How Caivs Ivlivs Cæsar which first made this Realme tributary to the Romaynes, was slayne in the Senate house, about the yeare before Christ, 42.

Although by Bocas I haue whilom told my mind,

And Lydgate haue likewise translated wel the same,

Yet sith my place in order here againe I find,

And that my factes deseru’d in Brytayne worthy fame,

Let me againe renue to memory my name,

Recite my mind, which if thou graunt to mee,

Thou shalt therefore receiue a friendly fee,

[And for my tale perhaps commended thou shalt bee.

But least thou seeme to doubt what Prince thou seest appeare,

And wotst not well which way to winde or wrest his talke,

As may both sound to like a perfect English eare,

And eke direct thy dreadfull pen which way to walke:

Lest thou on this shouldst long diuine, or muse, or calke,

I will the tell: but take in hand thy pen,

First set thy selfe to write my wordes, and then

A mirrour make yet more for Magistrates agen.]

If euer erst the fame of auncient Romayne facts,

Haue come to pearce thine eares before this present time,

I thinke amongst the rest, likewise my noble actes

Haue shewde them selues in sight, as Phœbus fayre in prime.

When first the Romayne state began aloft to clime,

And wanne the wealth of all the worlde beside,

When first their force in warlike feates were tryde,

[My selfe was victour hee that did the Romaynes guyde.]

I, Caius Iulius Cæsar Consull, had to name,

That worthie Romayne borne, renownde with noble deedes,

What neede I here recyte the linage whence I came,

Or else in my great exploytes? perdy[809] t’s more then needes,

But onely this to tell of purpose now proceedes,

Why I a Romayne Prince, no Brytayne, here

Amongst these Britayne Princes now appeere,

[As if amongst the rest a Britayne Prince I were.]

And yet because thou maist perceyue the story all

Of all my life, and so deeme better of the end,

I will againe the same to mind yet briefly call,

To tell thee how thou maist me prayse or discommend:

Which when thou hast, perdy,[810] as I recyte it, pend,

Thou shalt confesse that I deserued well,

Amongst them here my tragedie to tell,

[By conquest sith I wanne this Ile before I fell.]

What neede I first recite my petegrue well knowne?

No noble authour writes that can forget the same,

My prayse I know in print through all the worlde is blowne,

Ther’s no man scarce that writes, but he recytes my fame:

My worthie Father Lucius Cæsar had to name,

Aurelia eke[811] my mother also hight,

Of Caius Cotta daughter borne by right,

[As fayre and wise a dame as euer saw the light.]

How I was trayned vp in youth what neede I tell?

Sith that my noble Aunt (that Iulia hight) me taught,

Who could with morall doctrine good instruct[812] me well,

And sawe the frame in me that nature’s skill had wrought,

By her instructions aye I wit and fauour sought:

I was accounted comely of my grace,

I had by nature’s gift a Princely face,

[And wisedome high to wey and deeme of euery case.]

Of stature high and tall, of colour fayre and white,

Of body spare and leane yet comely made to see,

What neede I more of these impertinent recyte,

Sith Plutarch hath at large describde it all to thee,

And eke thy selfe that think’st thou seest and hearest me,

Maist well suppose the rest, [or take the viewe

Thou maist by talke of those which erst me knewe,

And by my statures’ tell of my proportion true.][813]

In iourney swift I was and prompte and quicke of witte,

My eloquence was likte of all that hearde me pleade,

I had the grace to vse my tearmes and place them fitte,

My roling Rhetoricke stoode my Clients oft in steade:

No fine conueyance past the compasse of my heade,

I wan the spurres, I had the laud and prayse,

I past them all that pleaded in those dayes,

[I had of warlike knawledge, Keasar, all the keyes.]

10.

At seuenteene yeeres of age a Flamin was I chose,

An office great in Rome of priesthoode Princely hie,

I married eke Cossutia whereof much mischiefe rose,

Because I was diuorc’st from her so speedily:

Diuorcement breeds despite,[814] defame is got thereby,

For such as fancies fond by chaunge fulfil,

Although they thinke it cannot come to ill,

[The wrong they shew doth cry to God for vengeance still.]

11.

Of these the stories tell what neede I more recyte,

Or of the warres I waged Consul with the Galles,

The worthiest writers had desire of me to write,

They plac’st my life amongst the worthies and their falles:

So Fame me thinks likewise amids the Britaynes, calles

For Cæsar with his sword, that bare [with them] the sway,

And for the cause that brought him into such decay,[815]

[Which by his noble acts did beare their freedome first away.]

12.

When I in Fraunce had brought the Galles[816] to bende,

And made them subject all obaysant vnto mee,

Mee thought I had vnto the worlde his ende,

By west subdued the Nations whilome[817] free:

There of my warres[818] I wrot an historye

[By nights, at leisure times so from my Countrey far,]

I did describe the[819] places and [the] sequelles of my war

The Commentaryes calde of Cæsar’s acts that ar.

13.

At length I did perceaue there was an Island yet,

By west of Fraunce which in the Ocean sea did lye,

And that there was likewise no cause or time to let,

But that I might with them the chance of Fortune trye:

I sent to them for hostage of assuraunce, I,

And wil’d them tribute pay vnto the Romayne stoute,

Or else I woulde both put theyr liues and goods in doubte.

[And also reaue away the best of all theyr route.]

14.

But they a people fearce and recklesse of my powre

Abused those which brought th’ambassage that I sent,

Now sith (quoth they) the land and region here is oures,

Wee will not Cæsar to thy rightlesse hestes assent:

By dome of frendly Goddes first this Ile wee hent,

Of Priame’s bloud wee ar from Greece we Troianes came:

As Brutus brought vs thence, and gaue this land his name,

[So for our fredome we will freely fight to keep the same.]

15.

This lande reported was full fertile for the soyle,

The wealthie warlike sorte of Britaynes stout within,

Were rather able well to giue, then take the foyle,

To those which came by warres their freedom for to win:

My selfe made first assault with them I did begin,

Of all the Romaynes first I waged with them warre,

And this I can report, they valiant people are,

[They feare no foes, they recke no fame, of people nere or farre.]

16.

It was reported eke that[820] in my warres in Fraunce,

Some Britaynes thether came amongst the Galles to fight,

And that for pleasure sake to try of Mars the chaunce,

And for to haue of Romayne[821] warres the sight:

That they no labour sparde by day nor yet by night,

In campe, in scoute, for hunger, heate, or colde:

But were in all attemptes of armes so stout[822] and bolde,

[As erst I neuer hearde of any nation tolde.]

17.

This fame enflamed me, displeasure eke I tooke,

That glory hopt to get so doughtie heartes to daunt,

On which with winds at wil, I Gallia shoares forsooke,

Full minded for to make the Britaynes tribute graunt,

Sith at my message sent they seemed so to taunt:

With armour, souldiers good, and of munition store,

[To strands and hauens and coastes of Britayne shore]

I came[823] appointed wel, with fiftie sayles or more.

18.

But so the noble Britaynes playde the valiaunt men,

By pollicies, and force to hurt my shippes and mee,

That I was forced after my returne agen,

To rigge my shippes: a wonders thing[824] to see:

For in the strands and in the seas, where landing places be,[825]

Sharpe postes they pight, whereon our shippes wee ron:[826]

[And at our enemies shoares, that woulde haue glory won,

In daunger both by land and sea were almost all vndone:[827]]

19.

And hardly[828] come to land, at length we met the hoast,

And sharpely fought with them, whose praises earst we herd,

I haue no cause of Britayne conquest for to boast,

Of all the Regions first and last with whome I werd:

A people stout and strong, enduring chaunces herd,

And desperate, wilde and fearce, and recklesse found I then,

Not soone agast with dinte, or fright with fall of men,

[Nor brought to yeelde with blowes, but bent for life to strike agen.]

20.

For whan our armies mette, no daungers they forsooke,

But so behau’de themselues in euery place of fight,

As though to Martiall feates they onely had betooke

Themselues, and for the palme did all their dealinges dight:

Though with my Romaynes I wagde all my warlike might,

I was not able there, to cause them yeelde or flee,

Or for a space to take a time of truce with mee,

[Thou shalt (quod they) perceiue our equall Mars with thee.]

21.

The toyles wee tooke to enter at the first on land,

And for to saue our shattered ships and armour brought,

To wey them out that else had bulgd themselves in sand,

Hereon before the fielde with might and mayne we wrought,

Beside at skirmish oft, vpon the shoare we fought;

These labours tyred so my men and me that tyde,

That we could not endure the battayles brunt t’abyde,

[But sound retrayte till better Fortune might vs guyde.]

22.

They followed harde the chace with scath and losse we scapt,

And shipt we hoysed sayles, to Fraunce we made retyre:

Where for an armie newe another roade we shapt,

If winterr colde were past, to come agayne another yeere:[829]

And so wee did in deede, and bought our comming deere,

For they prouided had so well to fight, that I

With all mine armies stoute could finde no victorye,

[But fayne eftsoones with losse of men for life was forc’st to flye.]

23.

Againe to shippe my mates I bad my Captaines sturre,

Eke from this people fearce with speede to shift away,

The chaunce of warre is hard and doubtfull for t’ assure,

Where th’ enemies neyther dint of death nor dangers fray:

They reckt not of their wealth, nor losse of goods decay,

But for their freedom fought, on Princes case they stood,

With ioyfull heartes they waged warlike life and blood:

[They counted rule at home, and rest, and ease, the greatest good.]

24.

Almost I had no hope at all to make retourne,

The people were so fearce, so recklesse,[830] stout, and bold,

No time of rest I wrought amongst them to soiourne,

They could not by the Romayne peeres bee ruled[831] nor control’d:

They sayde they would vs pay no siluer, brasse, nor golde,

To our indictions sent they would not set their hand,

But for to trye the case with all their power to stand,

[And for to keepe by fight and force the freedome of their land.]

25.

When to the coastes of Gallia land againe with losse wee come,

That neuer erst with such repulse to foes did turne the backe,

The Britaynes they reioyce with triumphes all and some,

And Fame doth [flye to] sound report, they make the Romaynes packe:

Where we no men, no coyne, nor no munition lacke,

No captaines good, no arte, no vitayle, hearte to fight,

A goodly spoyle, the land a pray before our sight:

[We wanted wonted hap, we could not cut them out aright.]

26.

Now marke the hap wee had while I in Gallia lay,

The Britaynes past the time in triumphes and in feastes,

And for their second victory with sports[832] they spend the day,

Accounting vs in their respect but dastard coward beastes:

Amongst their other sport of Iusts and pleasant iestes,

A ciuill discorde fell betweene two worthie noble peeres,

Of courage both so good that neyther boasting feares,[833]

[And either bad the other come and dar’de him for his ears.]

27.

The one hight Irenglas, of kinred to the king,

A worthie wight in warre, and prudent, wise, and sage:

The other Elenine, whose prayse no stories bring

But stoutnesse in his fight, as ruled all by rage:

Yet both against the Romaynes with the king did wadge

The British warre full well, and serued as they ought,

Till time at home the prayse of triumphes vaine they sought,

[Which in the end brought all the former friendly fight to nought.]

28.

This Elenine did beare him high, for[834] he was neere of kin

Vnto Androgeus which was the Earle of London then,

And claimed eke the palm (they say) that he did win

In triumphes at the iustes amongst the noble men.

But as they went about to trye the line agen,

They fell from wordes to sharpe, and layde on loade amayne,

[And many blowes were tryde alone betweene them twayne:]

Till at the length, I wote not how, this Irenglas was slayne.[835]

29.

The King did send for Elenine [in haste,] but he was fled

Vnto the Earle his cosin whence he would not come:

He feared least he should haue lost his hated head;

The guilty heart conceau’s before the iustice of his dome,[836]

He wiste if once he went there needed him no toome,

Wherefore he it refusde and th’earle was discontent,

Who message sharpe againe vnto the King had sent,

[That he his cosin for to saue and beare him out was bent.]

30.

Cassibellane displeased much that subjectes shoulde

Both slay his friend and eke refuse to bide the lawe,

And also in rebellious wise endeuour what they coulde,

To cut themselues vniustly from the Princes awe,

Though it him greeu’d to see at home so foule a flawe,

He could not yet abide the iniuries were showne,

But armde himselfe and his, gainst subiects once his owne,

[In hope to take the Rebelles so, or haue them ouerthrowne.]

31.

When th’earle Androgeus sawe that hee was farre too weake,

Against his Prince to wage rebellious warres begon,

He sent to me,[837] desiring helpe to wreake

The iniuries and wrong Cassibellane had don:

He Sceua sent in hostage eke for pledge,[838] his onely sonne,

And thirtie youthes beside of honour great well borne:

I would not trust his talke, nor message sent beforne,

[For feare I might (if fayne he did) by treason be forlorne.]

32.

On this I expedition made the thirde and laste,

(For he did warrant mee my pourpose to obtayne)

I shipt my men and hyed mee thetherward full fast,

Had wind at will and came to see the shining shoares agayne:

And of my comming so the Earle was glad and fayne:

Wee ioyned hands and leage and armyes for the fight,

[I was conducted well by day and darkesome night,]

And faught, and put Cassibellane the noble King to flight.

33.

Yet hee repayrde his hoste agayne that fearcely faught,

And oft assayde to sley or take the Earle, or mee,

And when hee sawe at length his labour vayled naught,

And Britaynes with the Romaynes lynked so to bee,

Great griefe hee had in them such treason for to see:

His losse perdy in war[839] not greude him halfe so sore,

[As for to see his people liege erst subiects euermore,

To fight agaynst the royall king, which lou’d them so before.[840]]

34.

To make it short: the King was faine at length to yeelde

The tribute graunted was three thousand pound a yere,

Wee bare away the price, wee wan the worthy feelde,

And made them frends agayne that bought our fauour dere:

I neede no longer staye to tell the story here,

Nor yet to gieue my friend the Earle of London blame,

Sith by his meanes I wanne to Rome eternall fame,

[Though he in Britayne beare for aye a shrowding sheete of shame.]

35.

From Fraunce I sent[841] to Rome, reporting how

Amongst the Galles[842] and Britaynes I had sped,

I made request by frends, I might be Consull now

On my returne agayne, but Pompeye’s hauty hed

Did ioyne him selfe with Peeres and armies which he led,

Alleadging playne I meant the publique weale t’nuade,

They would represse my pryde with might and dint of blade,

[And for to meete mee at retourne prouision greate they made.]

36.

With speede I came and force, which made them all to flye

To Greece from Rome in haste, where they prepared war:

For in Epyrus then with souldiers they did lye,

This Pompey proude that made the Romaynes with mee iar,

Hee at Dyrrachium stayde, to which (though it were far)

I led mine hoste,[843] I skirmisht often there,

[But hee so valiauntly in armes himselfe did beare,]

That from[844] the fight to flye wee soone contented were.

37.

On this hee followed fast, in hope to winne the feelde,

To Thessaly hee came where I did stay therefore,

Our armies met and fearcely faught, not bent to yeelde,

Till fifteen hundred men were slayne, or more:[845]

But in the end they fled, wee tooke of prisoners store,

They durst not dare t’abide the chaunce of Mars to trye,

But as they fell before the sworde, and flye,[846]

[O souldier holde thy hande, and saue theyr liues (quod I.)]

38.

Thence Pompey fled the fielde and into Ægipt came,

To Ptolemy the king as then but yong of age,

Where of his slaughter foule Septimius hath the blame,

Hee was his end that did these warres against mee wage:

Euen so by course wee come to play vpon the stage,

Our trauayles haue an end when wee doe feele the fall,

For sith our[847] life is but a race of misery and thrall,

[Death taketh at the length an order for vs all.]

39.

But Pompeye’s friendes and sonnes did oft assaye,

When hee was deade[848] to take reuenge on mee,

And I by dint of sworde repelde theyr force awaye,

Gate offices of rule and gouernde eche degree,

At Cæsar’s beck and call obeysaunt all they bee,

Enacted lawes, derected ech estate,

Emperially the first aloft I sate,

[That had not then in all the worlde a mate.]

40.

But glory won the way to holde and keepe the same,

To holde good Fortune fast a worke of skill,[849]

Who so with prudent arte can stay that stately dame,

Which sets vs vp so high vpon her hauty hill,

And constant aye can keepe her loue and fauour still,

He winnes immortall fame and high renowne:[850]

[But thrise vnhappy hee that weres the stately crowne,]

Yf once misfortune kicke and cast his[851] scepter downe.

41.

For when in Rome I was[852] Dictator chose,

And Emperour or Captayne sole[853] for aye,

My glory did procure mee secret[854] foes,

Because aboue the rest I bare the sway,[855]

By sundry meanes they sought my deepe decaye,[856]

For why, there coulde no Consuls chosen bee,[857]

[No Pretor take the place, no sentence haue decree,]

Vnlesse it likte mee first and were approude by mee.

42.

This they enuide that[858] sude aloft to clime,

As Cassius,[859] which the Pretorship did craue,

And Brutus eke his friende which bare the crime[860]

Of my dispatch,[861] for they did first depraue

My life, mine actes, and[862] sought my bloud to haue,

Full secretly amongst them selues conspirde, decreede

To bee attemptors of that cruell bloudy deede,

[When Cæsar in the Senate house from noble hart should bleede.]

43.

But[863] I forewarned was by Capis tombe,[864]

His Epitaph my death did long before forshowe,

Cornelius Balbus sawe mine horses headlesse ronne

Without a guide,[865] forsakeing foode for woe,

Spurina warned mee that sooth of thinges did knowe,

A wrenne[866] in beake with Laurell greene that flewe

[From woods to Pompey’s Court, whom birdes there slew,]

Forshowde my dolefull death, as after all men knew.

44.

The night before my slaughter[867] I did dreame

I caried was and[868] flewe the clouds aboue,

And sometime hand in hand with[869] loue supreame

[I walkte mee thought, which might suspitions moue:]

My wife Calphurnia, Cæsar’s only loue,

Did dreame shee sawe her crest of house to fall,

Her husband thrust through breast a sword withall,

Eke that same night her chamber dores themselues flewe open all.

45.

These thinges did make mee doubte that morning much,[870]

And I accrazed was and thought at home to stay,

But who is hee can voyde of destnyes such,[871]

Where so great number seekes hym to betray:[872]

The traytour Brutus[873] bad mee not delay,

Nor yet to frustrate there, so great assembly sate,

[On which to heare the publique pleas I gate,

Mistrusting naught mine end and fatall fate.][874]

46.

There met mee by the way a Romayne good[875]

Presenting mee a scrole of euery name,[876]

And all their whole deuise that sought my bloud,[877]

That presently would execute[878] the same:

But I supposde[879] that for some suit hee came,

I heedelesse bare this scrole in my left hand,[880]

[And others more till leasure, left vnscand,

Which in my pocket afterwards they fand.][881]

47.

Spurina as I came, at sacrifizes was,

Nere to the place where I was after slayne:

Of whose diuinings I did[882] litle passe,

Though hee to warne mee oft before was fayne,[883]

My hauty hart these warnings all disdayne:

(Quoth I) the Ides of Marche bee come, yet harme is none,

(Quoth hee) the Ides of Marche be come, yet th’ar not gone,

[And reckelesse so to Court I went, and tooke my throne.]

48.

Assoone as I was set, the traytors all arose,

And one approached nere, as to demaund some thing,

To whom as I layd[884] eare, at once my foes[885]

Mee compast round,[886] their weapons hid they bring,

Then I to late perceiu’d the fatall sting:[887]

O this (quoth I) is violence: then Cassius pearst my breast:

And Brutus thou my sonne (quoth I) whom erst I loued best?

[Hee stabde mee in, and so with daggers did the rest.]

49.

You Princes all and noble men beware of pride,

And carefull will to warre for Kingdome’s sake,

By mee, that set my selfe aloft the world to guide,

Beware what bloudsheds you doe vndertake:

Ere three and twenty wounds had made my hart to quake,

What thousands fell for Pompey’s pride and mine?

Of Pompey’s life that cut the vital line,

Myselfe haue told what fate I found in fine.[888]

50.

Full many noble men to rule alone I slewe,

And some themselues for griefe[889] of hart did slay:

For they ne would mine Empyre stay to vewe,[890]

Some I did force to yeelde, some fled away,[891]

As loth to see[892] theyr Countrye’s quite[893] decay

The world in Aphrike, Asia,[894] distant far,

And Europe knew[895] my bloudsheds great in war,

[Recounted yet through all the world that ar.]

51.

But sith my whole pretence was glory[896] vayne,

To haue renowne and rule aboue[897] the rest,

Without remorce of[898] many thousands slayne,

Which, for their owne defence, their warres addrest:[899]

I deeme[900] therefore my stony harte and brest

Receiu’d so many wounds for iust reuenge, they stood[901]

[By iustice right of Ioue, the sacred sentence good,]

That who so slayes hee payes, the price is[902] bloud for bloud.