Linceus spectacles. Written by Lodowicke Lloid Esquire

The glasse of Soldiers.

THe crie of the valiant soldior, that he was in as many set battels as Marcel∣lus, which was in 39 battels, in as ma∣ny combats as M. Seruilius, which was in 23 combats, & in as many vic∣tories as Caesar himselfe, which wan 52 victories.

This soldier cryeth, that he serued such great Captaines, which were most famous, and though they come lame and maihemed home, yet it doth them good to remember the victory in besieging such a Citie, and of their fighting on the seas in such a place, there escaping of the bullets, that it doth sollace the Soldier to cry with Eneas, haec olim meminisse iuuabit.

You must not take from the souldier his valiant mind, his martiall actions and exployts in warres, for the souldier will bragge as his Captaine: for as Nabucadnezar sayd, What God can take Sidrak, Mysael and Abednego out of my hand, so Rabsases his Captaine will say, What God will or shall de∣fend any kingdome from his maister.

And as Demetrius spake to Ionathan, Learne, and know of others who I am, Quia mecum virtus bellorum est.

The souldiers of Benhadad will say as he sayd, that the dust of Samaria is not enough for euery soldier of Benhadad to take a handfull; For if the gods of the mountaines will not fight with him, the gods of the valleyes shall.

Another Captaine crieth out like Seron against Iu. Machabeus, saying, Faciam mihi nomen, I will get me a name on Iudas Machabeus.

Another like Gaal with the like proude crie, What is Abimelek, and what is Sichem, O I would I had some such soldiers with me at my command. So Pyrrhus wisht and Marius would haue Romane

souldiers, Non calones, non iactatores, take away the brag of a souldiers seruice, take also his reputation and life away.

And therefore amongst the Thracians, which brag that Mars was borne in Thracia, their grea∣test glorie and fame was to haue cuts and wounds on their faces and bodies, thereby to be knowne valiant souldiers.

But amongst the Lacaedemonians it was not so, for their souldiers kemd the long haires of their heads and beards: and therefore they were called Comatimilites, which when the Captaines of Per∣sia saw Leonidas souldiers at Thermopila so deckt and so trimd, Velut desides & ignauos habuerunt, but they iudged otherwise of them before the bat∣tell was done: For that 20000 Persians were slaine by 300 Lacaedemonians, who came with sweete slutes and soft pipes.

And the Souldiers therefore in Macedonia sit crowned with Lawrell by the Law of Alexander the Great to see Games and Plaies in the best pla∣ces and highest roome of the Theatres.

In Persia the souldiors haue golden girdles gi∣uen them by the Law of Cyrus, to animate the sol∣diors to fight for their countrey.

In Greece they had siluer laces and golden fil∣lets to trim vp the haires of their heads, and there∣fore were the Lacedemonian Souldiers called Co∣mati milites.

In Rome the Souldiers haue diuers and sundry

kinds of Crownes, golden Chaines, Bracelets, and Rings, in reward of their Seruice. Some had Crownes for sauing of Cities, made of Ex querna fronde, of Oken bowes. Another sort had Coronam Obsidionalem, made ex illo gramine of that grasse, where the Citie stood, by remoouing of Sieges, or otherwise.

Such a Crowne had Fabius Maximus, which by delayes wearied Hanniball out of Italie, and saued Rome. The like honour happened to Lu Sicinius in the first African Warres: And the third, to Cneius Atinates, in bello Cimbrico, in the Cimbrian Warres.

In Greece Themistocles had Coronam Oleaginam, and a golden Chariot, for the sauing of Greece from the Persians. Milciades for his victory at Ma∣rathon had his picture in the Port Pucile: And Dion for sauing Syracusa from Dionysius, had Coro∣nam auream.

But now neither in Persia, in Sparta, in Athens, or in Rome, or elswhere, the Souldiers haue nowe no such siluer Fillets, nor such Bracelets of Gold, no golden Girdles, or any other Militarie rewards for the crie of Souldiers.

Onely of this, Souldiers may bragge of some watch••word called Tesserae militares, which great Captaines vsed in great Warres, as in Persia, the watch-word of Cyrus, in many battels vsed, Iupiter belli socius, or of Caesars watch-word, who vsed som∣time Faelicitas, sometime Victoria, for that Caesar

was himselfe in fiftie two set battels: and therfore vsed many watch-words, which Caesars Souldiers made great account of, after Caesars time.

Least I should vse too often Tautologia, for that I remember I wrot of Pompey the great, for his great victories in Asia, Affricke, and Europe, three parts of the world was cōpared to Alexander the great, whose word was Hercules inuictus, yet his Glasse brake on the sands at pellusium, in Egypt.

Antiochus, surnamed Soter, vsed this for his watch∣word to his Souldiers in his warres, aduersus Gala∣tas, bene valere.

These many watch-words shall suffice to solace Souldiers in their crie.

So likewise may poore Souldiers weare their great Commaunders and Captains cullors, as the Aethyopian Souldiers weare white cullors, the Thracian Souldiers russet cullors, the Africans puke cullor, the Samnites pied or partie cullors, the Lacedemonians vsed Scarlet cullors, and the Persians red cullors: For such cullors ware great Artaxerxes King of Persia, in field against his bro∣ther Cyrus, and Cyrus Souldiers ware white cullors in the selfe same battell against Artaxerxes: but the most of these Nations their glasses were brui∣sed and broken at that time.

And so may any Souldier now weare any cul∣lors, if it be but in Ribbands or Laces about their neckes, to remember and to honour valiant and warlike Nations, and to satisfie their owne valiant

and noble minds, and to stop their cries, in steede of deserued rewards.

And yet somewhat more for the honour of sol∣diers, in whom appeared some naturall grace and Maiestie, to moue people, both to loue and honor them aswell in forraigne countryes as their owne, as Scipio Africanus the elder had such grace with King Antiochus the great, that he ruled more in A∣sia, then Antiochus & Scip. Emilianus with King Ma∣sinissa in Africa, so greatly honoured and beloued, that at his death he gaue the kingdome of Numidia to Scipio.

So Paulus Emilius with the Macedonians, & Pub. Rutillius though banished from Rome, yet so much esteemed in all the Cities of Asia, that hee seemed rather to make his triumphs in Asia, as the history saith, that Maius Triumphare quam exulare vide∣retur.

Q. Metellus could haue no greater honor giuen him by the Senators, then when the table of his creditors were shewed to the Senators that they refused to looke on it saying, non in Tabulis, sed in vita Metelli respiciendum.

The like reuerence and honor was alwaies gi∣uen Marcus Cato that wheresoeuer hee went, or whatsoeuer he said in the Sennate house, or to the people abroad, it was esteemed, ac vox cuiusdam numinis, with great admiration.

It is so written o•• Zenocrates, that when he came as a witnes in a cause before the Iudges Areopagites

in Athens, to lay his hand vppon the altar to take his cath, the Iudges with one voice said, in tanta tanti virisapientia, needs no oath.

C. Marius is not to be forgotten, for that in his seauenth and last consulship in Rome (although an old man, and in much miserie,) forsaken of all his friends, and left naked without weapons, yet had such Maiestie, then in his countenance, that the Executioner, an enemy of Marius (being a Cymbri∣an, whose nation Marius much grieued) being sent into a priuat house, close shut, at Minternum, to kill Marius, at the sight of Marius threw downe his weapons and fled, as Marius, Silla, and Caesar were like Scipio to aduance Rome, but againe like Hani∣bal to plague Rome.

What can be more said then of the greatnesse, and Maiesty of a soldier, yea in the meanest soldier in the field, that though Octauius countenance seemed so great at Actium, yet no greater then M. Perpenna, who beeing made a Consul, before hee was a free Citisen, discharged his Consulship, as fullie as though he had gone through all Martiall offices in the field, and did more the Lu. Varro the Cousul at the Battell of Cannes.

Such soldiers were sought for and made much of by Marius & Pyrrhus, whose opinion was to haue strong tall men of great stature: that were able to carie their helmets on their heads, their targets on their armes, their swords on their sides, their pee∣ces on their shoulders, and their viands on their

backes, which to carrie, said Cicero to an olde Ro∣mane souldier, was no heauier then to carie hume∣ros, lacertos, manus, &c.

So the old Germanes vsed their souldiers to ca∣rie vpon their armours Cibaria ferramenta, and such militarie munitions as were necessary in wars, and as the Romanes then vsed painefull exercise, Cur∣rere laborare & pondus portare, to runne, to labour, to suffer the Sunne in their faces, and the dust in their eyes.

So saith Marius, munditias mulieribus labores con∣uenire viris.

Among the Greekes it was a prouerbe, Dij bona laboribus vendunt: the gods make sale of labour to men.

Then Rome esteemed Romane souldiers, when Scipio African and such had their Images and Sta∣tues set vp in the Capitol, in the Oratorie, and in the Market place, but within a while after, Plus Calonum & scortatorum quam militum, saith Lipsius, followed Romane Captaines.

But as warre to the most part is miserable, so to other some auailable and famous: so for a time it was to Xerxes, who gathered all the Princes of A∣sia to go against the Grecians, told them, that hee sent for them, not to be Xerxes Counsellors, but to obaie Xerxes, Vobis magis parendum quam suaden∣dum est.

Haniball as insolent as Xerxes, after his great vi∣ctories ouer the Romanes at Cannes, admitted no

soldier, no Citizen to come to his tents, neither did he answere any Captaine, or to any man else, but by an interpretor.

The insolencie of Alex: the great, exceeded far Xerxes or Hanibal, he would be called the Sonne of Iupiter, refused his Macedonians maners & lawes, & would be apparelled in Persian garments, but faeli∣citas impiorum instar puncti, whose life and felicity, in life is as britle glasse, these be they that thinke their heads touch the skye, and looke so hye, that often they fall downe to a ditch with Thales, these be they of whom Iob saith, si caput nubis tetigerit, ca∣dit tamen in sterquilinium.

Tamberlane the Scithian, that had the great Turk in a cage, like a dogge vnder his table.

Saphor the Persian King, that had the Romaine Emperour as a block to mount on horseback.

And Sesostris the Egyptian that had foure Kings to draw his Charriot, these made no more of men, then Menippus, who thought men to be moates in the moone, if their glasse had beene cleare, they should haue seene quam vita vitrea semper fortuna suit: these had not Linceus Spectacles on.

Had Marius kept his glasse cleare, hauing beene seauen times Consul in Rome, hee might haue seene what good he did to Rome in the time of Sci∣pio, and what harme he did to Rome, in the time of Silla.

So might Silla after Marius, so might Caesar after Silla, after much good seruice to Rome, beeing Ro∣mans

borne, and not after to harme Rome more then Hanibal a sworne enemy to Rome, but they wanted Linceus Spectacles.

For these warres were not iust warres, and ther∣fore not necessarie illa pia arma (saith Tacitus) quibus nulla spes nisi in armis, it is the nature of all tygrish Tyrants to reioyce in blood, not waying caelestia nu mina sed terrestria nomina, esteeming not heauenly names, but terrestrial fame, & to be called reges mag nireges maximi, et reges regum, great Kings, & Kings of Kings, quorum nomina magis acerba quam diutur∣na.

These be like swift riuers, which run themselues quickly dry by too much vehement motions, and some such there be like standing pooles which do stinck and putrify for want of motion.

Hard by the Citie Hierapolis, in a valley there is a place called Os plutoniū like Auernus in Cāpania of Poets fained to be thentrāce vnto hell, both the places so putrified and so corrupted, that the fouls that flee ouer them, fall downe dead into them, & the water that comes nigh stinkes, vndafluens sor∣dibus terrae inficitur.

The riuer of Hypanis in Scythia, beeing sweete & pure of it selfe, yet when it toucheth any part of Exampius riuer that is better, it is also by the same infected & made bitter, aliquid mali propter verum malum.

But neither earth, water, nor aire is more infec∣ted or corrupted one by another, then one man is

insected by another in qualities, in nature, in reli∣gion and in saith, qui tanget picem &c. and therfore good men must depart from the tabernacles of Da than, and Abiran.

And therefore Homer the salt that seasoned all Greece, & fild all their stages and Theators, not only with comaedies of the quick, to make men ac∣quainted of the differēce between vertue & vice, but also with Tragedies of the dead to moue terror & feare among men, sometimes brings Vlisses, som∣time Pericles, and sometime brings in Agamemnon and Achilles to instruct Greece from daungers to come: by dangers past, renued & plaid vpon their Theaters, as in the glasse of trauell is more menti∣oned, he had Lynceus Spectacles, and saw the dis∣cord of the Grecians before Greece was knowne, and yet Homer was blinde, so was Iacob, and yet Ia∣cob could foresee, and prophesy the liues, and the succession of the twelue tribes.

Notes

• The bragge of Souldiers
• Eneas sang to his Souldiers.
• Esa. 14.
• Demetrius. 1. Macab. 3.
• 3. Reg. 20.
• proud bragges.
• The Thracians
• The Lacede∣monians called Comati mili∣tes.
• Lawrel crowns.
• Golden girdles
• Siluer laces & golden fillets.
• Chains, brace∣lets and rings.
• Fabius Max.
• Reward and gifts in Greece
• Watch words of souldiers.
• Cyrus Watch. word. Caesars watch∣word.
• Pompeis glasse broke at pellu∣sum. Plut. in Pomp.
• Antiochus.
• Ethiopiam soldiers of the cullors of diurse and sundry ma∣ner in warres.
• Artaxerxes cul∣lor.
• Cyrus cull or.
• Plut. in vita.
• Scipio Emilia∣nus.
• Pau. Emilius. Sen. epist. 81.
• Q. Meteilus. Cic••ad Atti∣cum. 1.
• M. cato. Gell. 4, cap. 1••.
• Zenocrates crdit.
• C. Marius Silla and Caesar as great soes as frends to Rome.
• The grimme countenance of Marius.
• M. Perpenna.
• Front lib. 3. cap. 1.
• Viget. 3. cap. 1.
• Cic. Tusc. ••••.
• Apud Salust.
• Valerius Ma••. lib. 4. cap. 1.
• Herodot. 7.
• Polyb. 3.
• Put. in vita.
• Iob. 20.
• The great Turke.
• Valeranus.
• Marius glasse,
• Fo••s & friends to Rome.
• Tyrant, specta∣cles.
• Eneas siluius.
• Plin. lib. 7. cap. 2.
• Homer the salt of Greece.
• Homer proper∣ly named Me∣lesigenes.