his menne slayne in that battayle .v. M. and aboute .ii. M. v. C. taken. Than sayd Massanissa to Lelius: There were nothynge to me more pleasant, than hauyng nowe victory, to visite my fa∣thers kyngdom, which after my long exyle, I haue now reco∣uered. But the time will not suffre vs to cesse from our enter∣prise. wherfore, if ye wil suffre me, to take with me all the hors men, and the kyng also nowe prisoner: I will goo before you to Cirtha, where I shall fynde euery man soo supprised with feare, that I shall soone wynne it with smal resistence: ye, with your fotemen may come after me small iourneys at your ease.

¶ To this his diuyse Lelius assented. And Massanissa with his horsemen hasted, tyll he came to the walles of the citie of Cirtha, where he called certaine of the towne to him, and de∣sired to haue certain of the noble mē of the citie to come furth and speake with hym, which done, he moued them gentylly, to yelde vp their citie: But they, not knowing of the takinge of their king, in no wise wold be perswaded to submit them selfes to the Romains. Than caused Massanissa the king Syphax to be brought before them bound as a prisoner. After which pi∣tifull syght, the citezens partly for feare, partly trustyng ther¦by to obteine fauor of Massanissa and of the Romains, opened the yates of the citie. And Massanissa, leauyng fyrst the gates & wals furnished with his people, to thintent none of the citie shuld escape out: he with great spede rode to the kinges pa∣laice. Where at his fyrst entre he found Sophonisba, the wife of Syphax, daughter to Asdruball of Carthage, who abode his coming at the gate of his palaice. whan she espied him co∣ming amonge a great route of men of armes, she iudging part∣ly by his goodly armure, partly by his riche apparaile, that he was the kyng: she fell on her knees before hym and sayd: The goddis, thy strength, and thy good fortune 〈…〉〈…〉 the full power to do with vs what so euer shall be t••y pleasure. Neuer the lesse if the praier of a poore woman ••••y take place with her lord, that hath power both of lyfe and of deth: I humbly

beseche the, by that royall maiestie, wherin of late also we wer, and for the loue of the name of the people and cuntrey of Nu∣midia, which appertained both to Syphax and to you: for the loue also of the goddis of this place, whō I desire to send the better & more prosperus coming hither, thā they gaue to Sy∣phax a departing hens, that thou wilt graunt me to be thy pri∣soner. and what so euer thy plesure be to do with me, I shal not refuse it: so that thou suffre me not to come into the cruell and proude dominion of any Romayne. I had leauer auenture to yelde me into the power of a Numidian, and of one that is borne in myne owne countrey of Affrica, than to the handes of a stranger. For it is not vnknowen to you, howe moche the daughter of Asdruball and a Carthaginense borne, hath cause to feare the hande of a Romayne. And in case thou canste none otherwise helpe my desire, I mooste hartily require the, to steame: and thus by deathe delyuer me from the daunger of the Romaynes.

¶ This quene being of excellent beautie, and in her lusty flou¦rishyng age, what with her humble behauiour, what with her fayre speche, so persuaded the king Massanissa, that he not on∣ly toke her to mercy, but also hauyng the victory of her, & the hole citie, he becam so captiue to her by loue, that he takig her by the right hand, promised her, her request, and thervpon he mounted into the kinges palaice. Than he began to dyuise in his imagination, by what meanes he myght performe his pro∣mise vnto the queene. And whan he coulde fynde noo way to bringe his purpose to passe, as one that was ouercome with blynd loue, he inuented a folishe and a shamefull diuise, whiche was, to be maried incontinent vnto her the same day: thynking by the mariage of her vnto him, he had taken away all occasion both from Lelius and also from Scipio, of doing her any hurt or displeasure. Whan the mariage was stnyshed, Lelius with his hoste of footemen came to the citie of Cyrtha. And kno∣wing of the sodeine weddyng he was so displesed with the act, that he was mynded to take her from the plesant bedde of her new husband, and to send her to Scipio, with her husband Sy∣phax and other ••••isoners. But at the last, he being ouercome by thintercessiō of Massanissa, who remitted the order of that matter to the iudgement of Scipio: he sent Syphax and other prisoners to the emperour Scipio. After whose departyng,

he, by the helpe of Massanissa, receiued the other townes and cities of that countrey of Numidia into his handes: which be∣fore were kept by the retinue of kyng Syphax.