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.

¶ The commyng of the Romayne ambassadours to Han∣niball and Carthage, and what answere they had of hym and theym. Capit. iiii. (Book 4)

IN the meane season of this longe contynued warre, very doubtful and variable on both par∣tes, worde came to Hannibal, that the Romain Legates were come: Vnto whome he sente a messanger, to shewe theym, that there was ieo∣pardy in passing through so perillous and dout∣full battayles of straunge and wylde nations: And hym selfe was so intricate with busynesse, that he coulde not attende to speake with them, or to here their legacy. The ambassadours heryng this answere departed towardes Carthage, as they were commaunded. Whiche thyng Hanniball perceyuynge, sent letters to the senate and princes of Carthage, that were

frendes, wyllynge theym so to induce the people, that they shulde in no wyse shewe fauour to the Romaines. So that it came to passe, that as they coulde not be receyued of Hanni∣ball, euen soo theyr ambassage was voyde at Carthage. For whan Hanno, a man of great authoritie, had opened in the se∣nate, the peryll and ieopardy of the truce breakyng, and the vengeance whiche might folowe vpon the same: and perswa∣ded, that it shuld be necessary, that Hanniball, shulde be yel∣ded to the Romaynes, for amendes of the truce breakynge: His oration being fynished, the hole senate, more inclynynge to the vniuste enterpryse of Hanniball than to any reasonable perswasion to the contrarye, estemed hym to haue spoken more vnfrendly than the legates of Rome. Whervpon they answered the ambassadours, that Hanniball had done nothing but iustely, and that the Romayns dyd wronge in takyng part with the Saguntynes agaynst theym of Carthage, beynge theyr olde frendes. And thus whyles the Romaynes sente theyr ambassadours to and fro, Hanniball ceassed not, but whan his weary souldiours releued them selfes of theyr pei∣nes and trauayle, to encourage his men against his ennemies, sometyme with hope of victory, sometyme with hope of the ryche pray: so that they were in suche wyse encouraged and stered, that they thought nothyng able to resyste them. And contrarywyse the Saguntines were no lesse carefull and di∣ligent to repayre their broken walles, and to prouide thinges to make resistence. Hanniball, who neuer cessed, but beinge styll occupied with inuention of subtiltie and crafte, comman∣ded a hygh towre of tymber so to be made, that it myghte be remoued to euery part of the walles at his pleasure. Whiche whan it was fynished, he furnyshed with crossebowes and o∣ther ordynance, wherwith he bette the defenders frome the walles. Than incontinent he sent .v. C. Affricanes, with pike∣••xes and instrumentes to vndermyne and breake downe the walles, whiche was very easye to brynge to passe with suche tooles. The walles were of the olde rude makyng, not layde with lyme and sande, but with clay and blacke morter. Wher∣fore they had soone ouerthrowen a great part of the walles, at whiche breache the Carthaginenses entred, and came to a hygh place of the citie, whiche they garnyshed with all kyn∣des

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of ordynances, and made a wall about the same, makynge it as a castell or fortresse for them within the citie. Not with∣standinge the Saguntines, with as great shyfte as myght be, made countermures in the towne, and defended theym selfe: and saued those partes that were not gotten as it myght be. But in shorte space they were so beaten, that they wyste not where to defende. Thus the Saguntines defendyng the in∣warde partes of theyr towne, loste dayely more and more of theyr citie. Vitayles also fayled theym sore, by reason of the longe siege. Agayne, the expectation of theyr succours was in vayne, bycause the Romaynes, theyr onely hope, were soo farre of. Not withstandyng they were alyttell comforted, by reason that Annibal was so sodaynly sent for to go against the Oretanes and Carpetanes, whiche than were raised agayne, and beganne to rebelle, but their warre in the meane tyme se∣med nothing the lesse, by reason of one Maharball, Himil∣cos sonne, who kepte the siege so streightly, that it semed the capitayne was not absent.

¶ Whan Anniball was retourned from the Carpetanes and Oretanes warre, the battayle beganne more strongely than before. Duringe whyche tyme, two souldiours, one named Alcon a Sagūtine, and the other called Alorcus a Spaniard, hauyng some hope of peace, determined to moue Anniball to the same. Alcon the Saguntine was brought before Annibal, who shewed vnto hym, what they shulde do, if they intended to haue peace. Whiche conditions of peace semed vnto Al∣con very vnreasonable. Wherfore thinkyng that the Sagun∣tines wold in no case agree vnto the same: he remained there styll, and wolde not retourne agayne to his citie, affirmynge, that he were worthy to dye, that vnder such couenātes wold treate of peace Whan Alcon had denied, that the Sagunti∣nes wold receyue any suchetruce, Alorcus aforesayd, beinge a souldiour of Annibals, and an olde frende to the Sagun∣tines, supposyng that theyr myndes myght be perswaded to receyue the conditions of peace, seing their walles so weake, and their towne so easy to be wonne, promised to declare vn∣to them the contentes of the truce. He deliuering his wea∣pon to the capitaynes of theyr ennemies, was brought to the Pretor Saguntine: and so into the senate, where, whan the multitude of the commons was a lytell withdrawen, thus he

beganne his oration.

¶ If your citezyn and messanger Alcon, that came to Anni∣ball to require peace, had lykewise broughte from hym vnto you the conditions of the same, my cōmyng nowe had ben in vayne. Which thing if he had done, I shuld nother as Anni∣bals oratour, nor as a fugityue, haue come vnto you at this tyme. But seing that he, either through his owne defaute, or els by yours, tarieth with your ennemies (lest you shulde be ignorant, that there are certayne conditions offered bothe of peace and safegard) I for the olde frendshyp and hospitalitie that hath ben betwene vs am come to you: and fyrst I wolde ye shulde perswade your selues, that for your welth and none other cause, I speake to you those wordes, which I wyl de∣clare, and this you may well perceyue. For as longe as you were able with your owne power, to make resistence, or tru∣sted to haue succour from the Romayns, I neuer made men∣tion to you of peace. Nowe seing there is no hope of succour from the Romains, and your own strēgth and walles do fayle you, being vnable any longer to resist: I bring to you peace more necessary than ryghtuous or iuste. Of the which peace there is yet some hope, yf, as Anniball beinge conquerour, doth sende it, so you as people subdued, wyll receyue it. For you must consyder, that you beinge conquered, muste of the conquerour receiue that whiche of his goodnes he wyl giue you as a reward. The conditions of peace are these: He wyl take the citie (whyche he hath broken for the most parte, and almoste wonne) from you. He wyll leaue to you the fieldes, and also assigne a place, where you shall buylde a newe citie. He commaundeth also your golde, syluer, and other goodes, publike and priuate, to be brought to hym. He is contented to suffer your selues, your wyues and children to passe in safe garde, if ye go out of the citie vnarmed, takyng with you on∣ly double apparell for your bodies. Those thynges your vic∣torious enemy Anniball dothe commaunde you, the whyche your sorowfull chaunce and fortune dothe perswade you to accepte. Truely I doubt not, whan ye haue accomplyshed all these his requestes, but that some of these conditions shalbe remytted vnto you. I thynke better, you shulde rather suffer these iniuries, than your selues to be slayne, your wyues and chyldren taken & violently led away before your faces, by the extreme lawes of warre.