Certaine small poems lately printed with the tragedie of Philotas. Written by Samuel Daniel.

The Argument.

VPon the second agreement (the first being broken through iea∣lousie of a disproportion of emi∣nencie) betweene the Triumuiti Octauius Caesar, Marcus Anto∣nius, and Lepidus: Octauia the sister of Octauius Caesar, was ma∣ried to Antonius, as a linke to combine that which neuer yet, the greatest strength of nature, or anie po∣wer of nearest respect could long hold togither, who made but the instrument of others endes, and de∣liuered vp as an Ostage to serue the oportunity of ad∣uantages, met not with that integritie she brought: but as highly preferred to affliction encountred with all the greeuances that beat vpon the misery of great∣nesse, exposed to stand betwixt the diuers tending humours of vnquiet parties. For Antonie hauing yet vpon him the fetters of AEgipt, layde on by the pow∣er of a most incomparable beauty, could admit no new lawes into the state of his affection, or dispose of him∣selfe being not himselfe, but as hauing his heart tur∣ned Eastward whither the point of his desires were directed, toucht with the strongest allurements that ambition, and a licencious soueraintie could draw a man vnto: could not truly descend to the priuate loue

of a ciuill nurtred. Matrone, whose entertainment bounded with modesty and the nature of her educa∣tion, knew not to cloth her affections in any other colours then the plain habit of truth: wherein she euer suted al her actions•• and vsed all her best ornaments of honesty, to win the good liking of him that helde her but as a Curtaine drawne betweene him and Octauius to sha∣dow his other purposes withall; which the sharpe sight of an equally iealous ambition could soone pierce into, & as easily looke thorow and ouer bloud and nature as he to abuse it: And therefore to preuent his aspiring, he armes his forces either to reduce Antonie to the ranke of his estate, or else to disranke him out of state and al. When Octauia by the imployment of Antonie (as be∣ing not yet ready to put his fortune to her triall) throwes her selfe, great with childe, and a•• big with sorrow, into the trauaile of a most laboursome recon••iliacion: ta∣king her iourney from the farthest parte of Greece to find Octauius, with whom her care and teares were so good agents that they effected their Commission be∣yond all expectation, and for that time quite disarmed their wrath, which yet long could not hold so. For Anto∣nius falling into the relaps of his former disease, watch∣ing his oportunity got ouer again into Egypt, where he so forgot himselfe, that he quite put off his owne nature, and wholy became a pray to his pleasures, as if hee had wound himselfe out of the respect of Country, bloud & alliance, which gaue to Octauia the cause of much af∣fliction, and to me the Argument of this letter.