ly useth his authority, but adds the travel of his eloquence, in admonishing his judges to do justice; by the vigorous influence of whose government civility is infused, even into those places that have been the dens of savage robbers and cut-throats; one that hath quite abolished a slavish Brehon law, by which an whole nation of his subjects were held in bondage; and one whose higher virtue and wisdom doth make the praise, not only of nobility, and other ornaments, but of abstinence from the blood, the wives, and the goods of those that are under his power, together with a world of chief commendations belonging unto some good princes, to appear less regardable;-he, I say, that can find such a king, findeth an example worthy to add unto virtue an honourable title, if it were formerly wanting. Under such a king, it is likely, by God's blessing, that a land shall flourish with increase of trade in countries before unknown; that civility and religion shall be propagated into barbarous and heathen countries; and that the happiness of his subjects, shall cause the nations far off removed to wish him their sovereign. I need not add hereunto, that all the actions of such a king, even his bodily exercises, do partake of virtue; since all things tending to the preservation of his life and health, or to the mollifying of his cares, (who, fixing his contemplation upon God, seeketh how to imitate the unspeakable goodness, rather than the inaccessible majesty, with both of which himself is endued, as far as human nature is capable,) do also belong to the futherance of that common good which he procureth. Lest any man should think me transported with admiration, or other affection beyond the bounds of reason, I add hereunto, that such a king is nevertheless a man, must die, and may err; yet wisdom and fame shall set him free from error, and from death, both with and without the help of time. One thing I may not omit, as a singular benefit, (though there be many others besides,) re

dounding unto this king, as the fruit of his goodness. The people that live under a pleasant yoke, are not only loving to their sovereign lord, but free of courage, and no greater in muster of men than of stout fighters, if need require; whereas, on the contrary, he that ruleth as over slaves, shall be attended, in time of necessity, by slavish minds, neither loving his person, nor regarding his or their own honour. Cowards may be furious, and slaves outrageous, for a time; but among spirits that have once yielded unto slavery, universally it is found true, that Homer saith, 'God bereaveth a man of half his virtue, that day when he casteth him into bondage '.'

Of these things I might perhaps more seasonably have spoken,in the general discourse of government; but where so lively an example of the calamity following a tyrannical rule, and the use of mercenaries thereupon depending, did offer itself, as is this present business of the Carthaginians, I thought that the note would be more effectual than by being barely delivered as out of a common place.

SECT. III.

How the war against the mercenaries was diversly managed by Hanno and Hamilcar, with variable sucThe bloody counsels of the mercenaries, and their final destruction.

cess.

BEING now to return unto those mercenaries from whom I have thus far digressed, I cannot readily find by what name henceforth I should call them. They are no longer in pay with the Carthaginians, neither care they to pretend that they seek their wages already due; so that they are neither mercenaries nor mutineers. Had they all been subject un

1 Hom Odyss. I. xvii.

to Carthage, then might they justly have been termed rebels; but Spendius, and others that were the principal part of them, owed none allegiance to that state, which they endeavoured to subvert. Wherefore I will borrow the name of their late occupation, and still call them mercenaries, as Polybius also doth.

These using the advantage of their present strength, besieged Utica and Hippagreta, cities of great importance, as being seated upon the western haven of Carthage, where it is divided by a neck of land; Hippagreta standing inwards upon the great lake, Utica farther out upon the sea. Neither was the camp at Tunis abandoned, which lay fitly to hinder the Carthaginians from passing up into the country; for Matho and Spendius wanted not men to follow the war in all parts at once.

How the Carthaginians were amazed with this unexpected peril, any man may conceive. But the business itself awakes them hastily. They are hardly pressed on all sides, and therefore travelled their brains to the uttermost, how to shake off these furious dogs from their shoulders, who, sometimes by night, sometimes by day, came unto the very walls of their city. In this exigence, Hanno was made their general, who failed not in his accustomed diligence of making all good preparation; but had gotten together what was needful, as well to relieve a town besieged, as to batter and as sail any place defended against him. With these pro visions, and with an hundred elephants, he came to Utica so suddenly, that the enemies, as men surpris

1 Utica is seated in the great bay that enters into Carthage, not far within the promontory of Apollo. At this time it is called Porto Farina, or Biserta; and by the Africans themselves, Gare! Melba. Niger saith, that the town itself is ruined, and the place whereon it stood now called Mazacheres. It was very ancient, and built before Carthage, saith Silius. As it flourished before Carthage was set up, so did it after Carthage was thrown down by the Romans in the third Punic war. Famous it was by the death of Cato the younger, who held it against Cæsar. Victor, that worthy divine, was bishop thereof in the time of Genseric the Arrian, who lived all the time of that tyrant, and hath written the story of his cruelties.

ed, forsook their trenches, and retired themselves unto a rising piece of woody ground, where they might be safe against the violence of his beasts. Hanno, thinking that he had to do with Numidians, whose custom was, after any loss, to fly two or three days journey, presently entered the town, to shew himself after this victory. But these good fellows, against whom he was to war, had learned of Hamilcar to retire and fight again, many times in one day, as need required. Therefore, as soon as they perceived that he knew not how to use a victory, they assailed their own camp, and, with great slaughter, drove the Carthaginians out of it; forcing them to hide themselves within Utica, and got possession of all the store that Hanno had brought for the relief of the town. This bad beginning Hanno followed with suitable indiscretion, losing the benefit of many fair opportunities, and suffering the enemies to take possession of all the entrance from Carthage to the firm land.

The Carthaginians perceiving this, were exceedingly troubled, and did therefore let fall their sheetanchor, sending to the field their great captain Hamilcar, whom they furnished with ten thousand foot of supply, and seventy elephants. Hamilcar had work enough to do before he should be able to meet with the enemy upon equal ground; for, besides other places of advantage that the mercenaries had occupied, Hanno had suffered them to win the only bridge by which the river Macra, or Bagrada, was passable unto these that were to travel into the continent. This river had not many fords, nor those easy for a single man to get over; but upon them all was kept such guard, as gave to Hamilcar little hope of prevailing in seeking way by force. As for the bridge itself, Matho and his followers were there lodged, and had there built a town, wherein to lie commodiously, intentive only to the custody thereof. But Hamilcar had observed, that the very mouth.

of Bagrada used to be sometimes cloyed with sand and gravel, that was driven in by certain customary winds, and could not be driven out again by force of that slow river, till the wind falling or changing, suffered the weight of the waters to disburthen their channel. Hereof he made use, and taking his opportunity, passed the river, contrary to all expectation, either of the enemy or of his own citizens.

There was no need to bid Spendius look about him, when once it was heard that Hamilcar was come over Bagrada; all the mercenaries were troubled with the news, knowing that they were no longer to deal with the improvident gravity of Hanno, but with an able spirit, even with their own master in the art of war, whom they admired, though they hated him. But this fear was soon changed into presumption, when more than fifteen thousand of their own society were come from Utica, and other ten thousand from the guard of the bridge. Their army was far greater than that of Hamilcar's, and they were, in their own opinion, the better men ; upon which confidence, they resolved to charge him on all sides, and beat him down in despite of his worth and reputation. With this resolution they attended upon him, watching for some advantage, and still exhorting one another to play the men, and give the onset. Especially they that followed him in the rear had a mind to begin the fight; whereunto their promptness was such, as took from them their former circumspection. Hamilcar held his way towards the bridge, keeping himself on plain grounds, that were the fittest for the service of his elephants, which he placed in front of his army. Neither made he shew of any desire to fight, but suffered the rashness. of his enemies to increase, till it should break into some disorder. At length, perceiving that, with more boldness than good heed, they followed him so near, as would be little for their good, if he should turn upon them, he hastened his march, even to such a