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to one, against whom they had stood in opposition. Many there were that, upon remembrance of his father's great virtue, gathered hope of finding the like in Ceraunus; persuading themselves that his reign might prove good, though his entrance had been wicked. These affections of the Macedonians did serve to defeat Antigonus the son of Demetrius, that made an attempt upon the kingdom. As for Antiochus, the son of Seleucus, he was far off, and might be questioned about some part of Asia, ere he should be able to bring an army near unto Europe. Yet he made great show of meaning to revenge his father's death; but being stronger in money than in arms, he was content after a while to take fair words, and make peace with the murderer. While these three strove about the kingdom, Pyrrhus, who thought his claim as good as any of theirs, made use of their dissension; threatening war, or promising his assistance, to every one of them. By these means he strengthened himself, and greatly advantaged his Italian voyage, which he had then in hand; requesting money of Antiochus, ships of Antigonus, and soldiers of Ptolomy, who gave him his daughter in marriage, and lent him a strong power of Macedonian soldiers, and of elephants, (covenanting to have them restored at two years end,) more for fear than for love; that so he might free himself from trouble, and quietly enjoy his kingdom.

Thus Ptolomy grew mighty on the sudden; and the power that by wicked means he had gotten, by means as

wicked he increased.

All Macedon and Thrace being his, the strong city of Cassandria was held by Arsinoe his sister, the widow of Lysimachus, who lay therein with her young children. Her he circumvented by making love to her, and (according to the fashion of those times, wherein princes regarded no degree of consanguinity) taking her to wife, with promise to adopt her children, a promise that he meant not to perform; for it was not long ere he slew them, and drove her into exile.

In the pride of this good success, which his villainy

found, vengeance came upon him from afar by the fury of a nation that he had never heard of. Belgius, a captain of the Gauls, having forced his passage through many countries, unto the confines of Macedon, sent a proud message to Ceraunus, commanding him to buy peace with money, or otherwise to look for all the miseries of war. These Gauls were the race of those that issued out of their country, to seek new seats, in that great expedition wherein Brennus took and burnt the city of Rome. They had divided themselves, at their setting forth, into two companies; of which the one fell upon Italy, the other, passing through the countries that lie on the northern side of the Adriatic sea, made long abode in Pannonia, and the regions adjoining, where they forced all the neighbour princes to redeem peace with tribute, as now they would have compelled Ceraunus to do, unto whose borders they came about an hundred and eight years after such time as their fellows had taken Rome.

When their ambassadors came to Ptolomy, asking what he would give, his answer was, that he would be contented to give them peace, but it must be with condition, that they should put into his hands their princes as hostages, and yield up their arms; for otherwise, he would neither pardon their boldness, nor give any credit to their words. At this answer, when it was returned, the Gauls did laugh; saying, that they would soon confute with deeds the vanity of such proud words. It may seem strange, that he, who had given away part of his army unto Pyrrhus for very fear, should be so confident in undertaking more mighty enemies. The king of the Dardanians offered to lend him twenty thousand men against the Gauls; but he scorned the offer, saying, that he had the children of those which under the conduct of Alexander had subdued all the east. Thus he issued forth against the barbarous people, with his famous Macedonians, as if the victory must needs have followed the reputation of a great name. But he soon found his great error, when it was too late. For the enemies were not only equal in strength of body, and fierceness of courage; but so far superior to the Macedonians in numbers, RALEGH, VOL. III.

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that few or none escaped their fury. Ptolomy himself, grievously wounded, fell into their hands, whilst the battle continued; and they presently struck off his head, which they shewed to his men on the top of a lance, to their utter astonishment.

The report of this great overthrow filled all Macedon with such desperation, that the people fled into walled towns, and abandoned the whole country as lost. Only Sosthenes, a valiant captain, animating as many as he could, gathered a small army, with which he many times got the upper hand, and hindered Belgius from using the victory at his whole pleasure. In regard of this his virtue, the soldiers would have made him king; which title he refused, and was content with the name of a general. But (as mischiefs do seldom come alone) the good success of Belgius drew into Macedon Brennus, another captain of the Gauls, with an hundred and fifty thousand foot and fifteen thousand horse; against which mighty army when Sosthenes with his weak troops made opposition, he was easily beaten, and the Macedonians again compelled to hide themselves within their walls, leaving all their country to the spoil of the Barbarians.

Thus were the Macedonians destitute of a king, and trodden down by a nation that they had not heard of, in less than fifty years after the death of Alexander, who sought to discover and subdue unknown countries, as if all Greece and the empire of Persia had been too little for a king of Macedon.

Very seasonably had these news been carried to Pyrrhus in Italy, who sought a fair pretext of relinquishing his war with the Romans, had not other tidings out of Sicily distracted him, and carried him away in pursuit of nearer hopes for after the death of Agathocles, who reigned over the whole island, the Carthaginians sent an army to conquer Sicily, out of which, by him, they had been expelled. This army did so fast prevail, that the Sicilians had no other hope to avoid slavery, than in submitting themselves to the rule of Pyrrhus; whom, being a Grecian, and a noble

prince, they thought it more for their good to obey, than to live under the well known heavy yoke of Carthage. To him therefore the Syracusans, Leontines, and Agragentines, principal estates of the isle, sent ambassadors, earnestly desiring him to take them into his protection.

It grieved Pyrrhus exceedingly, that two such notable occasions of enlarging his dominions should fall out so unluckily both at one time. Yet whether he thought the business of Sicily more important, or more full of likelihood; or whether perhaps he believed (as came after to pass) that his advantage upon Macedon would not so hastily pass away, but that he might find some occasion to lay hold on it at better leisure, over into Sicily he transported his army, leaving the Tarentines to shift for themselves; yet not leaving them free as he found them, but with a garrison in their town, to hold them in subjection.

As his departure out of Italy was rather grounded on headlong passion than mature advice, so were his actions following, until his return unto Epirus, rather many and tumultuous, than well ordered, or note-worthy. The army which he carried into that isle consisted of thirty thousand foot and two thousand five hundred horse; with which, soon after his descent into Sicily, he forced the Carthaginians out of all in effect that they held therein. He also won the strong city of Eryx, and having beaten the Mamertines in battle, he began to change condition, and turn tyrant: for he drave Sostratus (to whom his cruelty was suspect) out of the island, and put Thenon of Syracuse to death, being jealous of his greatness; which two persons had faithfully served him, and delivered the great and rich city of Syracuse into his hands. After this, his fortunes declined so fast, as he served himself, and salved the disreputation of his leaving Sicily, by an embassage sent him from the Tarentines and Samnites, imploring his present help against the Romans, who, since his leaving Italy, had well near dispossessed them of all that they had.

Taking this fair occasion, he embarked for Italy; but was first beaten by the Carthaginian galleys in his passage,

and secondly assailed in Italy itself by eighteen hundred Mamertines, that attended him in the straits of the country. Lastly, after he had recovered Tarentum, he fought a third battle with the Romans, led by M. Curius, who was victorious over him, and forced him out of Italy into his own Epirus.

A prince he was far more valiant than constant, and had he been but a general of an army, for some other great king or state, and had been directed to have conquered any one country or kingdom, it is to be thought that he would have purchased no less honour than any man of war either preceding or succeeding him; for a greater captain, or a valianter man, hath been nowhere found. But he never stayed upon any enterprise; which was indeed the disease he had, whereof not long after he died in Argos.

SECT. IV.

How Antigonus the son of Demetrius delivered Macedon from the Gauls. How Pyrrhus won the kingdom of Macedon from Antigonus.

THE virtue of Sosthenes being too weak to defend the kingdom of Macedon, and the fortune which had accompanied him against Belgius failing him in his attempts against Brennus, the Macedonians were no less glad to submit themselves unto the government of Antigonus, than they had formerly been desirous to free themselves from the impotent rule of his father Demetrius. His coming into the country with an army, navy, and treasure beseeming a king, did rather breed good hope in the people, than fill them with much confidence; for he was driven to use against the Barbarians only those forces which he brought with him, having none other than good wishes of the Macedons to take his part. Brennus, with the main strength of his army, was gone to spoil the temple of Apollo at Delphos, having left no more behind him than he thought ne cessary to guard the borders of Macedon and Pannonia; which were about fifteen thousand foot and three thousand horse. These could not be idle, but thought to get some

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