SECT. III.

He

Philip making provision for war against the Romans, deals hardly with many of his own subjects. His negociations with the Bastarna. His cruelty. suspecteth his son Demetrius. Demetrius accused by his brother Perseus, and shortly after slain by his father's appointment. Philip repenteth him of his son's death, whom he findeth to have been innocent; and intending to revenge it on Perseus, he' dieth.

QUINTIUS MARTIUS, the Roman embassador, who travelled up and down, seeking what work might be found about Greece, had received instructions from the senate, to use the utmost of his diligence in looking into the estate of Macedon. At his return home, that he might not seem to have discovered nothing, he told the fathers that Philip had done whatsoever they enjoined him; yet so as it might appear that such his obedience would last no longer than mere necessity should enforce him thereunto. He added further, that all the sayings and doings of that king did wholly tend unto rebellion, about which he was devising. Now it was so, indeed, that Philip much repented him of his faithful obsequiousness to the Romans, and foresaw their intent, which was, to get his kingdom into their own hands, with safety of their honour, if they could find convenient means, or otherwise (as to him seemed apparent) by what means soever. He was in an ill case, as having been already vanquished by them; having lost exceedingly both in strength and reputation; having subjects that abhorred to hear of war with Rome; and having neither neighbour nor friend, that, if he were

thereto urged, would adventure to take his part: yet he provided, as well as he could devise, against the necessity which he daily feared. Such of his own. people as dwelt in the maritime towns, and gave him cause to suspect that they would do but bad service against the Romans, he compelled them to forsake their dwellings, and removed them all into Emathia. The cities and country whence these were transplanted, he filled with a multitude of Thracians, whose faith he thought a great deal more assured a. gainst those enemies that were terrible to the Macedonians. Further, he devised upon alluring the Bastarnæ, a strong and hardy nation, that dwelt beyond the river of Danubius, to abandon their seat, and come to him with all their multitude, who, besides other great rewards, would help them to root out the Dardanians, and take possession of their country. These were like to do him notable service against the Romans, being not only stout fighting men, but such as, being planted in those quarters by him, would bear respect unto him alone. The least benefit that could be hoped by their arrival, must be the utter extirpation of the Dardanians, a people always troublesome to the kingdom of Macedon, whensoever they found advantage. Neither was it judged any hard matter to persuade those Bastarnæ, by hope of spoil, and other enticements, unto a morę desperate expedition through Illyria, and the countries upon the Adriatic sea, into Italy itself. It was not known who should withstand them upon the way. Rather it was thought that the Scordisci, and peradventure some others, through whose countries they were to pass, would accompany them against the Romans, were it only in hope of spail. Now to facilitate the remove of these Bastarna from their own habitations into the land of the Dardanians, upon the border of Macedon, a long and tedious journey unto them, that carried with them their wives and children, Philip with gifts did purchase

the good-will of some Thracian princes, lords of the countries through which they were to pass. And thus he sought means to strengthen himself with the help of the wild nations, which neither knew the Romans, nor were known unto them, since he was not like to find assistance from any civil nation about the whole compass of the Mediterranean seas, But these devices were long ere they took effect; so as the Bastarnæ came not before such time as he was dead, his death being the overthrow of that purpose. In the meantime he neglected not the training of his men to war, and the exercise of them in some small expeditions against those wild people that bordered upon him, and stood worst affected toward him.

But these his counsels and proceedings were miserably disturbed by the calamities that fell upon him, both in his kingdom and in his own house. The families and whole townships which he had caused, much against their wills, to forsake their ancient dwellings and betake themselves to such new habitations as he in his discretion thought meeter for them, were vehemently offended at the change. Yet their anger at first contained itself within words, he hav ing done them no great wrong in that alteration, otherwise than by neglecting their affection to the places wherein they had long lived; which also he did unwillingly, being himself over-ruled by necessi ty that seemed apparent. This evil, therefore, would soon have been determined, had not his cruel and vindictive nature made it worse. He could not pardon words proceeding from just sorrow, but imputed all to traitorous malice; and accordingly sought revenge where it was needless. In his rage he caused many to die, among whom were some eminent men, and few or none of them deservedly. This increased the hatred of the people, and turned their former exclamations into bitter curses; which grew the more general when the king, in a most barbarous and base

fury, mistrusting all alike whom he had injured, thought himself unlike to be safe until he should have massacred all the children of those parents whom tyrannically he had put to death. In the execution of this unmanly pleasure, some accidents, more tragical than perhaps he could have desired, gave men cause to think (as they could not in reason think otherwise) that, not without vengeance poured on him from heaven, he felt the like misery in his own children. It is hard to say what the Romans intended in the extraordinary favour which they shewed unto Demetrius the king's younger son. It may well be (though it may be also suspected) that they had no purpose to make and nourish dissention between the brethren, but only to cherish the virtue and towardliness of Demetrius, like as we find it in their histories. But their notable favour towards this young prince, and his mutual respect of them, bred extreme jealousy in the father's head. If any custom of the Romans, the manner of their life, the fashion of their apparel, or the unsightly contriving and building (as then it was) of the town of Rome, were jested at in ordinary discourse and table-talk, Demetrius was sure to be presently on fire, defending and praising them even in such points as rather needed excuse. This, and his daily conversation with their embassadors as often as they came, gave his father cause to think that he was no fit partaker of any counsel held against them. Wherefore he communicated all his devices with his elder son Perseus, who, fearing so much lest his brother should step between him and the succession, converted wholly unto his destruction that grace which he had with his father. Perseus was then thirty years old, of a stirring spirit, though much defective in valour. Demetrius was younger by five years, more open and unwary in his actions, yet thought old and crafty enough to entertain more dangerous practices than his free speeches discovered. The jealous head of

4

the king having entertained such suspicions that were much increased by the cunning practice of his elder son, a slight occasion made the fire break out that had long lain smothered. A muster and ceremonious lustration of the army was wont to be made at certain times with great solemnity. The manner of it at the present was thus: They cleft in twain a bitch, and threw the head and fore-part with the entrails on the right-hand, and the hinder-part on the lefthand of the way which the army was to pass. This done, the arms of all the kings of Macedon, from the very first original, were borne before the army; then followed the king between his two sons; after him came his own band and they of his guard, whom all the rest of the Macedonians followed, Having performed other ceremonies, the army was divided into two parts, which, under the king's two sons, charged each other in manner of a true fight, using poles and the like instead of their pikes and accustomed weapons. But in this present skirmish there appeared some extraordinary contention for victory, whether happening by chance, or whether the two captains did over-earnestly seek each to get the upper hand, as a betokening of their good success in a greater trial. Some small hurt was there done and wounds given, even with those stakes, until Perseus's side at length recoiled. Perseus himself was sorry for this, as it had been some bad presage; but his friends were glad, and thought that hereof might be made good use. They were of the craftier sort, who, perceiving which way the king's favour bent, and how all the courses of Demetrius led unto his own ruin, addressed their services to the more malicious and crafty head. And now they said that this victory of Demetrius would afford matter of complaint against him, as if the heat of his ambition had carried him beyond the rules of that solemn pastime. Each of the brethren was that day to feast his own companions, and each of them had spies in the other's lodging