The Father of this young Ptolemy, was the
ninth in succession from the first, and at his
death, made the people of Rome Tutors to his
children. His eldest son and Cleopatra his
daughter reigned together six years; but in the
end fell to strife and wars, and were deeply
ingaged therein when Pompey arrived. But
shortly after Caesar so ordered the differences,
that he set the Crown upon Cleopatra's head;
who held it peaceably, untill she came to play
that tragicall part with Antony: which being
ended, the kingdome was then reduced to a Pro∣vince,
under the obedience of the Roman Empire.
Concerning this miserable end of Pompey,
it is truly said of Seneca, that Death is alike to
all: for although the waies are divers by which
it happeneth, yet they all meet in the same end.
And forasmuch as Plutarch hath described
particularly the manner of this Catastrophe,
it shall not be impertinent to insert his relation
thereof.
When Pompey heard news that king Ptole∣my
was in the City of Pelusium with his Army,
making war against his sister, he went thither,
and sent a Messenger before unto the king, to
advertise him of his arrivall, and to intreat him
to receive him. King Ptolemy was then but
a young man, insomuch that one Photinus go∣verned
all the whole Realm under him. He as∣sembled
a Councell of the chiefest and wisest
men of the Court, who had such credit and au∣thority
as it pleased him to give them. They
being assembled, he commanded every man in
the Kings name to say his mind, touching the
receiving of Pompey, whether the king should
receive him or not. It was a miserable thing to
see Photinus, an Eunuch of the Kings, and
Theodotus of Chio, an hired Schoolmaster to
teach the young king Rhetorick, and Achillas
an Aegyptian, to consult among themselves
what they should do with Pompey the Great.
These were the chiefest Councellours of all his
Eunuchs, and of those that had brought him up.
Now did Pompey ride at anchour upon the
shore side, expecting the resolution of this
Councell: in the which the opinions were di∣vers;
for some would not have him received, o∣thers
consented that he should be received. But
the Rhetorician Theodotus, to shew his elo∣quence,
perswaded them that neither the one
nor the other was to be accepted. For, quoth he,
if we receive him, we shall have Caesar our e∣nemy,
and Pompey our Lord; and if we do
deny him on the other side, Pompey will blame
us for refusing him, and Caesar for not keeping
of him: therefore this would be the best resolu∣tion,
he told them, to send to kill him, for there∣by
they should win the good will of the one,
and not fear the displeasure of the other. And
some say moreover that he added this mock
withall, A dead man bites not. They being
determined of this among themselves, gave A∣chillas
commission to do it. He taking with
him Septimius (who had charge aforetime un∣der
Pompey) and Salvius, another Centurion
also, with three or four souldiers besides, they
made towards Pompey's Gallies, about whom
were at that time the chiefest of his train, to see
what would become of this matter. But when
they saw the likelihood of their entertainment,
and that it was not in Princely shew nor man∣ner,
nor nothing answerable to the hope which
Theophanes had put them in, seeing so
few men come to them in a fisher-boat; they
began then to mistrust the small account that
was made of them, and counselled Pompey to
return back, and to launch again into the sea,
being out of the danger of the hurling of a Dart.
In the mean time the fisher-boat drew near,
and Septimius rose, and saluted Pompey in the
Roman tongue, by the name of Imperator, as
much as sovereign Captain: and Achillas also
spake to him in the Greek tongue, and bade
him come into his boat; because that by the
shore side there was a great deal of mud and sand
banks, so that his Galley should have no wa∣ter
to bring him in. At the very same time they
saw afar off divers of the Kings Gallies, which
were arming with all speed possible, and all the
shore besides full of souldiers. Thus, though
Pompey and his company would have altered
their minds, they could not have told how to
have escaped: and furthermore, shewing that
they had mistrusted them, then they had given
the murderer occasion to have executed his cru∣elty.
So taking his leave of his wife Cornelia,
who lamented his death before his end, he com∣manded
two Centurions to go down before
him into the Aegyptians boat, and Philip, one of
his slaves infranchised, with another slaves, cal∣led
Scynes. When Achillas reached out his
hand to receive him into his boat, he turned him
to his wife and son, and said these verses of So∣phocles
unto them;
The man that into Court comes free,
Must there in state of bondage be.
These were the last words he spake unto his peo∣ple,
when he left his own Gally and went into
the
Aegyptians boat, the land being a great way
off from his Gally. When he saw never a man
in the boat speak friendly unto him, beholding
Septimius, he said unto him; Me thinks, my
friend, I should know thee, for that thou hast
served with me heretofore. The other nodded
with his head; that it was true, but gave him no
answer, nor shewed him any courtesy.
Pompey seeing that no man spake to him,
took a little book he had in his hand, in which
he had written an Oration that he meant to
make unto King Ptolemy, and began to read