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.

¶ Anniball beslegeth the Saguntines, and howe he was there soorewounded. Cap. iii. (Book 3)

THe same yere that the Ambassadours were sent to Rome, Publius Cornelius Scipio, & Titus Sempronius Lōgus were consuls, and whā this matter was waied in the senate hous with many other, cōcerning the cōmon welth, Publius Valerius Flaccus, and Quintus Fa∣bius Pamphilus, were chosen ambassadours to go to Anniball, with gentyl perswasions to withdraw him from warres with the Saguntines theyr frendes: whiche if they coulde nat do, that than they shulde go to Catthage to Hasdruball the capitayne, chargynge hym vpon peyne of the truce breakyng, to cesse and take vp the warres.

¶Whyles the Romaynes prepared theyr legacies, and or∣dered theyr affayres, Anniball forslowyng no tyme conueni∣ent to his busynes, with his army spoylyng and wastynge the countreye, approched and fiersely assayled the citie of Sa∣gunt on thre partes. This citie was named the rychest that was beyonde the ryuer of Iberus: It stode not passynge a myle from the sea: and was in short space so mightily increa∣sed by reason of the commodities of the water, the fruites of the lande, and multitude of people, that they excelled all the cities and countreyes aboute theym bothe in number and rychesse. Whan Anniball hadde cyrcumspectly viewed the walles, he founde a corner, from the whyche dydde extende a fayre playne valeye, vnto the whyche corner he layde his siege, reysynge vp certayne engyns of defence, for the safe∣gard of his people, tyll they myght approche the walles, and caryenge other ingyns to gyue assaute and to beate downe the walles. But bycause the fayre playne without that cor∣ner, made that syde to be in mooste ieopardye: the citezens therfore had buylded the walles on that parte hygher than the other sydes. There was alsoo buylded at that coruer a myghty high towre, the strength wherof letted Anniball to lay his siege to the towne as he wold haue done: Hot with∣standyng he by reason of his engyns, gaue so sharpe assaulte, that the cytezens beinge vppon the walles were greately a∣basshed, who at the same assaulte, not onely defended theyr

walles manfully, but also couragiously issued out of the towne and assayled their ennemies, and breakyng downe theyr mu∣nimentes and fortifications, entred the towne ageyn welnere to as great losse of their ennemies as of their owne people. Whyche thynge whan Anniball perceiued, he sodaynly with out aduysement approched to the walles, and was stryken with a barbed iauelyn in the thygh, so that soore wounded he felle to the grounde. Whan his people sawe hym falle, there was suche feare and clamour amonge them, that they cleane gaue ouer the assaute, so that they suffred the towne to be in reste tyll theyr capitayne was healed. Durynge whiche time of rest from battayle, the citizens were not vnoccupied. For they fortified them selfe the more strongly, for that they per∣ceyued the assautes to come shulde be more fierce and peril∣lous. Whan Hanniball was cured of his wounde, the siege and warre became more deadly and terrible than before. The Carthaginens dayly increased, they were to the noumber of Cl. M. who with theyr engins bet downe the walles of Sa∣gunt to the ground in dyuers partes: so that they semed sun∣dry tymes to haue won the citie: but they within, where the walles lacked, with strengthe of men defended it. And thus sometyme hope, and sometyme dispayre enforced bothe par∣tes to do theyr vttermost.