Chapter XVII: Part I: By JOHN HIGGINS (8)

When at _Danubius_ I had placed strength,
To _Thracia_ thence with speede apace I went:
Where monuments agayne I made at length
To _Alexander’s_ fame: to _Rome_ I sent
Likewise of statues for the same intent,
In _Capitole_ and temples them to place,
For honour great of _Alexander’s_ grace.

36.

I made mee garments eke of _Thracian_ guise,
And captaynes mee to _Alexander_ call;
To _Pergame_ thence in _Asia_ great that lies
I gate, _Achilles_ tombe with honours all
To vewe perdy,[1156] as stories witnesse shall:
Whence (order set) to _Antioche_ I farde,
Where my receyte with honour was preparde.

37.

To _Alexandria_ then I fared faste,
For they had scofte full oft before at mee:
My mother they had named Queene _Iocaste_,
_Achilles_ great and _Alexander_ mee.
They smil’de my folly great herein to see,
Which though I were a dwarfe of stature small,
Durst take the name of captaynes great and tall,

38.

Ne _Getae’s_ murder spared oft to spread,
As is their nature gieuen to taunt and iest:
Wherefore as though Religion had mee lead,
I offred sacrifice with solemne feast
At _Alexander’s_ tombe, where most and least
Of all the youth were present to behold
The offerings great I brought, and giftes of gold.

39.

This donne, I wil’d the youth should all prepare
To showe themselues in field: for I would choose
A band by _Alexander’s_ name to fare,
As erst in _Thrace_ and _Sparta_ I did vse.
They came reioysing all, to heare the newes:
Where I with souldiers come to take the vewe,
Them compast in, and all the people slewe.

40.

The valley all did swimme with streames of bloud,
So great that time a slaughter was there made:
It staynde the mighty mouthes of _Nilus_ floud,
And on the shoares you might bloud wetshod wade:
My piners eke were prest with showle and spade
T’interre the dead, a monstrous trench that fill,
And on them [scarce all] dead, they rearde a mighty hill.

41.

But then desiring glory more to get
By _Parthian_ name, which erst my father had,
I sent to _Artabane_, without of let,
Ambassage great, with giftes his minde to glad:
And for his daughter them perswade I bad,
Desiring him to giue the Princesse mee to wife,[1157]
The cause of lasting loue, an end of [mortall] strife.

42.

By this both ioynde in one, wee might for ay
Of all the world the diademe possesse:
And might to each in all attempts be stay,
In fight our foes by firmer force suppresse.
When they my message thus did there expresse,
At first hee fearde deceyte: agayne I sent:
Wherewith hee was at last full well content.

43.

By giftes I wrought, and plight my fayth withall
For truth to him, and for his daughter’s loue,
And hee began mee sonne in lawe to call:
Which new reporte did all the _Parthians_ moue
Us to receiue, our frendships firme t’approue,
Reioysing now such league at last to see,
Whereby they might from _Romayne_ warres bee free.

44.

And so I entred _Parthia_ as mine owne,
The _Parthians_ mee receiu’de with triomphes great:
When mine approache to _Artabane_ was knowne,
In playne before the city of his seat,
Hee came to meete me with a nomber great,
Ware garlands gay, in golden vestures clad,
With all the ioy and triomphes might bee had.

45.

So when great multitudes assembled were,
Their horses lefte behinde and bowes layd downe,
Amongst their cups deuoyde of force the feare,
By nombers great the chiefe of all the towne,
Which came to see the brideman’s highe renowne,
Disorderly vnarmde as so they [gazing] stand,
I gaue my souldiers signe, to take the blade in hand.[1158]

46.

And downe by sword they fell, they could not flye,
The king escaped scarce,[1159] conuey’de by horse away:
Their solemne garments long, theire flight did tye,
A slaughter great of _Parthians_ was that day,
Wee sackte their Townes, and noble men did slay.
From thence I past t’_Azamia_, after this
To hunt, and gaue my selfe [a while] to bath in blisse.

47.

Thus hauing runne my reckelesse race vnkinde,
And doubting both of treason and my thrall,
I sought by curious artes of sprites to finde
Who should procure in th’end my fatall fall:
_Materniane_ at _Rome_ should search for all,
Hee should enquire my fate, of all the skillfull men,[1160]
And write hereof [with speede] what was their mindes agen.

48.

What hee rewrate agayne,[1161] I wote not I,
From _Carras_ I to _Lunae’s_ temple went:
And for because it neare the campe did lye,
To sacrifice with fewe was mine intent:
For why to towne from thence retourne I ment,
And so from thence to th’campe[1162] likewise agayne
I might [mee thought] retyre, without a greater trayne.

49.

Amongst the which, one _Martiall_ of my garde,
Whose brother (not conuinste, accusde) I slewe,
Thus wise my captiue corps did watch to warde,
(For when therefore conuenient time hee knewe,
While I aparte me gate for nature’s due,
And bade the rest aside a space departe)
Hee came and stabde mee stifly through the harte.

50.

_Seuerus_ seruaunts I corrupted ofte,
Them feeid to make their Lorde my syre away;
With _Getae’s_ men the like attempts I wrought,
To bane their lord, and brother mine to slay:
How I the _Alexandrians_ did betray,
And _Parthians_ eke, before to you I tolde,
Deseruing death for those a thousand folde.

51.

But sith those faithfull seruaunts I did kill,
Which would not sley their noble lordes for golde,
I worthy was to haue a gard so ill,
As shoulde to perce my hatefull harte bee bolde:
The justice great of _Ioua_ here beholde,
Uniustly who so seekes to slay the [iust and] good,
The sword at length shall take his false and traytours
bloud.[1163]

END OF THE FIRST PART.

THE

_Mirrour for Magistrates_,

_conteining the falles_

of the

infortunate Princes of this

_Lande_:

From the conquest of CÆSAR,

vnto the comyng of

DUKE WILLIAM the CONQUEROR.