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<DATE>2011-02-18</DATE>
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<NAME>Kayla Ondracek</NAME>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
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<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P><HI>A mo&s;t worthy and famous vvorke, bothe</HI> plea|&s;ant and profitable, conteynyng the longe and cruell Warres between the <HI>Gothes,</HI> and the valyant <HI>Romayne Emperours,</HI> for the po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of Italy.</P>
<P><HI>VVith the vvounderful</HI> chan|ces that hapned to both na|tions: written in the Italian tongue, <HI>And nevvly Tran&s;lated</HI> into Engli&s;h, <HI>By A.G.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Imprinted at London, by VVyllyam-Hovv, for George Bucke.</HI></P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="dedication">
<PB REF="2" MS="y">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD><HI>To the ryghte</HI> ho|norable Sir William Sicill Knighte principall Secretarie to the Queenes Maie&s;tie and Mai&s;ter of her hyghne&s;&s;e Court of wardes and liueries, Arthur Golding wi&s;heth continuance of health, with encrea&s;e of honour.</HEAD>
<P>_LIke as vines to the entent the bet+ter to pro&s;ver and pre&s;erue their fruit to the v&s;e &amp; plea|&s;ure of man, require the &s;taye of trees that bee &s;tronger then them&s;elues: Euen &s;o it beho|ueth them that mynde to put forth any worke to the behoofe and commoditie of others, to &s;hroude them&s;elues vnder the fauour of &s;ome &s;uche per&s;on, for
<PB REF="3">who&s;e &s;ake their doing may be the better liked and accepted of all men.</P>
<P>The whiche thyng thys my rude and vnpoli&s;hed tran&s;la|tion of the hi&s;torye of Leonard Aretine right well perceauyng, at &s;uch tyme as being fully fini|&s;hed &amp; ended it was nowe rea|die to set fote out of dores and to commit it &s;elfe to the wyde world, beholding it &s;elf &s;poyled of hys Romayne garment and turned into a playne Engly&s;he cote, beganne to be &s;omwhat a|ba&s;&s;hed and to loke about hym for &s;ome fauourable patrone vn+der who&s;e protection it myght aduenture to goe abrode. But to who~ rather ought it to pre|&s;ent it &s;elfe then to hym vnder
<PB REF="3">who&s;e roofe it hath beene har|broughed and fo&s;tered fro~ the infancie, vntyll &s;uche tyme as it came to his full grouth. And therefore although the wante of fyne pennyng and eloquent indityng of the hy&s;torye in our language, enforce me to con|fe&s;&s;e it vnworthye to trouble your honour beyng otherwy&s;e bu&s;yed in mo&s;te weyghtye af|fayres of thys Realme: yet notwyth&s;tandyng partly in co~|&s;yderation of my dutye, but more vppon confydence of your clemencye, I haue taken bold|ne&s;&s;e to dedicate the &s;ame vnto you: &s;o muche the rather, in a&s;muche as the worke entrea+teth of &s;erious and weyghtye matters.</P>
<PB REF="4">
<P>Wherein if it mai plea&s;e your ho+nour &s;o to accepte my doing, as that this my &s;ymple Tran&s;lati+on maye vnder your fauourable protectio~ be bold to &s;hewe it &s;elf abrode, I &s;hall not only thinke my trauell abundauntly recom|penced, but al&s;o accompt it for a further encouragemente, to geue the aduenture vpon &s;ome greater matter hereafter.</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE>Fini|&s;hed at your hou&s;e in y^e Strond <DATE>the &s;econd of Aprill, <HI>1563.</HI></DATE></DATELINE>
<SIGNED>By your honours at commaun|dement Arthur Goldyng.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="to the reader">
<PB REF="4">
<HEAD>TO THE READER</HEAD>
<P>FOra&s;muche as thys worke of Leonard Aretine entreateth of the repul&s;yng of the Gothes out of Italy by the Captaines of thempe|roure of Con&s;tantinople, touchynge lightly by the way the cau&s;e of their ar|riuall in the &s;ame countrye, It &s;emeth expedient to make further rehear&s;all of y^e cau&s;e of their fir&s;t enterance with in the boundes of y^e Romaine Empire, &amp; of their &s;ucce&s;&s;e in the &s;ame through which they grewe &s;o &s;trong in proce&s;&s;e of tyms, that they not only beareft it of dyuer&s;e prouinces &amp; members pertay|ning thereto, but al&s;o gatte into their handes Italy it &s;elf with y^e Ilands ad|ioyning, making the~&s;elues Lordes and Mai&s;ters of Rome &s;omtime &s;oueraine lady &amp; Empre&s;&s;e of the world. In decla|ration wherof y^t matter it &s;elf wil &s;om|what mini&s;ter occa&s;ion to &s;peake of the Erules and of Odoacer out of who&s;e handes the Gothes wre&s;ted y^e dominio~
<PB REF="5">and po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of Italy, and &s;ynally of the two politique martiall and fortu|nate Captaynes Beli&s;arius and Nar|&s;es whoe after eyghtene yeares war|res, recouered the &s;ame agayne to the Empyre. The whyche thynges I wyll ou<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> ronne as bryefely as the matter wyll permytte. The Gothes therefore by the a&s;&s;ertion and con&s;ente of allowable Authors, enhabyted &s;om|tyme beyonde the ryuer I&s;tre or Da|now in the Countrye called in olde tyme Dacia nowe named Valachia. So that the O&s;trogothes or Ea&s;terne|gothes borderyng vppon the coa&s;te of<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><HI>Nowcalled</HI> Mare maiore</NOTE> Pontus Eurinus, (of whom thys pre&s;ente hy&s;torye entreateth) are ac|compated for the Gettes and Triballes: and the Viu~gothes or we&s;terngothes enhabytyng more into the fyrme and mayne lande towarde the head of Da|now and Germanie, are accompted for the Daces or D<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ues. Nowe a|boute the yeare of our Lorde God. <HI>373.</HI>
<PB REF="5">In the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> of Valens Emperour of the Ea&s;te, a certayne people of<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Now called Tartarie.</NOTE> Scy|thia named Hunnes a&s;&s;embling them &s;elues in greate number, vnder the conducte of their Captayne Cadaris inuaded the Ea&s;terngothes &amp; brought them in &s;ubiection. The we&s;tern|gothes &s;trycken wyth feare at the &s;o|dayne mi&s;fortune of their neyghbours, abandonyng theyr natyue Countrye &s;ent Amba&s;&s;adours to the Emperour Valens, proferyng to receaue the Chri&s;ten fayth, and to &s;et them&s;elues as a wall &amp; bulwarke to the Romayne Empyre agayn&s;t the a&s;&s;aultes of the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">uell Hunnes and other Barbarous nations, &s;o that he woulde &s;uffer them to pa&s;&s;e the ryuer Danow and geue them My&s;ia to enhabyte. Vppon thys condition their reque&s;te was graun|ted, and they receaued both Chri&s;ten Religion and al&s;o gouernours of the Emperour.</P>
<PB REF="6">
<P>Through the mi&s;goueruement and ex+torcion of who~ they were &s;o vexed, that they made in&s;urrection agayn&s;t y^e Em+pyre, &s;ubdued My&s;ia &amp; Thrace ouer|came themperour in battel &amp; burnt him in a cotage where he had hidde~ him&s;elf, and finally be&s;ieged Con&s;tantinople. Neuerthele&s;&s;e afterwarde as well ap|pea&s;ed and pacified by the vertuous &amp; vpright gouernement, as vanqui&s;hed &amp; &s;ubdued by the force &amp; pui&s;&s;ance of The+odo&s;ius (who &s;ucceded Valens) they &s;ubmitted them&s;elues agayne to y^e Ro|maine Empyre, &amp; &s;erued in the warres at co~maundement by the &s;pace of .xxxv. yeares, vntill &s;uche tyme as Stillico (trayterou&s;ly practi&s;yng the confu&s;ion of Honorius &s;onne of the &s;ayd Theo|do&s;ius, to the entent to haue made hys own &s;onne Eucherius Emperour) by puttyng them out of wages, &amp; defrau|ding them of their pen&s;ions, compelled them to rebell agayne. Wherupon ta|kyng weapon in hande, they inuaded Pannonie, &amp; there makyng one Alari|cus
<PB REF="6">a noble and valianie gentleman King, wa&s;ted all Pannonie, Thrace, &amp; Sclauonie, with all the countryes bor|deryng vppon Italye, and fynally after great &s;laughter both geuen and recea|ued, &s;polyed al Italy with fyre &amp; &s;word, &s;acked Rome, and conquered Spayne, where they al&s;o &s;ettled them&s;elues, and within fewe yeares after grew to &s;uch wealth authoritye &amp; pui&s;&s;ance, that the yonger Valentinian Emperoure of Rome (of whom mention &s;halbe made in the begynnyng of thys worke) ente|ryng in leage with their King Theo|doriche, v&s;ed hys ayde agayn&s;t Attila Kyng of the Hunnes. For the Hunnes lyke good bloudhoundes followyng fre&s;hly the pur&s;ute of their fore&s;aid vic|torye agayn&s;t the Ea&s;terngothes part|ly moued of enuye towarde the &s;tate of the Romayne Empyre, and partly &s;ol|licited thereto by the traytour Ruffine whom Theodo&s;ius had left as gouer|nour and protector of hys other &s;onne Arcadius Emperoure of the Ea&s;te,)
<PB REF="7">a&s;&s;ociatyng vnto them the &s;ayed Ea|&s;terngothes, the Gepides, the Erules, and other Barbarous people to the number of fyue thou&s;ande men, vn|der the conducte of Attila (worthely &s;urnamed the &s;courge of God) afflic|ted the dominions and prouinces of the Romayne Empyre, and in e&s;pecially wa&s;ted and &s;poyled Italye, razyng her Cytyes to the grounde, and bearyng downe all thynges before the lyke a mo&s;te vyolente and horrible tempe&s;te. Aftrer who&s;e returne into Pannonie, the &s;eate of their kyngdome, Attila immediatly dyed, Whereuppon en|&s;ued dy&s;cord betwene the Hunnes and the Ea&s;terngothes, in whiche the Go|thes drawing to their parte: the Ge|pides, preuayled, and draue the Hunnes oute of Pannonie backe a|gayne into Tartarie from whence they fyr&s;t came. Howbeit they left theyr name &s;tyll behynde them to the Countrye, the whiche after them is
<PB REF="7">called Hungarye vnto thys daye.</P>
<P>Aboute the &s;ame tyme that the Go|thes had dryuen the Hunnes oute of Hungarie, it fortuned that one A&s;par a noble man of greate power and au|thoritye proclaymed hys &s;onne Arda|buris Cea&s;er agayn&s;t Leo then Em|peroure of Con&s;tantinople. In &s;o|muche that Leo was fayne to a&s;&s;em|ble a power and encounter wyth hym wyth in the Cytye. In the whyche conflicte A&s;par and Ardaburis beyng ouercome were yelded to the Empe|roure and put both to death. The Gothes takyng occa&s;ion of aduantage vppon thys ciuyll warre, wa&s;ted all Sclauonie and neuer re&s;ted vntyll &s;uch tyme as Leo had graunted them Hun|garye (from whence they had vtter|lye expul&s;ed the &s;onnes of Attila) to|gether with Mi&s;ia to haue and holde freely withoute tribute or &s;ubiection to the Empyre. Vppon whyche con|dition truce was taken, and for bet|ter ob&s;eruyng thereof.</P>
<PB REF="8">
<P>Theodenur kyng of the Gothes gaue hys &s;onne Theodorich in Ho&s;tage vnto Leo. It was not long after but that there fel grudge &amp; con&s;equently warre betwene Theodenur and hys brother Valanur wherin Valanur was &s;laine. By meanes whereof it came to pa&s;&s;e that Theodenur enioyed quietly the whole and entier po&s;&s;e&s;&s;io~ of all Dacis, Ma&s;ia, and both the Pannonies. Leo therfore fearyng the power &amp; pui&s;&s;ance of Theodenur, deliuered him hys &s;o~ne Theoderich. Theodenur in reco~pence of that good turne, tourned the truce y^t was taken betwene them into conti|nual peace, and &s;o the Gothes cea&s;ed to mole&s;t the Empyre. In the meane &s;ea|&s;on after muche alteration &amp; v&s;urpyng by Tirantes, Augu&s;tulus a very childe the &s;onne of Ore&s;tes a &s;age and wy&s;e Senatour of Rome, beyng by fauoure of the Citizens of Rauenna proclay|med emperour of the We&s;te, to the en|tent to refre&s;he and ea&s;e the Empyre of the long contynued trouble that it had
<PB REF="8" MS="y">&s;uffered many yeares <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word">, by the coun&s;ell of hys father Ore&s;tes, tooke peart with the Vandales in Affricke, who had alwayes &s;ynce their fir&s;t com|myng, bene euill neyghbours to the Empyre. But whyles all was cauime and quiet on the &s;outh, beholde an he|deous and horrible tempe&s;te ri&s;eth vp agayn&s;t hym out of the North. The E|rules and Turinges the mi&s;erable re|liques of the armye of Attila, (who af|ter that the &s;ayd Attila was dead &amp; hys &s;onnes dryuen away, being vangui&s;hed by y^e Ea&s;terngothes &amp; compelled backs againe toward Tartarie w^t y^e Hunnes, had a whyle helde them&s;elues in quiet about y^e mouth of the Ryuer Danow) allured with the former &s;poyle of Italy (to who&s;e vtter vndoing wel nye al the warres that were made in tho&s;e dayes dyd tend,) came backe agayne and con|queryng it &s;iewe Ore&s;tes and depo&s;ed Augu&s;tulus, in whom the honorable and renouned name of Augu&s;tus de|xied the <HI>.517.</HI> yeare after that Octauius
<PB REF="9">Cea&s;er <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"> that <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> and title of honour geuen vnto hym of the Senate and people of Rome. By meanes wherof it came to pa&s;&s;e, that Italy and Rome became afterward the common pray of Barbarous kinges, &s;o y^e he that coulde make hym&s;lef &s;tronge&s;t enioy|ed the po&s;&s;i&s;&s;ion therof. For Odoacer &amp; his Erules had &s;carcely yet fully &s;et|tled the~&s;elues, when y^e Ea&s;terngothes (who after the decea&s;e of Theodenur were now vnder y^e gouernement of his &s;one Theoderich) enuying y^e pro&s;perity of y^t Erules, &amp; therwith callyng to re|membraunce how their own country|me~ the we&s;terngothes had already co~|quered Spayne, y^e Vandales Affricke, the Frenchme~, &amp; Burgonions Gallia, y^e Sarons Britaine, &amp; other nations o|ther plea&s;ant &amp; fertile cou~tries, earne&s;t+ly be&s;ought and required their king, to leade them into Italye to the entent as well to aduaunce the fame and re|noune of their Cheuairie, as al&s;o to place the~&s;elues in y^e conntrye which as
<PB REF="9">it was the head and &s;oueraine of all o|thers, &s;o had it al&s;o the report to be the mo&s;t plea&s;ant, welthie, and fertile of al the Regions of Europe. Theoderich albeit he were in manner con&s;trained by his &s;ubiectes to doe the thinge that they reque&s;ted, yet as one myndfull of the great benefites that his ance&s;tours had receiued of y^e Emperours of Con|&s;tantinople, and of the honorable enter tainement that he him&s;elfe had had at &s;uche tyme as he laye in ho&s;tage in the Emperours Court, he aduerti&s;ed the Emperour Zeno therof, proreuing y^<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> he would doe nothing without his con|&s;ent. Zeno who at that tyme &s;tood in feare of Theoderich and the Gothes, (as one that for doubte lea&s;t he &s;hould grow to &s;trong for him in that parte of Europe, was fully determined before, to haue profered that voiage vnto him though no &s;uch que&s;tion had bene mo|ued) gladly conde&s;cended to his petitio~ &amp; for the more honour created him Co~|full. Herevppon Theoderich and hys
<PB REF="10">countrimen with their wiues and chil|dren remoued into Italye. Of who&s;e good &s;ucce&s;&s;e and of the good &s;ucce&s;&s;e of his po&s;teritie in that countrie, togither with their expul&s;ing or rather &s;ubdu|ing by the Imperialls, for as much as this Hi&s;torie of Leonard Aretine doth at large entreate I will not be tedious in repeating the &s;ame. Howbeit it is to be vnder&s;tanded that after the battell of Nuceria where Teias la&s;t kinge of the Gothes was &s;layne, althoughe &s;ome departed awaye wyth &s;uch thin|ges as they had according to couenant yet the greater part of them taryed &s;til: y^e which degenerating into y^e name of Italians, lo&s;t both their empyre &amp; own name for euer the lxxi. yere after their fir&s;t co~ming into y^e cou~try vnder Theo+dorich, being y^e yere of grace CCCCC L.IIII. Nowe as concernynge the two noble and valiant captaines Be|li&s;arius and Nar&s;es the Conquerours and &s;ubduers of them, it is to be doub|ted whether the mi&s;erable mi&s;fortune
<PB REF="10">of the one by more to be lamented, or the vnadui&s;edne&s;&s;e and follye of the o|ther (if I maye terme the thyng accor|dynge to de&s;ert) be to be blamed. For Belifarius after that he had recouered Affricke from the Vandales, vanqui&s;|&s;hed the Per&s;ians, fought por&s;perou&s;ly agayn&s;te the Medes, abated the po|wer and pulled downe the hygh cou|rages of the Gothes openinge a waye of conque&s;t to hys &s;ucce&s;&s;our, and at|cheued &s;o many hault enterpri&s;es and Marciall exploytes that the gloryous fame of hys doynges did &s;prede hys re|nowne ouer all the worlde and made hys name immortall, in &s;o muche that he was accompted as a perfecte and incomparable Mirrour for all Captaynes to beholde, and a verrye may&s;ter of Cheualrye, whome neyther ambytion the common cor|rupter of noble hartes, nor the licentyous lybertye of the Campe, nor the in&s;tigatyons of myghtye
<PB REF="11">Princes could withdrawe from hys al|legeans and promi&s;e made to the Em|perour Iu&s;tinian. Was in the eude in hys olde dayes vppon lyghte &s;u&s;picion wythoute proofe, by the &s;ame Empe|rour for whom he had &s;o often put hys lyfe in perill: to whom he had acquired &s;o muche honour, who&s;e fauour he had e&s;temed more then to raygne him&s;elfe as an Emperour, depriued of both his eyes, and con&s;trayned to begge hys bread mi&s;erably from doore to doore, an vnworthye rewarde for &s;o manye good dedes and &s;o muche good &s;eruice done to the Empyre. And Nar&s;es the &s;ubduer of the Gothes and reducer of Italy to the Empyre when he had go|uerned it quietlye manye yeres togy|ther to bys greate honour and admy|ration, at the la&s;te (lyke a &s;hrewd cow whyche when &s;he hath geuen a good quantitie of mylke ouerthroweth the payle wyth her heele and &s;pyllethe the &s;ame) prouoked onely by the pre&s;ump|tuous wordes of a vayne and enuious
<PB REF="11">woman, weued &s;uche a web (according to his owne wordes) as neyther &s;he nor the Emperour were able to weare oute, no nor he hym&s;elfe to vnweaue agayne after he had ones putte it into the loome, thoughe he dyd the be&s;te he could to haue &s;tayed it, &s;o hard and dif|ficult a matter is it to &s;toppe a mi&s;chief of the cour&s;e, when it ones hath got|ten the reynes in the necke, and hathe &s;et foote forward to runne the race. For the Lombardes beynge by hym in the exta&s;ie of his fumy&s;he rage called oute of Pannonie (which by that tyms was become the common receptacle of the enemyes of the Empyre) not onelye wythin &s;horte tyme after hys decea&s;e broughte Italye in &s;ubiection to them, but al&s;o &s;yns that daye hytherto (why|che thyng neyther the Gothes, H&s;ines Vandales, Erules, nor anye other of the barbarous nations with their ma|nyfolde and terrible a&s;&s;aultes were a|ble to compa&s;&s;e and brynge to effecte) haue helde a portion thereof as a
<PB REF="12">perpetuall po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion and inheritance to them&s;elues, whych retaineth their name vnto this daye. But fora&s;much as the&s;e thinges were done &s;omewhat after the &s;ubduing of the Gothes, and doe lytle or nothinge pertaine to the pre&s;ente purpo&s;e of thys Hi&s;torie I will not &s;tand any lenger vppon them, but remit the to the readynge of myne Author.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="preface">
<PB REF="12">
<HEAD><HI>The preface of</HI> Leonard Aretine, vnto hys bookes of the warres in Italye again&s;te the Gothes.</HEAD>
<P>_ALthoughe it had bene a far greater plea&s;ure toine, to haue wrytten of the pro&s;perous &amp; flori&s;hing e&s;tate of Italy, then of the &s;laughters and de&s;truc|tion of it: yet notwyth&s;tan|ding fora&s;much as the time re|quireth otherwy&s;e, we al&s;o wil chaunge wyth the tyme &amp; fol|low the mutabilitie of fortune reportinge in the&s;e bookes the inua&s;tons of the Gothes, &amp; the warres through the which al|mo&s;t all Italy was brought to
<PB REF="13">vtter <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span">. S<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">|ly a &s;orrowfull matter, but yet for the knowledge of thinges done in tho&s;e dayes, nece&s;&s;arie to be entreated of. For I can|not thinke but that when Xe|nophon of Athens that excelle~t Clerke, dyd wryte of the be&s;e|ging and fami&s;hing of Athens and of the throwing downe of the walles of it, he was &s;orie in his harte that he had occa&s;yon &s;o to doe. And yet he wrate it, bycau&s;e he thought it expedie~t that the rememberance of &s;uch things &s;huld not peri&s;he. Ney|ther doth our Liuy de&s;erue les prai&s;e when he reherceth y^e ta|king and burning of Rome by the Frenchmen, then when he &s;etteth out y^e famous triumph of Paulus Emylius ouer the
<PB REF="13">Mare<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="3 letters">es, or the name con|que&s;tes of Scip<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">s Affricanus. For it is the dutie of an hi&s;torie to put in writing all adue~tures as well unfortunate as fortu|nate. And therfore a man maye wy&s;he y^e be&s;t, but he mu&s;t write be it good or bad as occa&s;ie~ of|fereth. I a&s;&s;ure you as I was inditinge the&s;e matters, albeit many things did greue me, for thentier loue y^t I beare to my natiue countrye, yet not wyth|&s;tandyng thys rea&s;on I had to comfortine, y^t although Italy &s;uffered at y^t time mo&s;t extreme mi&s;eries. yet at the length &s;he not onely gate thupper hand &amp; expul&s;ed tho&s;e forreine nations but al&s;o hath remayned from y^t day to this mo&s;t welthy &amp; pui&s;|&s;ant both by &s;ea and land, and
<PB REF="14">that from that tyme forth her Cities haue flori&s;hed in ryches &amp; aucthorie mo&s;t abundantly, and doe flori&s;he &s;till at this ho|wer, thonour and dominion of the~ now &s;tretching it &s;elf far of on al &s;ides, &s;o that the thinges that haue happened vnto her, &s;eme not &s;o much to be lamen|ted as to be reioyced at, like vn|to Hercules who&s;e greate ex|ploits made him more famous then euer he &s;hould haue bene yf he had not attempted tho&s;e daungerous enterpri&s;es. I wil not &s;peake of the great Ciui|litie, good Nurture, Courte|&s;ye, &amp; trad of all Liberall arts &amp; learning, of y^e which Italy &s;he|weth it &s;elf to be a natural mo|ther &amp; a very nourice, for I will let y^e comendations of her alon vntil another tyme. As concer|ning
<PB REF="14">y^e warres y^t we now mu&s;t entreate of, there remained no mention of the~ among y^e Latin writers onely there went a re|port fro~ man to ma~ &amp; that very &s;le~der &amp; ob&s;cure, y^t Beli&s;arius &amp; Nar&s;es captains of y^e emperour Iu&s;tinian draue y^t Gothes out of Italy, but where or in what &s;ort, or by what meanes, there was no inkling at al left in wri+ting. We came by y^e knowledge of the~ out of y^t grek Chroncles. Wherfore as I had don by ma|ny other thinges before, &s;o al&s;o I endenored to bring agayn to light the&s;e things bei~g wellny blurred &amp; blotted out of memo|ry. And y^t &s;o much y^e rather, by|cau&s;e y^t other &s;tories for y^e mo&s;t part do concern thaffaires &amp; do+ings of &s;tra~gers, but this co~cer neth wholy our own matters.
<PB REF="15">Wherein it maye be worthe a mans labour to &s;earch &amp; peru&s;e y^e &s;tate of Italye in tho&s;e daies what Cities, and what kind of people were in it what townes and cities were be&s;eged, which were wonne and brought in &s;ubiectio, &amp; in what places bat|tells were fought. For to know all the&s;e thynges it is a great pray&s;e, and not to know the~ it is a foule &s;hame. For it is a toke~ that a man loueth his country, not to be ignoraunt in thorigi|nall and procedings therof, or what&s;oeuer ells hath fortuned vnto it in tymes pa&s;t. Further|more y^t knowledge of Hi&s;tories doth greatly delight the mynd bycau&s;e all we men doe of na|ture couit to know things, and al&s;o it bringeth great profit for
<PB REF="15">as much as it contameth y^e ex|amples of like affaires to what end they came, &amp; gyueth experi+ens in many thyngs, through the which old men are accomp|ted wi&s;er then yongme~, bicau&s;e they haue &s;ene ino thynges in their liues time, and by experi|ens not only of their own but al&s;o of other mens perilles, are made more ware, and therfore are able to giue better iudgme~t and are wont to be led by bet|ter coun&s;el. For whe~ they rede of the riches and Empires of y^e greate&s;t kyngs and y^e pui&s;&s;an|te&s;t nations and percayue how &s;one they com to decay, they vn+der&s;tand by &amp; by what a folly it is to boa&s;t &amp; be prowd for tho&s;e things, whych no man is able to a&s;&s;ure him&s;elf that they &s;hall
<PB REF="16">co~tinue with him vntill night. Thus doth an Hi&s;torye make vs bothe more wy&s;e and more mode&s;t in our dooinges. And therfore ryght reuerend father I determined to dedicate the&s;e Bookes vnto you, as well to thentent you might vnder&s;ta~d my entier loue and affection to wardes you, as al&s;o that you myghte be as a Iudge of my worke and trauel, the which I &s;hal thinke very well be&s;towed if &s;o my&s;e and wel learned a ma~ as you are, doe allow them and take them in good worthe. Whereuppon I wyll take occa&s;ion to goe in hand with the proce&s;&s;e of myne Hi&s;torye. Farrewell.</P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 N="1" TYPE="book">
<PB REF="16">
<PB REF="17">
<PB N="1" REF="17">
<HEAD><HI>The fyr&s;t Booke</HI> of Leonard Aretine, concer|nyng the warres in Italy again&s;t the Gothes.</HEAD>
<DIV2 N="1" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>&leaf; The fir&s;t Chapter.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>&para; The di&s;potition of Agu&s;tulus, the diui&s;ion of the landes through Ita|ly, the cau&s;e of the commyng of the Gothes thither, and of their encoun|ter with Odoacers Captaines.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>_IR the tyme that Ze|ne was Emperour of Rome, the Gothes vn|der the leading of The|odorich, determined to inuade Italy, lately be|fore &s;oore afflicted with diuers rodes and inua&s;ions of barbarous people, and at that tyme oppre&s;&s;ed with the tyranny of Odoacer: of the which thin|ges I purpo&s;e to entreate, repeatyng &s;omewhat deper the &s;tate of tho&s;e ty|mes, to the intent it may be knowen
<PB REF="18">from whence the Gothes fir&s;t came, and what hope moued them to inuade the Empyre.</P>
<P>After the death of the yonger Va|lentinian,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The death of Valentinian.</NOTE> who (as it is well ynough knowen) was &s;layne at Rome of hys owne Subiectes, the Empyre of the We&s;t beganne to wauer, and to b&eacute;e as it were without lyfe or &s;oule.</P>
<P>Nowe, there were at the &s;ame tyme in Italy, great armyes of forreyners ray&s;ed latelye before by Valentinian for fears of Attila, and afterwardes a&s;&s;ociated by the Romaynes agayn&s;t the Vandales. The&s;e forreyners perceyuynge the empouery&s;hemente and weakene&s;&s;e of the Empyre, and therevppon takynge courage, con&s;pi|red together, and demaunded to haue the thyrde parte of the landes through all Italye deuyded amonge them.</P>
<P>The name of the Empyre remayned at that tyme in one Augu&s;tulus, who beynge but a verye chylde, was goucrned by hys father Ore&s;tes a
<PB N="2" REF="18">Senatour of Rome. Therefore at &s;uche tyme as the menne of warre de|maunded a partition of the landes, and that Ore&s;tes beynge a wy&s;e and &s;age per&s;onne wyth&s;toode theyr re|que&s;t, the Souldyours &s;lewe hym, and fourthe wyth folowynge theyr Cap|tayne Odoacer, camme to Rome and depo&s;ed Augu&s;tulus.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Augu&s;tulus is depo&s;ed and Odoacer vius peth.</NOTE> By mea|nes whereof hauynge nowe the lawe in theyr owne hande, they deuyded the thyrde part of the landes among them Odoacer hauynge by thys meanes gotten the Soueraygnytye, in hys owne name and in the name of the ar|mye ruled the Cytyes at hys owne lu&s;te and plea&s;ure.</P>
<P>Zeno al&s;o Gouernour of the Ea&s;t Empyre lying at Con&s;tantynople, be|ganne to dread &s;oore the power of Theodorich.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The cau&s;e of the commvng of the Gothes into Italy.</NOTE> For the Gothes that in|habited the vpper coa&s;te of Thracia, hadde alreadye begonne to vere and di&s;quiett the Countreys borderynge vppon them.
<PB REF="19">And it was none other lyke, but that they woulde make &s;ome in&s;urrection again&s;t the Romain Empyre. Wher|vppon to the entent to delyuer hym|&s;elf and the countreys there aboutes from feare of the Gothes. He per&s;ua|ded Theodorich to pa&s;&s;e into Italy, and to delyuer the cities there oute of the hands of the wrongfull withhol|ders of them. Induced with the&s;e per|&s;uation Theordorich remouyng out of Thrace, and leadyng with him the Gothes with their wyues and children and al that euer they had through Syr|mium and Illyricum, went toward Italy: where at hys fyr&s;t entraunce, the Captaines of Odoacer camme a|gain&s;t him with their armies. The fir&s;t battell betwixt them was fought not farre from the Citie of Aquileia, vppon the riuer Fontius. In the which conflict after a long and &s;harpe encou~|ter, the Gothes gate the victorye, and putte the Captaynes of Odoacer to flyght.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="2" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="3" REF="19">
<HEAD>&leaf; The .ij. Chapter.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>&para; Theodorich kyng of the Gothes be|&s;iegeth Odoacer in Rauenna, the matter is ended by compo&s;ition, ech of them lyeth in wayte to de&s;troye other, Theodorich preuenting Odo|acer kylleth hym at a banquet, by meanes whereof he obteyneth the &s;oueraignitie of Italy, of the actes of Theodorich and of hys death.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>AFter this, when the Gothes had wonne the cities there aboutes,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Odoacer is be&s;&s;eged.</NOTE> and vanquy&s;&s;hed the power of their enemyes in other places al&s;o, at length they be&s;ieged Odoacer in the Citie of Rauenna. The &s;iege held the Gothes tack lenger then thei thought it woulde haue done at the fir&s;te, and that happened by rea&s;on of the &s;ituati|on of the place. For neyther can Ra|uenna b&eacute;e ea&s;lye be&s;ieged vppon that &s;yde that is towarde the &s;ea, becau&s;e it &s;tandeth hard vppon the &s;hore, neither vppon that &s;yde that is towarde the land, becau&s;e it hath a diche cut from the riuer Po, and is enuyroned wyth
<PB REF="20">certaine &s;tandyng waters and mari&s;|&s;es. By meanes whereof, the Gothes laye well nye full thr&eacute;e yeres at the &s;iege thereof and could not wynne it. But yet in the meane &s;ea&s;on, thei won all the townes nere aboute, &s;auynge Ce&s;ena, the which al&s;o was kept with a &s;tronge garri&s;on of Odoacers.</P>
<P>At the la&s;t as well the A&s;&s;aylaunts as the Defendauntes beinge weryed,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Compo&s;ition, betwene Odo+acer and Theodorich.</NOTE> the matter was decided by compo&s;ition, that Theodorich and Odoacer &s;hould be Comperes and Felowes in Em|pyre. After that thynges were thus &s;et at a &s;taye, Throdorich and hys Go|thes entered into Raucuna, neyther was there any parte of all Italy that was not content to receyue hym.</P>
<P>But thys copertuer&s;hyppe in the Em|pyre la&s;ted not longe. For when as the one bare grudge in hys heart pre|nelye agayn&s;t the other, Theodorich preuentyng Odoacer badde hym to a Banquet and there kylled hym,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The death, of Odoacer.</NOTE> and &s;o with hys Gothes bare all the &s;waye
<PB N="4" REF="20">alone in Italy. Howe <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> it, to &s;aye the trueth, hys gouernement was not ve|rye intollerable, albeit he reteyned for hys people y^e thyrde part of the lands, in &s;uche &s;ort as Odoacer had lately be|fore deuyded them.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The raygne and actes of Theodorich.</NOTE> For he &s;uffered the cities to b&eacute;e gouerned by their own lawes and by theyr owne citizins.</P>
<P>Appoyntyng Rauenna to b&eacute;e the Sea of hys kyngdome, where he al&s;o plan|ted hym &s;elfe. Thyrtye and &s;euen yeres raygned Theodorich in Italye: neyther &s;ate he &s;tyll Idellye lyke a co|warde all the whyle. For he bothe an|ticred Sicill wyth all the Ilclandes a|bout it vnto hys kyngdome, and al&s;o &s;ubdued Dalmatia. Moreouer, du|ryng the &s;ayde tyme of hys raygne, he led an huge ho&s;te ouer the Alpes and the ryuer Rhone into Fraunce a|gayn&s;te the Frenche men.</P>
<P>Thus dyd thys Kynge manye noble actes, and hys name was famous and renowmed, &s;auynge that in hys latter dayes, he was noted of
<PB REF="21">crucirye and outrage, for puttyng to death of Symmachus and Boetius Senatours of the citie of Rome,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Symmachus. Boetins.</NOTE> with certain other noble men, onely vppon &s;u&s;pition that they &s;ought to &s;et the ci|tie at libertic.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="3" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>&leaf; The .iij. Chapter.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>&para; Amulu&s;uentha the doughter of The|odorich with her &s;onne Athalaricke &s;uccede in the kingdome, the &s;eueri|tie of the Quene in executing of in|&s;tice, the vvilfulne&s;&s;e of the Gothes in the education of theyr kyng, the vntimely death of the &s;aid Athalarick the great fre~d&s;hip of the Quene to|vvard Theodatus, &amp; the ingratitude of him tovvards her agayn, thempe|rour Iu&s;tinian &s;endeth Beli&s;arius a|gain&s;t the Gothes, and he congue|reth all Sicill.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>THeodorich being decea&s;ed with out i&s;&s;ue male, his doughter Amulu&s;uentha, as then a Wi|dow, with her &s;onne Athalaricke &s;uc|ceded in the kyngdome. This Athala|ricke
<PB N="5" REF="21">was but a chyld to &s;peake of, and therefore all the whole care of the go|uernment lay in the Qu&eacute;enes necke. Who hauyng great regard of her in|fant,<NOTE PLACE="marg">An example of the good education of a Prince.</NOTE> immediatly dyd put hym forth to be broughte vp in learnynge and good nurture. For &s;he gaue hym learned men to be is teachers, and appoynted certaine Lordes of the Gothes, men auncient, of great grauitie and good bringyng vp to be continually aboute hym. And &s;he heer &s;elfe looked verye &s;traightlye to the gouernement of the Empyre, prohibiting the Gothes as well to do wronge as to take wronge, and al&s;o repealyng diuers actes of her father Theodorich,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iu&s;tice and clemencie in a vvoman.</NOTE> reducyng them to a moore gentlene&s;&s;e and clementie. Amonge&s;t the whiche this was one, that &s;he re&s;tored to the &s;onnes of Boe|tius and Symmachus their fathers goods and inheritaunce, which Theo|dorich had lately before confi&s;cate: affir+ming that they were wrongfully con+dempned through fal&s;e accu&s;ations,
<PB REF="22">whereto the kyng vnadui&s;edly had ge|uen lyght credit. Furthermore, &s;he compelled her co&s;yn germaine,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iu&s;tice vvith|out parcilaitie</NOTE> Theo|datus (who hauyng great po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ions in Thu&s;cane had taken many fermes and maners violently from hys neigh|bours lyke a tyrant) to make re&s;ti|tuition of the harmes he had done, with a &s;harpe rebuke for hys great mi&s;behauiour. This &s;eueritie of the Qu&eacute;ene, made many of the Gothes to become her enemyes. And therefore, tertayne of the chief <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> them con&s;piring together, determined to bring vp her &s;onne contrary to her di&s;po&s;ition, mau+gre her power. Wherevpon thei came vnto her &s;aying, it lyked not the Go|thes that their kynge &s;houlde lyue in &s;ubiection vnder tutors and teachers, or that he &s;hould be kept in awe of his elders, they &s;ayd it was meete for a Kyng of &s;uch pu&s;aunce as he &s;hould be to &s;et hys mynde vppon cheualrye and feates of armes, and to exerci&s;e hym|&s;elf among lu&s;ty yong gentlemen, ra|ther
<PB N="6" REF="22">than to learne to wayte vppon a mai&s;ter, or to &s;it glummyng amonge a &s;ort of old Doctards. For by this mea|nes both the body &amp; the mynde of their Kyng &s;houlde b&eacute;e effeminated: But through thother he &s;hould encrea&s;e as well in &s;trength and courage, as al&s;o in conning and experience. For he was not made kyng to thentent to in&s;truct his people in learnyng, but to enlarge his dominion by knighthod &amp; cheualry. The Qu&eacute;ene albeit &s;he were not igno+rau~t to what end &amp; purpo&s;e al this drift was driuen, yet not with&s;tanding be|cau&s;e &s;he would not &s;eme to be vtterly again&s;t their reque&s;ts; &s;he co~de&s;cended vnto the~. The yong prince being deli|uered to the co~pany of as youthfull as him&s;elf, win a litle while after,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Licentious li|berty corrup|tion of youth</NOTE> fell to a more la&s;ciuius trade of liuing folowig altogether y^e lu&s;t of y^e fle&s;h &amp; &s;uch other kinds of filthy plea&s;ures. And again&s;t his mother he became &s;o &s;toberne &amp; &s;elf willed through thenticement of ill cou~ &s;ell that he di&s;deined to go vnto her or &s;peake to her.
<PB REF="23">The Queene when &s;he &s;aw her &s;elf by &s;uch pollicies a&s;&s;aulted of her aduer|&s;ary and bereft of her kyngdome,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Eu~ill coun&s;ell <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">he confu&s;ion of coun&s;ellers</NOTE> be|ing a woman of a &s;tout courage, could no lenger beare with their doynges, but &s;ent certaine of her officers priue|ly, and put to death thr&eacute;e of the chiefe&s;t of the Gothes, whiche were the ryng|leaders and coun&s;aylers of her &s;onne vnto all noughtine&s;&s;e. And &s;o hauyng reconciled hym vnto her, &s;he tooke vp|pon her the gouernement again. But Athalaricke beyng fallen into diuers &s;urffetts and di&s;ea&s;es through the di&s;|order of hys former la&s;ciuious lyuyng,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The death of Athalaricke.</NOTE> decea&s;ed in the .xviij. yere of hys age, when he had raigned with his mother x. yeres after the death of Theodorich. The Queene aftre the decea&s;e of her &s;o~ne, thinking that &s;he &s;huld be the bet+ter able to wade through the weigh|tye affayres of the realme, yf &s;o be &s;he had &s;ome partaker &amp; a&s;&s;i&s;tent,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Theodotus is made kyng.</NOTE> tooke her cou&s;in Theodatus (of whome I made mencion before) to be her pertner in
<PB N="7" REF="23">the kyngdome. Thys Theodatus was excellently well learned both in Latyne and in Greke, and had geuen him&s;elf much to the readyng of Plato and other philo&s;ophie. Neuerthele&s;&s;e, beyng of nature f&eacute;eble and vncon&s;tant he was di&s;tayned wyth many vices.<NOTE PLACE="marg">An example of excedyng in|gratitude.</NOTE> Through whych where as the qu&eacute;ene of her mere bountie &amp; good wyll, had ray&s;ed hym from a &s;ubiect to the &s;tate of a kynge, he forthwyth requited her with the greate&s;t ingratitude and trea+cherie that could be. For he con&s;pired &s;ecretly with her enemyes, and tooke and &s;ent her as a bany&s;hed per&s;one, in|to the Ilelande in the lake of Vul&s;in. And ere it was long after, he &s;uffered her to be kylled by the kyn&s;folke and chyldren of them, whome &s;he had put to death in the tyme of the ob&s;tinat re|bellion of her &s;onne agayn&s;t here. This &s;o great vntrueth and treacherye of Theodatus, dyd greatly di&s;quiet ma|ny of the Gothes, lamenting the vn|worthy mi&s;chaunce of the Queene, &amp;
<PB REF="24">to &s;ee the po&s;teritie of Theodorich &s;o wickedly de&s;troyed, in &s;o much that it wanted but litle, but that the Gothes had made in&s;urrection again&s;t him.</P>
<P>Whereof as &s;oone as the Emperour Iu&s;tinian had intelligence (for after Zeno,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The cau&s;e of the vvarres be tvvene the Emperour &amp; the Gothes.</NOTE> Ana&s;ta&s;ius, &amp; Iu&s;tine, the Em|pyre de&s;cended vnto him) thinking that the tyme now &s;erued to &s;et Italy at li|bertie, he applied all his whole mynde and &s;tudy how to compa&s;&s;e and bring the &s;ame to effect. Herevnto his pro&s;pe+rous &s;ucce&s;&s;e &s;ince he was Empereour prouoked him: in as much as lately be|fore by his captain Beli&s;arius, he had vanqui&s;hed the Vandales and wre&s;ted Affrick out of their hands. And there|fore he thought it was not to be abid|den, that (contrary to the honour of the Romain Empyre) Italy &s;huld be held in &s;ubiection by the barbarous.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The effect of them perours amba&s;&s;ade van to Theodatus</NOTE> Indu|ced with the&s;e rea&s;ons, he &s;ent Amba&s;|&s;adours to Theodatus, requiring him to &s;urrender vp Italy &amp; Sicill, in reco~|pence whereof he profered him other
<PB N="8" REF="24">dignities &amp; promotio~s: the which offer yf he refu&s;ed, then he denounced open war again&s;t him. Vpon the refu&s;all of the&s;e offers made by Theodatus, the Emperour entending to make no fur|ther delay,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Beli&s;arius is appovnted in to Italy and Mundus into Dalmatiz.</NOTE> co~maunded Beli&s;arius to pa&s;&s;e into Italy with his army. Howe|beit whiles he was making preparatio~ he prete~ded as though he would haue &s;ent his nauy into Affricke, &amp; not into Sicill. About the &s;ame time al&s;o he co~|maunded another of his captaines cal|led Mundus to inuade Dalmatia with another power: to the entent that the Gothes beyng a&s;&s;ayled on all &s;ides at once, might the ea&s;lyer be oppre&s;&s;ed.</P>
<P>Mu~dus entering into Dalmatia won Salons &amp; &s;et al the countrey on an vp|rore. Beli&s;arius hauing rigged hys &s;hippes &amp; embarked hys Souldyours,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Beli&s;arins vi|age into Sicill and of his do+ing there.</NOTE> &s;ayled toward Sicill. He had of foote|men a &s;ufficient number, all tall men and pyked Souldiours, and his Hor&s;e|men were conueyed wyth him by wa|ter al&s;o.</P>
<PB REF="25">
<P>Captaines of his footemen were Con+&s;tantine, Be&s;&s;as, and Herodian: cap|taines of his hor&s;emen were Valen|tine, Innocent and Magnus: and lieu|tenaunt generall and &s;oueraigne of them all was Beli&s;arius. Who folo|wyng the commaundment of the em|perour hys mai&s;ter whereas he pre|tended to &s;ayle towarde Cartharge, ariued by the way in Sicill,<NOTE PLACE="marg">A politique Captine.</NOTE> and there goyng a land as it had bene to refre&s;he hym &s;elfe and hys &s;ouldyours, when he e&s;pied tyme and occa&s;ion for hys purpo&s;e, &s;odenlye he a&s;&s;ayled the ci|tie Catina and wonne it. Then &s;he|wyng hym &s;elf with hys army abrode, and di&s;clo&s;ing hys prepen&s;ed purpo&s;e, within few dayes after, he receyued<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Now called Saragoza</NOTE> Syracu&s;e by compo&s;ition. After this it is a wonder to &s;&eacute;e how victory ranne on hys &s;yde, and how the Cities of theyr owne accord yelded and called him to them. The cau&s;e herof was the hatred that the Siciliands bare to the Gothes, and the authoritie of the
<PB N="9" REF="25">Empyre or Rome, together with the pre&s;ence of Beli&s;arius. Whome (for as much as he had delyuered Affricke from the Vandalians) they hoped &s;hould do the lyke by the Gothes tho|rough Sicil &amp; Italy. Moreouer, the Go+thes had made no preparation in Sicil, becau&s;e they looked not for any warre there. By meanes whereof it came to pa&s;&s;e, that as many of the Gothes as were in Sicill, beyng amazed at the &s;o|dain inua&s;ion of Beli&s;arius, and the ha&s;ty reuoltyng of the cities, thought more of runnyng awaye then of ma|kyng re&s;i&s;tence. Only the citie of<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Now called. Palerno. The &s;iege of Panormus &amp; the vvynnyng thereof.</NOTE> Pa|normus (by rea&s;on there was a &s;trong garri&s;on of the Gothes in it) abode the fiege, and endured it to the vttermo&s;t. The which citie beyng very defen&s;ible and well fortified toward the land, and therevppon &s;ettyng lyght by any thing that thenemie could worke agayn&s;t it, at the la&s;t by a nauye &s;ent into the ha|uen was wonne by the &s;ea. For the ha|uen extended hard to the walles of the
<PB REF="26">towne: And Beli&s;ariushad marked howe that in diuers places, the toppes of the ma&s;tes reached a great hight a|boue the walles of the citie. Where|fore he &s;et Archers and &s;lyngers in the topca&s;tles of the &s;hyppes, who with ar|rowes and darts dyd &s;o beate their ene+mies vnderneath them on all &s;ydes, that the walles were left naked with|out defendaunts: &s;o that theyr compa|ney went without daunger to the foote of the wall,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The good &s;uc+ce&s;&s;e of Beli|&s;arius.</NOTE> and brake it downe. Tho|rough which di&s;tre&s;&s;e theyr enemyes beynge di&s;comforted, yelded vp the towne. This was the la&s;t Citie of all Sicill that came in &s;ubiection. When Beli&s;arius had recoueredPanormus he retourned to Syracu&s;e, and there makyng &s;umptuous and royall page|ants, threwe Golde and Syluer a|monge the poople. For it was the la&s;te daye of hys Con&s;ul&s;hyppe the whyche was geuen hym in honour of the vi|ctorye that he gate of the Vandalians. And Fortune was &s;o fauourable vn|to
<PB N="10" REF="26">hy, that be&s;ydes all hys former victories, euen the verye la&s;te daye of hys Con&s;ul&s;hyppe &s;he clo&s;ed vp wyth the recouerye of all Sicill. Thus went the world in Sicill.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="4" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>&leaf; The .iiij. Chapter.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>&para; Of the doynges of Mundus in Dal|matia agayn&s;t the Gothes, of the death of the &s;ayde Mundus and hys &s;onne Maurice, and hovve one Grippa a noble man of the Gothes recouereth all that Mun|dus had conquered before.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>IN Dalmatia both partes ray&s;ed greate powers and made to|wardes the Citie of Saions.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The doinges of Mundus in Dalmatia,</NOTE> Nowe when they were comme neare vnto the town, and that the w<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">rd was whote on bothe varries, it longth there was a battell &s;ought, not prepurpo&s;ed but by chaunce vpon the&s;e daine with|out knowledge before of any of both partes. The rau&s;e the~reof was this.
<PB REF="27">The captaine Mundus had a &s;onne cal+led Maurice a goodly yong gentleman and a tall man of his handes. Whe ha|uyng the leadyng of a troope of Hor&s;e|men, rode to view the Campe of the Gothes. Now by chaunce the Gothi&s;h hor&s;emen met with him, and a&s;&s;oone as the one parte had e&s;pied the othere, there was no tarience but &s;traight to the &s;kirmi&s;he. So thei encountred for a tyme very &s;ter&s;ly, and many of the &s;tou+te&s;t of the Gothes were &s;laine, and at the la&s;t Maurice al&s;o was kylled.</P>
<P>Both the Campes heavyng of the &s;kir|mi&s;he, made &s;oede to re&s;cow their com+panies.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Sodaine bat|tell betvvene the Gothes &amp; the Imperialls</NOTE> Whyles that Mundus was on his way, tidings was brought him of the lo&s;&s;e of his &s;onne. Then the man beyng of nature fierce &amp; warlyke, ran in a rage lyke a mad man vppon his e|nemies. By that <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> was at the ho&s;ts of the Gothes come thither, and the en|counter was with the whole power of eyther part, the battell was very bloo|dy and cruell. At length the Gothes
<PB N="11" REF="27">being di&s;comfited with meat &s;laugh|ter and lo&s;&s;e of their people were put to flight. But Mundus whiles he vn|&s;aciably followed the &s;lughter of the Gothes,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Se thende of ourragious furye.</NOTE> and for angre and &s;orowe of the lo&s;&s;e of his &s;onne pur&s;ued the chace to farre, was recountered of his di&s;per|&s;ed enemies and &s;laintand &s;o the fatheer through the outragious reuengement of his &s;onne, in thend did &s;&eacute;eke his own confu&s;ion. After this battell both ar|mies departed a &s;undre. For the Go|thes being vanqui&s;hed dur&s;t not abide in tho&s;e quarters, and the Emperours &s;ouldiours being di&s;mayed with the lo&s;&s;e of theyr Captain, left Salons and retyred backe agayne. I thinke it not good to &s;uppre&s;&s; with &s;ilens a thing that many authours haue made mencio~ of. They &s;ay there were certaine old ver|&s;es of Sibill in the which it was pro|phe&s;ied,<NOTE PLACE="marg">A prophe&s;ie of Sybill.</NOTE> that when Affricke &s;hould be recouered by the Romains, then &s;huld Mundus (which word as it is here a mans name: &s;o al&s;o it &s;ignifieth the
<PB REF="28">worlde) and hys y&s;&s;ue &s;houlde nery&s;he. This prophe&s;ie of Sybill made many men affrayed, doutyng lea&s;t heauen and earthe with all mankynd &s;houlde vtterly haue decayed. But after the time that Affrick in the former warres was recouered by the pu&s;&s;au~ce of Be|li&s;arius, then it appeared howe that Sibill prophe&s;ied of the de&s;truction of this Captaine and his &s;onne. So depe|ly are all prophe&s;ies wrapped in dout|full circum&s;taunces. After the death of this Captaine and the departure of his army, the Gothes beganne to growe the monger in tho&s;e parts. For Grip|pa one of the noble men of the Gothes,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Gothes recouer all that Mundus had co~quered</NOTE> imediatly thervppon rai&s;ing a new po|wer recouered Salons &amp; all that euer M~udus had gotte~ before i~ tho&s;e places. In &s;o much that the Gothes were farre of greater power then their enemies in tho&s;e borders. And therwithall Theo|datus the king taking &s;toutly vpo~ him thought him&s;elf able to match or rath|er to ouercome themperour in battell.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="5" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="12" REF="28">
<HEAD>&leaf; The .v. Chapter</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>&para; The Emperour &s;endeth a nevv Lieu|tenaunt into Dalmatia, named Con&s;tantian, vvho recouereth all Dalmatia and Lyburnia.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>WHEN Iu&s;tinian heard of the thynges that were done in Dal|matia, he made one of his Cour|tyers named Con&s;tantian Lieutenant of the warres there.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Con&s;tantian made lieute|nant of Dal|matia.</NOTE> And therewyth|all wrote to Beli&s;arius that he &s;hould withoute further delaye pa&s;&s;e into Italy. Con&s;tantian therefore hauyng repayred hys armye and throughlye furny&s;hed hys nauye of all thynges, after that he hadde taryed a whyle aboute the doynge thereof at Dyrra|chin~, remoued from thence and &s;ayled to Rhagu&s;ium. There were at Rhagu&s;ium certayne &s;kowtwatches &s;et there by Gryppa, who &s;eing y^e nauy of Co~&s;tantian pa&s;&s;ing along the &s;hore|&s;ide, beautifull to beholde bothe for the
<PB REF="29">buylding and number of the &s;hippes, by and by retourned vnto Grippa, and where as y^e thing was great of it &s;elf, they reported it to be far greater then it was in dede.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The &s;olaine feare of Grip|pa at the arri|uall of Con|&s;tnatian.</NOTE> At the which tidinges Grippa was at his witts end and wi&s;t not in the worlde what to do. For he thought it both perilous and al&s;o great folly to encounter again&s;t &s;o great a power: and to enclo&s;e him &s;elf within Salons he dur&s;t not, becau&s;e he had the Citizins more then half in a gelou&s;ie of trea&s;on, &amp; the walles of the town were in diuers places decayed &amp; fallen downe for lacke of reparation. More|ouer, con&s;idering that his enemies were to &s;trong for him on y^e &s;ea, he was afrayed he &s;hould &s;oone be brought to &s;carcetie of bietualls. Beyng di&s;tre&s;&s;ed with the&s;e cares,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Coun&s;ell the refuge of cares</NOTE> at length (which is the refuge in &s;uch extremities) he fell to coun&s;ell. According to the &s;ame he conueryghed all hys hoo&s;t a good waye out of Salons, and encamped in a place conuenient. In the meane tyme
<PB N="13" REF="29">Con&s;tantian arriued with <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> his <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> at Ly&s;ne, there hauyng intelligence what was done, he &s;ayled to the next &s;hore, and there &s;etting his men a land &s;ent CCCCC of them before, to take the &s;treight &amp; narrowe pa&s;&s;ages in the night &s;ea&s;on, which are within a lytle way of Salons. The which thing be|ing executed, he him &s;elf the next mor|nyng brought all his army to the citie,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Con&s;tantian getteth Dal|matia and Lyburnia.</NOTE> and without any trouble recouered the &s;ame. When Grippa had vnder|&s;tanding therof, he taried not pa&s;t two or thre dayes there, but that he deter|mined to depart thence, and &s;o he re|tourned to Rauenna by water, lea|uyng vp vtterly to the enemye bothe Dalmatia &amp; Lyburnie,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Dalmatia, Ly|burnia, &amp; Illy ricu~, are novve called all by one name of Sclauony.</NOTE> the which im|mediatly without any re&s;i&s;tence came into the hands of Con&s;tantian.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="6" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>&leaf; The .vj. Chapter.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>&para; Beli&s;arius arriueth in Italy, and after long &s;iege vvynneth Naples.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<PB REF="30">
<P>BEli&s;arius vppon the receipt of the Emperours ietters,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The arriuall of Beli&s;arius in Italy,</NOTE> when he &s;huld pa&s;&s;e into Italy, leauing garri&s;ons of &s;ouldiours at Syracu&s;e and Panor|mus, went with the re&s;idue of his ar|mie to Me&s;&s;ana: and there wa&s;ted ouer vnto Regium. From thence he led his arune by lande through the Brutians and Lucanes, commaunding his na|uie to coa&s;t him by the &s;hore of the nei|ther &s;ea as nere the land as might be. As he went forwarde, the inhabitants of tho&s;e cou~treys reuolted to him thick and threfold. When he had after thys &s;ort certaine dayes continued his iour|ney,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Beli&s;arius co~|meth to Na|ples.</NOTE> at length he &s;tayed about Naples, the which citie was kept with a great and &s;trong garri&s;on of the Gothes.</P>
<P>There he commaunded his &s;hippes to lye at anchour in the hauen, but yet w^tout the &s;hot of artillery, &amp; he him&s;elfe in the meane tyme bringing his army nere vnto the towne, viewed the &s;itu|ation of the citie &amp; the nature of y^e place vpon the land. It was not long after
<PB N="14" REF="30">but that he tooke by compo&s;ition a &s;tro~g bulwarke &s;tandyng in the Suburbes. Therevppon as he was about to plant hys &s;iege, the Neapolitans &s;ent theyr Oratours vnto him, among whome was one Stephan a man of much wi&s;|dome and authorittie in the citie.</P>
<P>He &s;pake the&s;e wordes in effect: that Beli&s;arius dyd not well to make war vppon the Neapolitans,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The vvords of the Neapoli|tan amba&s;&s;a|dour to Beli&s;.</NOTE> whiche ne|uer had done hym any wronge in all his lyfe. They inhabited a citie kept by the garri&s;ons of Theodatus and the Gothes, by meanes whereof he could not hope for any thyng at theyr hands beyng vnder the iuri&s;diction and &s;ub|iection of other men. But yf &s;o be it he myght be &s;o bolde to &s;ay hys mynd, he dyd vnadui&s;edlye to lenger there in dayne. For hadde he once gotten Rome, he &s;houlde &s;trayghte wayes obteyne Naples. But yf he were &s;ette be&s;yde Rome, he were not able to keepe Naples though he had it.</P>
<PB REF="31">
<P>Wherefore it had bene <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> for hint to haue gone fir&s;te of all to Rome a|gain&s;t the Gothes that wer there, and not to haue &s;tayed at Naples, the whi|ch &s;hould fall as an ouerplus to the lot of the Conquerour which way &s;o euer the world went.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The an&s;were of Beli&s;arius to them ba&s;&s;a|dour.</NOTE> Beli&s;arius replied therevnto, that whether he did adui|&s;edly or vnadui&s;edly in tariyng aboute Naples, was no part of their charge to determine, for he a&s;ked not their coun|&s;ell therein: but rather to take thought for tho&s;e things that perteined to them &s;elues, namely whether it were better for them to procure their owne &s;aufe|garde and libertie by receyuynge the Emperours armye, or by continuyng in bondage vnder the barbarous Go|thes worthely to be be&s;ieged and vtter+ly de&s;troyed. For he was fully purpo|&s;ed not to depart thence vntyll he had the citie at his plea&s;ure, his de&s;ier was to obteyne the towne rather withoute their de&s;truction then w^e it. This was his &s;aying openly. And &s;ecretly he per|&s;uaded
<PB N="15" REF="31">&s;uaded Stephan to exhort his Citizens rather to &s;eke them p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="3 letters">urs good will &amp; fauour,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Good coun&s;el if it had bene taken.</NOTE> then his indignation di&s;plea|sure. Thoratours at their retourne in|to the citie, reported the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> of Be|li&s;arius. And when th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> came to con&s;ul+tation as concerning the &s;ame, Sre|phen being demaunded his opinion in the ca&s;e, &s;aide he thought it is <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="3 letters">nge|rous a matter for the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="3 letters">p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="3 letters">ranes, to tourne the brunt of &s;o great a warre vppon them&s;elues, and therefore he wi&s;&s;hed them by &s;ome compo&s;ition or <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span">. This coun&s;ell was furthered al&s;o by one <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">nnochus a Syrian dorne, who had continued longe tyme at Naples as in the waye of traffique &amp; marchan|di&s;e, a man of great wealth &amp; of much credit among the Neapolitanes, he by per&s;uading the lyke that Stephan had done, had moued many to be of hys opiniont the people al&s;o &amp; the commo~s of the citie were deu~rous of the &s;ame. In &s;o much that &s;houtes were openly
<PB REF="32">heard trying <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ut to haue the gates &s;et open and Beli&s;arius let <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word">. There were <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"> Gothes in garri&s;on, who albeit that it greeued them <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"> for as muche as they durite not with|&s;tand the wyll of the people, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> them&s;elues together. Pa&s;tor and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"> frends of the Gothes,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The craftye dealing of A&s;clepiodotus and Pa&s;tor.</NOTE> and therefore <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">|rye to &s;ee the pre&s;ent e&s;tate of the citie altered, when they &s;awe howe the peo|ple were bent, dur&s;te not openly gain|&s;ay meyr oe&s;yres, out wrought by an ouerthwart meanes to breake <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="6 letters">|ment. And therevppon allowyng and pray&s;ing openly all that was determi|ned in the a&s;&s;emblye, as though it hat lyked them verye well, they co<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="3 letters">&s;elled to knitte vp the matter &s;tronglye with many bandes and couenaunts,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Fayre wordes make fooles fayne &amp; wy&s;e men to &s;ome|tymes.</NOTE> reoui|rynge an othe for performinge of the &s;ame. The articies that they had d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="3 letters">|&s;ed were &s;uche as they thought Beli|&s;arius woulde not haue con&s;ented vn|to,
<PB N="16" REF="32">in e&s;perialtye &s;eynge he &s;houlde be &s;worne~ to the performaunce of them. Therefore in as much as they &s;eemed to &s;peake the&s;e thynges of good wyll to the people, they obteyned to haue the decree made accordynge to theyr owne deui&s;e. And therevpoon all thynges were penned and fayre wor|des engroced. Stephan <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"> with the Booke from the Citie to Beli&s;a|rius. Who after he hadde peru&s;ed the &s;ame agreed to euery article, and effe|red to be &s;worne for the keeping of the~. Stephan <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"> thereof into the citie.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The malice of Pa&s;tor and A&s;|clepiodotus bru&s;teth out.</NOTE> Whera&s; the peo|ple greatly retoy&s;ing began to <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> to the gates, &s;ayinge that Beli&s;arius &s;hould be let in. Pa&s;tor and A&s;clepio|dotus &s;eyng this, when they perceyued that their fir&s;t crafts tooke n<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> place, cal|led together the Gothes and citizens of Naples &s;uch as wer of their own facti|on. Declaring vnto them that it was a folly to lo&s;e the towne at the plea&s;ure of the vn&s;kylfull multitude.</P>
<PB REF="33">
<P>For what man <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"> that could not vnder&s;tand <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> if Beli&s;ari|us were in any hope at all of winning the citie, he would neuer haue con&s;en|ted to tharticles that were &s;ent vnto him. But nowe becau&s;e he was out of all hope, he had grau~ted to tho&s;e things which he would not &s;tand to, to then|tent to make them traitours at theyr vttermo&s;te peryll. For if he bare them &s;o much good wyll as he pretended, he would not haue there taried to &s;urpri&s;e the~ by &s;ubteltie, but would haue kept on his way to trye the matter by battel again&s;t Theodatus and his Gothes.</P>
<P>By alledgynge the&s;e and &s;uche other thyngs, they both per&s;uaded the Citi|zens to make re&s;i&s;tence, and al&s;o en|couraged the Gothes to &s;tand to the de+fence of the Citie. Be&s;ids this they ar|ened the Iewes, of the which ther was a great multitude in Naples, &amp; cau&s;ed them to take their parte. By meanes whereof the re&s;t of the citizins were put in feare, and all the communicatio~
<PB N="17" REF="33">ano couenaunts <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> Beli&s;arius wer broken. Beli&s;arius therefore after that time addre&s;&s;ed him&s;elfe to the &s;ie|ge. Oftentymes when he attempted to winne it by a&s;&s;aulte, he was put to the repul&s;e with great lo&s;&s;e and peryll of hys &s;ouldiours. For the walies of Naples are partly enuironed with the &s;ea, and partly do &s;tand vppon high and &s;teepe places, &s;o that it is a very harde matter to &s;cale them. The conduit py|pes by which water ranne into the ci|tie, albeit they were all broken by Be|li&s;arius: yet not with&s;tanding it &s;ented to be no great di&s;commoditie to them that were be&s;ieged, becau&s;e they had manye Welles in the towne, &s;o that they could want no water. But mo&s;t of all hurted them the hope of helpe to come, for as much as thei had &s;ent their Amba&s;&s;adours to Rome for ayde a|gain&s;t their enemies. Now as Beli&s;a|rius was in maner pa&s;te hope, and thought to haue broken vp his &s;iege, Fortune wonderfully opened the way
<PB REF="34">of conque&s;t vnto him. There was a wa+ter chanel cut deepe into the grou~de by which water was wont to be co~ueyed into the citie. This at the beginning of the &s;iege had Beli&s;arius broken (as he had done other before). A certain &s;oul|dier of Clandiople by chaunce ente|ring into the &s;ame, went in it hard to the walles of the citie.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Good fortune of Beli&s;arius.</NOTE> There was at the place where it went vnder the wall a &s;tone not layed by mannes hand but of nature, through the whiche there was a hole bored to let, the water into the citie, But the hole was not &s;o wyde that a man might enter in at it. The which when the &s;ouldier had well vie|wed, he perceyued that if the hole in the &s;tone were made wyder, they myght haue pa&s;&s;age into the Citie.</P>
<P>And therevppon he made Beli&s;arius priuye to all that he hadde &s;eene. The Captaine greatly reioy&s;yng thereat, and promi&s;ynge great rewardes, bade the &s;ouldyer choo&s;e &s;ome of hys fello|wes to helpe hym, and to open the
<PB N="18" REF="34">&s;tone more, not by diggynge and hea|wynge lea&s;t the noy&s;e of the &s;trykynge &s;hould be wray them, but by fyling and &s;crapyng and that very &s;oftly. Loke as the Captayne commaunded &s;o the &s;ouidyer dyd. To be &s;hort, through the continuall and diligent payne&s;takyng of the &s;ouldyer it was brought to that poynt, that a man in harne&s;&s;e wyth hys &s;worde and hys target in his hand myght ea&s;ly go through. When the matter &s;tood in thys ca&s;e, Beli&s;arius perceyuynge he &s;houlde bee may|&s;ter of the Citie when he ly&s;t hym&s;elfe,<NOTE PLACE="marg">the clementie and mercy of Beli&s;arius.</NOTE> and lothe that hys &s;ouldyers &s;houlde &s;acke it, called out Stephan vnto him againe, and putte hym in remem|braunce of the mi&s;erable chaunces that are wonte to happen vnto Cities that are taken perforce, as the &s;laugh|ter of men, the rauy&s;hyng of women at euery Varlettes plea&s;ure, the bur|nyng of hou&s;es, the &s;ackyng and re|uing of all places, and all other kyndes of mi&s;chiefes.</P>
<PB REF="35">
<P>Wherefore he willed the Neapolitans to haue re&s;pect vnto them &s;elues, and not to abyde the vttermo&s;t at their pe|ryll, for as yet they had tyme to repent them of their folly, Stephan hearynge the&s;e thinges, at his retourne declared the &s;ame to his citizens with &s;ighes and teares. But they de&s;pi&s;ing his wordes had hym in deri&s;on for his labour.</P>
<P>Beli&s;arius therefore executynge hys prepen&s;ed purpo&s;e,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The meane whereby Be|li&s;arius won Naples.</NOTE> when he had fully determined to take the citie, prouided for the &s;ame in this maner. A&s;&s;oone as euer it beganne to be darke, he cho&s;e out foure hundred &s;ouldiours, com|maundynge euery one of them to put on hys harne&s;&s;e and to take his &s;words and hys target in his hande, and being &s;o armed in a readine&s;&s;e, to kepe them|&s;elues clo&s;e without noy&s;e, vntyll they had knowledge what they &s;hould doe. He appoynted leaders of them Mag|nus and Ennas &s;tout men, in who&s;e pui&s;&s;aunce he dyd putte muche confi|dence. When it was now pa&s;t myd|nyght,
<PB N="19" REF="35">nyght, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> the matter &s;o the leaders, and &s;hewyng them the place commaundeth them to leadche &s;oul|diers through the channell by torche|lyght. And a&s;&s;oone as they were got|ten into the citie, he taught them what they &s;hould doe, wyllyng them to take &s;ome part of the walle, and to geue to|ken thereof by the &s;ound of a trumpet. He him &s;elfe had prepared before hand a great &s;ort of ladders to &s;cale the wals with, commaundyng all his armye to be ready in their harnes, wherof he had the nymble&s;t and be&s;t practi&s;ed aboute his owne per&s;one.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Shame &s;ur|mounteth dread of daun+ger.</NOTE> Whyles he was thus aboute his matters, many of the &s;ouldiers that were with Magnus re|tyred backe for feare of the daunger, and could not be made to go forwarde, neyther by fayre meanes nor by foule. Whome Beli&s;arius &s;ent away wyth great rebuke, &s;upplying their roomes with two hundred of them that he had about him. Vppon the which reproche euen they that before refu&s;ed to go, fo|lowed.
<PB REF="36">The &s;ouldiers wont a long and a blynde way in the chanell. For it en|ded not at the wall, but led further in|to the citie, being vaulted euer aloft with Bricke In &s;o much that y^e &s;ouldi|ers wi&s;t not where they were, vntyll they e&s;pyed the &s;kye at the ende of the vault. Then they perceyued them&s;el|ues to be in the middes of the citie, out of the which place it was a hard mat|ter for them to e&s;cape, becau&s;e they had ylfauoured clymburg vp vpon the high walles wherew^e it was endo&s;ed round about. Neuerthele&s;&s;e at length when one had helped vp another &amp; all were come owt,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Naples is ca|ten.</NOTE> they went to the walles there hauing &s;layne the watchemen toke two towres, &amp; from thens gaue a &s;igne by &s;ownding atrumpet, and making a greate &s;houte. By and by Beli&s;arius made toward the &s;ame places, and rering vp ladders comaun|ded his &s;ouldyers to &s;cale y^t towne. In the&s;ame place happened much trouble &amp; muche taryens, by rea&s;on the ladders
<PB N="20" REF="36">(being made <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"> not able to reach the toppe of the wall. By meanes whereof they were driuen of nece&s;&s;itie, to bynde two ladders one at thend of another, &amp; &s;o to get vp. This was done on the north&s;ide of the town, and at the &s;ame in&s;taum was a &s;harpe encounter at the other &s;ide of y^t towne that is toward the &s;ea. For in the &s;ame place fought a multitude of Iewes, leud &amp; de&s;perat perfo~s, &s;uch as hoped for no fauour nor mercy if y^t citie were ta|ken.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The de&s;parate fighting of the iewes.</NOTE> And therefore they &s;tood &s;toutly at defens, geuing no place of entrance to thenemie. Another part of the ho&s;t had &s;et fier on y^e Ea&s;t gate, &amp; made ha&s;t to breake into the citie. In the meane fea|&s;on the day began to breake, &amp; the &s;oul|diers y^e had &s;caled vp by ladders, had bro+ken open a gate to let in tharmy, &amp; ther withall thother company ru&s;&s;hed in at the Ea&s;t gate y^t was before &s;et on fier. Then was there running through the citie, and all places were defiled with &s;laughter and rauy&s;&s;hynge.</P>
<PB REF="37">
<P>But ine&s;verially tho&s;e &s;ouldyers pla|yed the Butchers, who&s;e brothers or kin&s;folke had bene &s;laine in the former conflictes by the Neapolitans a boute the Citie. For they after that y^e towne was taken, v&s;ed the victorie very cru|elly, &s;paring no age yong nor old man nor woman. And the Iewes, whiche defended that part of the Towne that is toward the &s;ea, when all the re&s;t of the towne was taken, &s;tode neuer the le&s;e &s;tyfly at their defens, neyther gaue thei ouer before that the &s;ouldiers ron|nyng aboute the Citie, a&s;&s;ayled them behynd. Then was enterans made on that parte of the Citic al&s;o, and euery place was replene&s;hed with &s;laughter and &s;acking.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The elemen|tie and gentle v&s;ing of the victorye by Beli&s;arius.</NOTE> But Beli&s;arius him&s;elf after the taken of Naples, v&s;ed the vic|torie veri gently. For after that weapo~ was ones Layd out of hand, he &s;uffe|red not any Citizen to be eyther flayne or taken pry&s;oner, and he re&s;tored the women to their hu&s;bandes and paren|tes vnraui&s;hed and vndefiled at all.</P>
<PB N="21" REF="37">
<P>Towarde the Gothes al&s;o which were there in garri&s;on, he &s;hewed no maner of cruelty. As for Pa&s;tor and A&s;clepio|dotus the Authours and cau&s;es of &s;o great mi&s;chiefes, not Beli&s;arius,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Euyll coun&s;el wor&s;t to the geuers therof</NOTE> but the people of the towne them&s;elues did iu&s;tice vppon. Who the next day after the taking of the citie, ranne to theyr hou&s;es and finding A&s;clepindotus at home kylled hym and drewe hym tho|rought the citie. But they coulde not finde Pa&s;tor. For he euen in the verye tumult of the taking of the citie, either wilfully &s;lew him &s;elfe, or ells dyed for be&s;paire and &s;orow of mynde. Yet not|with&s;taindinge the people bearynge a deadly hatred again&s;t him, neuer left &s;ekyng him, vntill &s;uch tyme as they &s;awe hys dead carcas wyth their eyes. Neyther coulde they be &s;ati&s;fied, but that they tare hys bodye in peeces eue|rye member from other. And Beli&s;a|rius did beare with theyr outragious dealynge, for the euyll whych they had co~mitted, vpo~ whom &s;uch cruelty was
<PB REF="38">ertended. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"> this meanes bothe taken and &s;aued.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="7" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>&leaf; The .vij. Chapter.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>&para; The Gothes kyll Theodatus and &s;et Vp Vi|rigis to be theyr Kyng, Vitigis maketh an oration to the Senate and people of Rome, and leadeth awaye the chiefe of them with him for pledges, he marryeth the doughter of Amulu&s;uentha and en|teteth in league with the Frenche men. Beli&s;arius commeth to Rome, whiche is yelded to hym by the Citizens, he for<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">|fieth and victaileth the citie and getteth certaine townes from the Gothes.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>THE Gothes that dwelte at Rome and other places there|aboutes, hearyng of tho&s;e thin|ges that were done at Naples, were &s;tryken with great feare and mi&s;tru&s;te in them &s;elues. For they beleued vn|doutedly that Beli&s;arius would come again&s;t them. Wherefore encoura|ging one another, and calling forth the re&s;t that were men of warre of theyr owne nacion, they encamped them|&s;elues betwene the cities of Anania &amp;
<PB N="22" REF="38">Taracina. There when <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"> men of warre of the Gothes were a&s;&s;em|bled together, findyng great faulte with the former mi&s;gouernent &amp; pre|&s;ent cowardne&s;&s;e of Theodatus,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The election of Vitigis with the depo+&s;ition &amp; death of Theodatus</NOTE> final|ly they made in&s;urrection again&s;t him in the campe, and &s;et vp Vitigis to be their kynge. This Vitigis was not borne of the blood royall, but he had al|wayes bene knowen for a &s;tout Cap|tain &amp; a good man of warre, &amp; through his valiaunt behauiour he had purcha|&s;ed much honour &amp; authoritie. Theoda+tus when he hard thereof, &s;tale priuely away &amp; fled toward Rauenna with all the &s;pede he could make. But the new king &s;ending of his gard immediatly af+ter him, ouertooke him by y^t way &amp; kil|led him. After this Vitigis came to Ro+me, &amp; there making an oration to the Senate &amp; the people, put the~ in remem+brance of the benefits of Theodorich,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The oration of Vitigis to the Romains.</NOTE> exhorting the~ not to worke any nouel|ties. For he told them that the Gothes had a great power in Italye, and that
<PB REF="39">tho&s;e things which had lately hapened cha&s;iced not through the imbecillitie &amp; weakenes of their nacion, but becau&s;e that the Gothes could not find in their harts to loue &amp; obey Theodatus. But now con&s;idering they agreed all in one will &amp; drew all by one lyne, cleane con|trary effects mu&s;t nedes followe. And therefore no man &s;hould be able to at|tempt any alteration hereafter in Ita|ly, but that he &s;houlde be met with to his co&s;t. Al the&s;e things he did di&s;cour&s;e before Liberius bi&s;hop of Rome. And for beeau&s;e he was but a newe founde kyng, he cau&s;ed the bi&s;hop &amp; the people to&s;were to be trew vnto him. For the more a&s;&s;uraunce wherof, he cho&s;e ma|nye of the Senatours and people of Rome, whome he ledde with him as pledges, committing the charge of the citie to one of his noble men called Lu|deris, with whome he left foure thou|&s;ande cho&s;en &s;ouldyers to keepe Rome withall. He hym &s;elfe with the re&s;idue of his army made towarde Rauenna.
<PB N="23" REF="39">When he came thither, to my entent the moore to e&s;tabli&s;he his e&s;tate,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Vitigis meri|eth.</NOTE> he tooke in mariage the doughter of A|mulu&s;uentha nece vnto the late Theo+dorich, whome Theodatus had kept in warde lyke a pri&s;oner. And &s;o by ali|yng him &s;elf with the blood royall, he aduaunced the honour and dignitie of his crowne. This dene, he cea&s;ed not to mu&s;ter the Gothes through all his realme, and to furny&s;h them through|ly with hor&s;e and harne&s;&s;e, and vigi|lantly to prouide for all kynde of mu|nitions and artilerie for the warres.</P>
<P>But as Vitigis was aboute to a&s;&s;em|ble the Gothes that were about the ri|uer Po and the citie Pauie and other places in Lu~bardy of which there was great power and an huge number, a &s;toppe was ca&s;t in hys way, namely the feare of the French nacion. For at that tyme they had extended their domini|on euen vnto the Alpes, and on thys &s;ide the Alpes the Gothes po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed al. The&s;e two nacions were &s;carce frends
<PB REF="40">out to another, but rather more men halfe enemies through priuie harthur|nyng among them &s;elues. Further|more it was well knowen,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Vitigis ente|reth in league wyth the Frenchmen.</NOTE> that them|perour had lately &s;ollicited the French men to make warre again&s;t the Go|thes. For the which cau&s;es Vitigis &s;en+ding his Antha&s;&s;adours into Fraunce endeuored to rid him&s;elf of that feare, the which he at length obteyned by en|tring in league and frend&s;hippe with them. Whyle Vitigis was laying for the&s;e things before hand, in the meane &s;ea&s;on Beli&s;arius hauynge refre&s;hed and furni&s;hed his armie, determined to go to Rome. Wherevppon leauing Herodian with a garri&s;on at Naples, and another garri&s;on lykewi&s;e at Cu|me, he with the re&s;idue marched to|ward Rome. His iorney lay by the way that leadeth from Rome into Latium. The Romains hearing of Beli&s;arius approche, were nothing di&s;contended therewith. It chaunced &s;o that one Fi|delis of Millaine (who in the tyme of
<PB N="24" REF="40">Athalericke had bene <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> of the kings hou&s;e) departing fro~ Rome met with Beli&s;arius, &amp; coun&s;ailed him to bring his ho&s;te with all &s;pede nere to y^e citie,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Romains become impe+rialles.</NOTE> for he told him that the Romains were not minded to &s;hut their gates a|gain&s;t y^e emperours army. And in dede by al mens talke it was to be &s;ene that the people were of the &s;ame mind with in the citie. With the which thinges the Gothes being &s;ore di&s;mayed that were left there in garri&s;on, determi|ned fully to go all awaye: &s;auyng the Captayn Luderis: who &s;tanding vpon his reputation, had rather to haue died then to abandon the town co~mitted to his charge. The Romains gaue y^t Go|thes free pa&s;&s;age w^eout interruption. And &s;o it fortuned that at y^t very &s;ame day &amp; houre that the Gothes went out of Rome at the gate of Flaminius, Be+li&s;arius entered in at y^e gate Celimon|tana, otherwi&s;e called A&s;inaria. After y^e Beli&s;an&abus; had ben receiued into y^e town with great ioye &amp; gladnes of all e&s;tates,
<PB REF="41">he <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"> and the people, &amp; afterward v&s;ed great diligence in repairing the walles &amp; for|tifiyng of the citie.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Beli&s;arius for|tifieth and vic tayleth Rome</NOTE> For he not onelye mended the walles and buylded bul|works in places conuenient, but al&s;o ca&s;t vp trenches and rampyres abcute them. And moreouer conueryghed thi|ther great &s;tore of grayne by water, the which he cau&s;ed to be layed vp in common gratters. The Romaines al|though they wondered at the wi&s;dome of their captaine, yet that lyked not this his &s;o <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> diligence in forti&s;tyng of the citie. For &s;o noble a captaine as he as beinge enticed <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> Rome w^t the emperours armye, ought not to thinke of being be&s;ieged, but of be&s;ie|ging others. Howbeit to &s;ay the trueth Beli&s;arius weying with him&s;elfe hys owne weakenes &amp; the great power of the Gothes, did already in his mynde fore&s;e what was lyke to en&s;ue. And yet was he not altogether ydle in y^e meane &s;ea&s;on, but by his petie captains Con|&s;tanting
<PB N="25" REF="41">and Beli&s;arius &s;ome time he recouered Narma, Spolet,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Beli&s;arius goet|teth three tovvnes from the Gothes.</NOTE> &amp; Peru&s;e by compo&s;ion. Al&s;o there was a battell fought again&s;te the Gothes not farre fro~ the ettie of<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Now called Perugio.</NOTE> Peru&s;e. For Vitigis immediatly vppon intelligence of the reuolting of y^e Peru&s;ians, &s;ent Vuilas and Py&s;&s;a with an army into Thu&s;|cance to the entent as well to kepe &s;tyll in due obedience &s;uch as had not reuol+ted, as al&s;o to &s;ubdue againe &s;uche as had for&s;aken their allegeaunce.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="8" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>&leaf; The .viij. Chapter.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>&para; A battell is foughte at Peru&s;a betvvene the Gothes and the imperialles to the lo&s;&s;e of the Gothes. Vitigis marchynge tovvarde Rome &s;taveth at the ryuer Anio, where the next day encountryng vvyth Beli&s;arius the putteth hym to flyghte and &s;o proce|deth to the fiege of Rome vvyth <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> hundred tou&s;ande men.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>THere was at Peru&s;e Con&s;ian|tine one of Beli&s;arius captaines, and he had a&s;&s;embled thyther all
<PB REF="42">hys men of w<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">rre &s;auyng a fowe &s;oul diers that he hadde lefte in garri&s;on at Spolet.<NOTE PLACE="marg">A patten be|tvvene the Gothes and the ijmperialls</NOTE> Now at &s;uch time as the Go|thi&s;he armye approched and was come almo&s;te hard to the walles of Peru&s;e, Con&s;tantine with his men in order of battel readie to &s;yght, y&s;&s;ued out of the Citie and &s;et vpon the Gothes. Great was then counter with much force and pui&s;&s;ans on bothe &s;ydes. The Gothes were greatly furthered by their multi|tude, and the &s;ouldiers of Con&s;tantine by the aduantage of the place, &amp; tha&s;&s;i&s;|tens of the Citie at hand. After longe fyghtinge, the Gothes at length were ouercome &amp; put to flight, great &s;laugh|ter was made of them and many were taken pri&s;oners, amonge who~ Vuilas and Py&s;&s;a the Captaynes were taken and &s;ent to Rome vnto Beli&s;arius. Vitigis therefore hauinge be&s;ydes the lo&s;&s;E of his townes receiued moreouer this flaughter, thoughte it was not to make any further delaye, but wyth all the power of the Gothes that he was
<PB N="26" REF="42">able to rai&s;e, &s;et forward to y^e warres. when he remoued from Rauenna to|ward Rome,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Vitigis mar|cheth tovvard Rome vvyth 200000. foul|dyers.</NOTE> he had in his ho&s;te .CC.M. fyghting men, of which y^e mo&s;t part were armed in Almain riuetts. With this &s;o huge ho&s;te he marched toward Rome in &s;uche terrible maner, &amp; wyth &s;uche &s;pede, that it was to be doubted lea&s;t that Beli&s;arius would not haue abydden his comming. And therefore he made not anye &s;taye eyther at Spo|let, Peru&s;e, or Narma, but kept on his waye &s;tyll toward Rome. Beli&s;arius when he perceyued &s;o great a brunt of warres turned vppon hys necke, com|maunded Con&s;tantine and Be&s;&s;as to returne to him out of hand, wyth &s;uch power as they had aboute them. Con|&s;tantine obyed his commaundeinent and came wyth hys armye forthwyth out of Thu&s;cane to Rome. But it was &s;omewhat later ere that Be&s;&s;as did &s;et out of Narma, in &s;o much that he was entangled with the fir&s;te foreriders of the Gothes. For Vitigis way lay hard
<PB REF="43">vnder Narma. Whether as &s;one as y^e Currours were come, Be&s;&s;as y&s;&s;ued out of the city and &s;kirmi&s;hed w^t them, &amp; he put many of their troopes to flight and &s;lew diuers of the~. Neuertheles by rea&s;on of re&s;orte of mo &amp; mo &s;til to y^e re&s; cowe, he was co~pelled to withdraw hi~+&s;elf again into the citie. From whence he made ha&s;t to Rome &amp; bare ridinges that y^e Gothes were at hande &amp; within kenning. The Gothes pa&s;&s;ing by Nar+ma went through the country of y^e Sa+bines into the fields of Rome. When they came nere the town they &s;taied at the riuere Anio. For bei&s;arius had forti+fied the bridge on both &s;ides y^e water w^t bulwarks &amp; enclo&s;ures, &amp; had &s;et a gar|ri&s;o~ of &s;ouldiers to kepe it. By meanes wherof y^e Gothes at their fir&s;t co~ming being not able to get ouer,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The &s;hameful flight of the &s;ouldiers of Beli&s;arius.</NOTE> encamped the~&s;elues beyond the riuer Anio. But y^e next night folowing they y^e were &s;et to kepe the bridge, being di&s;maied at y^e number &amp; fercene&s;&s;e of the barbarous people, for&s;oke the towres &amp; bulwarks
<PB N="27" REF="43">of the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"> away went into Ca~panie for feart lea&s;t Be|li&s;arius &s;hould puni&s;he the~ for their la+bour. Beli&s;arius was minded to haue pitched his campe by the riuer Anio di|rectly again&s;t y^<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> campe of the Gothes, to thentent to haue detained them the longer in y^e &s;ame place. And therfore y^t next day he went thither w^t a M. hor&s;e|men to view the co&s;tery &amp; the Deamea+nour of his enemies &amp; al&s;o to cho&s;e a meete grounde to encampe in.<NOTE PLACE="marg">An encounter vnloked for.</NOTE> As he was going thether, when he came al|mo&s;t at the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> contrary to his expes|tation he met with the Gothy&s;he hor&s;e men. For the Gothes but euen a lytrie while before, pereceiuing y^e bulwarkes of the brydge to be abandoned, had bro|ken open the gates and the barryers, and had pa&s;&s;ed euer the Ryuer in greate number. Who&s;e &s;odayne ap|proche vppon Beli&s;arius other wy&s;e then he looked for, conu~rayned hym whether he would or no to put hym|&s;elfe in the encounter.</P>
<PB REF="44">
<P>At the beginning Beli&s;arius <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 word"> nothing but thoffice of a Captaine, en|couraging and commaunding his &s;oul diers and &s;hewinge what euerye man &s;hould doe. But when he &s;aw his men ouerlayed &amp; like to go by the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 span"> of the &s;taffe, then was he <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 span"> compelled to leaue the office the Cap|taine, and to playe the &s;tout &s;ouldiour. For he was fayne to put him&s;elf into the forefront of the battell, and there to laye his hands about him &s;toutlye and valia~tly as other of his &s;ouldiers. The which days &s;urely he was in great dan+ger vpon &s;uch occa&s;ion. He had a good|ly hor&s;e, vpon which he was comma~ly wont to ryde, of colour bay w^t a white ly&s;te from his foreheade downe to the no&s;trelles, as he fought vpon the &s;ame hor&s;e among the forme&s;t in the battell, certain runnagats knowing him, cried out to &s;trike the Vale. (For &s;o doe the Gothes terme a bay hor&s;e in their lan|guage,) &amp; there was none other noi&s;e ouer all the fyeld but to &s;trike y^e Vale,
<PB N="28" REF="44">By meanes whereon it came to pa&s;&s;e, that all the brunt of the battel was tur+ned vpon Beli&s;arius.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Daunger the vvhet&s;tone of courage.</NOTE> And vndoutedly if a pui&s;ant band of his verye &s;anulier frendes had not clu&s;tered aboute hym and &s;tyked notably to him, yea and w^t their owne bodies and their owne ar|mour, kept of a then &s;aud &s;trokes and a thou&s;ande weapons bothe from the hor&s;e and from BEli&s;arius him&s;elf al|&s;o, it had neuer bene po&s;&s;ible for hym to haue e&s;caped. But as at y^e time he was valiantlye defended, both by hys own prowe&s;&s;e fighting mo&s;t expertly &amp; commingly, and al&s;o by the helpe of his frends and familiars, who with incre|dible loue clynged fa&s;t aboute hym. In thys place manye of Beli&s;arius verye frends were flain, and ine&s;pecially one Maxentius a man of &s;ingular actiuity who fyghting about Beli&s;arius, after that he had &s;hewed many pro&s;es of his manhood and prowe&s;&s;e, and &s;laine ma+ny of the Gothes, at the la&s;t being very &s;ore wounded fell downe dead. At the
<PB REF="45">length &s;uch as were about Beli&s;arius making prea&s;e vpo~ their enemies, put the~ to open flight, &amp; pur&s;ued them hard to the bridge. But the footemen y^e &s;tod at the bridge recountred Beli&s;arius &amp; his men, &amp; ea&s;ly put them backe. The hor&s;emen &s;eyng y^e, turned again &amp; a&s;&s;ai+led the~ behind, by meanes wherof they were of nece&s;&s;ity compelled to w^tdraw them&s;elues for their own &s;aufgard vn|to a higher ground.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Beli&s;arius is compelled to tlye.</NOTE> There al&s;o then cou~+ter of hor&s;men being renued, &amp; the nu~+ber of the enemies &s;till encrea&s;ing, af|ter y^e many had berie &s;laine on both par+tes, at length they were forced to &s;ty to+ward Rome vppon the &s;purre. They tonne dewarde the gate that is com|monlye called Pm~cian. The Gothes chaced Beli&s;arius hard to the gate in|&s;o much y^e &s;ome were &s;triken from the wall. There was al&s;o muche a doe in the &s;ame place. For the Romains that kept the walles, for feare of their ene|mies &s;o nere at hand, dur&s;te not open the gate. Neither was Beli&s;arius him
<PB N="29" REF="45">&s;elfe knowen, albeit he called alowd vn+to them, bicau&s;e the Sunne was then down, &amp; he fore di&s;&s;iguret <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"> &amp; &s;wette.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Beli&s;arius put|teth the Go|thes to flight.</NOTE> Therefore when they had ca&s;t them&s;elues in a ring before the gate &amp; could not be let in, &amp; that menemy was hardat their backs, Beli&s;arius encou|raging his men, gaue a new charge vp on his enemies, &amp; putting the~rs night draue them far fro~ the gate. So when he had di&s;per&s;ed his enemyes, he was then perfectly knowen, &amp; led his &s;oul|diers into the citye, The feyght of this day was very &s;ore and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word">. For it beganne anene after the &s;onne ri&s;ing, &amp; it ended not vntil it was darke night. Beli&s;arius by the iudgement of al me~ was demed the be&s;t warriour that day that was on his &s;yde. And amonge the Gothes, V&s;&s;idius. When Beli&s;arius was returned into the Citie, he com|maunded as well his owne &s;ouldyers as the Towne &s;emen to keepe warche on the walles that nyghte.</P>
<PB REF="46">
<P>Di&s;triburinge the gaces to his Cap|taines euery one, one to kepe. Geuyng them charge that if any alarme were geuen, no man &s;hould &s;tyree out of the place where be was appoynted.<NOTE PLACE="marg">A larmes ge|ven to the Ci|tie of Rome. in the nyght.</NOTE> The &s;ame night many Alarmes were geue~ and diuers of theym fal&s;e. For it was cried through the Citie that thenemye was entred in at the gate of Ianiculu~, and therevpon weapon was fearefully taken in hand. And the noy&s;e could not be &s;tynted, vntill &s;uch time as me&s;&s;en|gers comming from thence, brought word that all was quiet and no enemy &s;ene or heard of there. At the gate Sa|laria was another Alarme, &amp; that not wythoute &s;ome cau&s;e. For the Gothes comming to the gate in the night, cal|led to the Romaines that &s;toode vpon the walls, &amp; there one of them named Bachius a ma~ well knowen in Rome whom Vitigis had &s;ent thether for the &s;ame purpo&s;e,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The vvordes of Bachius to the Romanes.</NOTE> &s;pake vnto them &s;aying How is it with you ye Ramaines are ye not a&s;hamed of your follye? to com|mit
<PB N="30" REF="46">your &s;eiues to the ruicion of a few Greky&s;he men, mariners, and plaiers, of enteriudes, &amp; good for nothing els, de&s;pi&s;ing y^e power of the Gothes, whi|che euen at their very fyr&s;te comming haue put them to flighte and be&s;eiged them? Surely the Gothes haue not de &s;erued that ye &s;houlde worke &s;o greate trca&s;on again&s;t them. But repent and amend, for this is thonely way for you to e&s;cape, yf you wyll open the gate for the Gothes to enter in, not again&s;t you but again&s;t tho&s;e Grekes. But if ye be &s;o mad to per&s;i&s;t in your folly, loke a&s;|&s;uredlye for &s;uch warre at the Gothes hands, as, wilbe to whote for you to a|byde. Thys oure kynge Vitigis com|maunded to be told vnto you. The Ro+maines made none aun&s;were at all to his wordes. But as &s;one as it was re|ported that y^e Gothes were there, there was ronning thether from all parts of the citie. The Gothes hauing taryed a lyttle whyle, returned to their kinges tent which was betwene the citye and
<PB REF="47">the riuer. And thus paued ouer y^e <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> night. The next day the Gothes &s;eyng no body come for the guiue them batter in the field, adre&s;&s;ed them&s;elues to the &s;iege. Thorder wherof was this.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="9" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>The .ix. Chapter.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>&para; Thorder of the &s;eige of Rome, the pollitique proi&s;ion of Beli&s;arius for the defence of the &s;ame, what engi|nes the Gothes made for to a&s;&s;aulte the &s;ame, and of their goynge to the a&s;&s;ault.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>THey pitched theyr denter in <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> places about the citie,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The &s;iege of Rome.</NOTE> fro~ the way of fiaminius, vnto the ways that leadeth to Preue&s;ie, This campe be&s;e|ged fiue gates of the citie. Afterward they unbattelled the .vii. campe on the further fyde of the brydge Militius. This la&s;t Campe be&s;oiged the gate of Aurelius and cutte of the wayes that leade ouer the Ryuer Tyber. They fortified theyr campes with diches and trenches and turrettes of timber. And
<PB N="31" REF="47">as wel on the one&s;ive as on the other of the Tybeer they made hauocke of all y^e came in their waye. Beli&s;arius o the coutrary part pprouided in this wi&s;e for the defence of the city. The gate called Pinciana which was directly again&s;te the greater campe of the Gothes, toge+ther w^t the nextegate vnto it on y^e right ha~d called Salaria, &amp; what&s;oeuer was on that part of the walles therabouts, Beli&s;arius toke vnto him&s;elfe tokepe. The gate towarde Preue&s;te he com|mitted to Be&s;&s;as. The gate of Flami|uius whiche is on the left hande of the Pincian gate, he deliuered to Co~&s;tan|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">nand at euerye other of the gates he &s;et a keper. The Gothes goyng about the Citye brake all the Conduittes.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The conduius aboute the Citye.</NOTE> There were of theym in all fourtene made of wonderfull worke, by the whi+ch water was conueyed into the Citie. By the breakynge of the&s;e, the Ro|maynes were not &s;o greatelye afflyc|ted wyth &s;carcetye of water, as wyth want of cornemylles.</P>
<PB REF="48">
<P>For the conduit that ranne downe no the toppe of Ianiculum, throughe the furth er&s;ide of Tiber into the city, run+ning &s;wiftly downe the &s;tepe hyll, dyd virue many mylles. The lyke commo|dity of grinding was al&s;o mini&s;tred by other of the conduits in diuers places. The which being then broke~, brought great di&s;tre&s;&s;e vpon them that were be &s;eiged.<NOTE PLACE="marg">A proui&s;ion for grinding of corne.</NOTE> Again&s;t this di&s;plea&s;ure Beli&s;a+rius prouided this remedie. Two ligh+ters with a &s;pace betwene theym for a whele to goe in, were fa&s;tned together with &s;trong rafters of timber, vpon the which the milles were &s;et and &s;o driue~ with the &s;wiftnes and violence of the &s;treame, and the lighters were &s;tayed with Cables &s;treyned hard and made fa&s;t on both &s;ydes of the Ryuer. The&s;e lyghters he placed harde by the fir&s;ie brydge that leadeth ouer Tiber. After tho&s;e he &s;et other lyghters on a rowe. And lea&s;t the enemye might hurte the lighters by ca&s;ting downe fyre or other &s;tuffe from alofte, there were cheynes
<PB N="32" REF="48" MS="y">of yron drawe~ by the brydge to receiue all &s;uch gere, and men &s;et on both &s;ides to take the &s;ame &amp; cary it away. Thus was good proui&s;on made to &s;upply the want of milles, for tho&s;e lighters &s;uf|fyced to grynd as much as they would. As for the want of water, that dyd the ryuer Tiber &s;upplye. Beli&s;arius had on diuers places of the walles deui&s;es many engines to &s;trike and put backe thenemy withall.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Engines for to a&s;&s;ault the tovvne. The battell Ram.</NOTE> On the other&s;ide the Gothes prouided great &s;tore of artille|rie and engines for the winning of the Citie. The angins were the&s;e. Fyru~e fowre battell Rammes whiche were made after this fa&s;hion. Foure po&s;tes of timber of lyke hygh equallye di&s;tant are &s;ette &s;quare one agein&s;te another. The&s;e pyllers are fa&s;tened with eyght ouer wayes foure at the toppe &amp; foure at y^e foote, &s;o that it &s;tandeth as it were a pretye &s;quare hou&s;e. The &s;ame is co|uerd aboue with leather to the entent that &s;uch as are within it &s;hould not be hurte from the walles. Aloft is laid a
<PB REF="49">beame <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> at <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> whereof hangeth downe another beame as it were to the middell of y^e pillars fa&s;tned w^t plates of yron, y^e which hath a great &s;quare head of &s;telelike vnto an anuild. The whole engine is driuen vpo~ foure wheles fa&s;tened in the feete of pillars. When it is remoued fro~ place to place there are not fewer then L. &s;ouldyers within it to driue it forward. Who af|ter the time they haue brought it nere vnto the walles, doe with a cewrtayne wynch wey vp the fore&s;aid beame that lyeth ouerthwart,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The great force of the battell Ram.</NOTE> and when it is aloft doe let it fall with all the whole &s;waye that it hath. Then the head of y^e beame being let downe, partlye with violence and partly with weight falling vpon y^e wall, dothe batter and breake in peces al that euer it lighteth vpon. Moreouer the Gothes made Turretes of Tym|ber of lyke heigh with the walles, the whiche went vppon fyue wheles a pece. Al&s;o they prepared a great num|ber of &s;kaling ladders, together with
<PB N="33" REF="49">an immumerable &s;orte of faggottes of &s;hrubbes and &s;trawe to fyll vp the dy|ches. When all thynges were in &s;uf|ficient readine&s;&s;e, Vitigis commaun|ded all hys men to be in armour by the breake of the next daye, whom he de|uided into companyes, appoyntynge what he would haue euery man to doe The Gothes were verye glad of it and wonderfull de&s;yrous of tha&s;&s;ault,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Tha&s;&s;ault of Rome.</NOTE> &s;ome carrying faggotts, &s;ome bearing &s;kalyng Ladders and other &s;ome dry|uyng the engines toward the walles. Beli&s;arius &s;tood vppon the vamure before the gate wyth the talle&s;t men that he coulde cho&s;e oute in all hys ho&s;t,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Thvn&s;kilful|ne&s;&s;e of the Gothes.</NOTE> geuynge all the re&s;te of hys retinewe charge, not to &s;tyre oute of theyr places before he gaue theym warnynge. The Turrettes (whi|che I toolde you that the Gothes had prepared) were drawen wyth Ox|en and &s;ette before the re&s;te of the o|ther engynes.</P>
<PB REF="50">
<P>The which thing whe~ Beli&s;arius be|helde, he laughed at the &s;implicitie of the Gothes, that they &s;hould thinke naked Oxen able to drawe an engine again&s;t armed enemies. And thervpon he commaunded all hys men to dy&s;|charge their arrowes at them, the whi+ch beynge done and thoxen forthwyth &s;laine, the engine &s;tood &s;till and coulde be remoued no further. Such as caried &s;kalinge ladders and faggottes to fill vp the dyches, being repul&s;ed with the number of weapons commynge from the vamure, coulde neyther fyll the di|ches, nor gette vnto the walles, nor yet brynge the battell Rammes nere. Neuertheles the battell of the Gothes abode by it, and ca&s;tinge their &s;heldes ouer their heades, &s;ometyme wyth plaine force came harde to their ene|myes, howbeit they were neuer able to winne the vamure. Thencounter was with arrowes, dartes, Iauelings pykes and all other kind of artillerie.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="10" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="34" REF="50">
<HEAD>&leaf; The .x. Chapter.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>&para; The maner of the a&s;&s;ault, the di&s;crip|tion of the tumble of the Emperour Adrian and the delacing of the &s;ame, the repul&s;e of the Gothes, the mur|muringe of the Romaines agayn&s;te Beli&s;arius, vvhervpon he aduerti&s;eth the emperour of his peril &amp; nece&s;&s;ity,</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>WHyle the&s;e things were in doing at the Pincian &amp; Salaria gates,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The continu|ance of the a&s;&s;ault.</NOTE> Rome was a&s;&s;aulted in three o|ther place. For Vitigis &s;etting parte of his armie tokepe Beli&s;arius occu|pied, went hym&s;elfe with a number of &s;ouldiers to the gate that leadeth to prene&s;te. And at the &s;ame in&s;tant ano|ther companie of the Gothes a&s;&s;aulted the gate of Aurelius. Another &s;orte of them endeuored to bru&s;t in at the gate that is on y^e tope of Ianiculum. Thus was Rome a&s;&s;aulted in foure places at ones at the gates Pinciana and Sa|laria which Beli&s;arius him&s;elf kepte, at the gate prene&s;tine where Be&s;&s;as
<PB REF="51">&s;tood, and at the gates of Aurelius and Ianiculum. But the Gothes that a&s;|&s;aulted Ianiculum were ea&s;lye put backe. For the place is &s;tepe and vnea|&s;ie to come vnto, in&s;omuch that a man could not well get to the wall though there were no bodye to let hym. And therefore mu&s;t their enterpry&s;e nedes be to none effect, the place beyng de|fended by Paule one of Beli&s;arius cap|taines wioth a pui&s;&s;ant band of &s;ouldi|ers. At the gate of Aurelius was &s;ome what more daunger. The waye was vaulted ouer that leadeth to the church of Saynct Peter thappo&s;tle.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Tha&s;&s;aulting of Adrians Pyle.</NOTE> The Go|thes hydynge them&s;elues in the &s;ayde Porche, a&s;tone as they e&s;pyed tyme for theyr purpo&s;e, brake &s;odaynely oute of theyr ambu&s;he, and in all ha&s;te made toward Adryans Pyle to winne it. And they dyd &s;o muche wyth theyr Ladders, that at the fyr&s;te brunte they tooke the vttermo&s;t wall whyche en|clo&s;eth the Pile and was foure &s;quare.
<PB N="35" REF="51">Thys Pyle was the &s;epuichre of the Emperour Adrian buylded of mo&s;te excellent and co&s;tly worke man&s;hippe.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The de&s;crip|tion of Adri|ans tumble.</NOTE> The fyr&s;te circuyt was made fowre-&s;quare, all of whyte Marble of the Ilande Paros, garny&s;hed through|oute wyth mo&s;t exquy&s;ite workes and portraytures. In the myddes of this &s;quare ry&s;eth vppe as if were a tower of a verye great heyghth, and of &s;uch a breadeth that a man were &s;ear&s;e a|ble to throwe a &s;tone directelye from the one &s;yde to the other of the foore that was on the toppe. It hathe a brydge leadynge from thence ouer the Tyber into the Cytye. For the Ci|tye endethe at the Ryuer Tyber, and thys is on the further&s;yde of the Ry|uer. Yet notwyth&s;tandynge bycau&s;e it had a brydge &s;tretchynge harde to the walles of the Cyfye, and was (as it were) a certayne Towre or bulwarke, Beli&s;arius prouyded be|fore hand to haue it well marmed and
<PB REF="52" MS="y">kept with his owne &s;ouldiers, commit|ting the charge therof to Con&s;tantine. Con&s;tantine therefore when as a lytle before he &s;awe hys enemies pa&s;&s;inge ouer the Riuer Tiber in botes, to a&s;|&s;ault that part of the Citie which is be+twene the fielde of Mars and the gate of Aurelius, fearing the lowne&s;&s;e of y^e walles, (for they were not very &s;trong and defen&s;ible theraboutes nere vnto the Riuer) ranne thyther from Adri|ans pyle with a band of &s;ouldiers, lea|uing but a fewe behind him for the de|fence of the pyle. The Gothes herevp|on (as we &s;aid before) hauinge by mea|nes of thab&s;ence of the Captaine gotte~ the outer ciccuit, endeuored al&s;o to winne the pyle it &s;elfe. The &s;ouldiers that were aboue, to thentent the more to endomage &amp; repul&s;e their enemies,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The defacing of an excelle~t piece of vvork</NOTE> committed an euill acte. There were in the toppe of the pyle on euerye &s;yde, vpon the battlementes great ymages of men, hor&s;es, and chariottes, conning ly deui&s;ed and excellentlye wroughte.
<PB N="36" REF="52" MS="y">Some of the&s;e the &s;ouldiers tumbled downe whole vppon their enemies, o|ther &s;ome thei brake in pieces to throw at the~, And &s;o whether it were through the rudenes or through the lewdnes of the &s;ouldiers, within few howers were de&s;troied the excellent innentions of y^e conning e&s;t workmen in all the world, whiche co&s;t &s;o many yeres in making, and which were the greate&s;t ornamen+tes and the very heautie of the tumber.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Adrians pyle is re&s;covved.</NOTE> Con&s;tantyue hauynge in the meane while repul&s;ed the euemy from the ry|uer, hearing in what ieoperdie the pile was, re&s;cowed it by the bridge, and a&s;|&s;ailed his enemies from beneth, wher|with his owne &s;ouldiers were greatly recomforted and encouraged. By thys meanes the Pyle at length was &s;aued, and the enemy repul&s;ed. At the gate to+ward prene&s;te al&s;o (where Vitigis and the Gothes that he brought with hym gaue the a&s;&s;ault) was great daunger. For not farre from the &s;aid gate was a place called Vinariu~. The &s;ame was
<PB REF="53">double walled, wyth a good &s;pace be|twen the two walles. The ground be twene the~ was very plaine and leuell, and the walles &s;ome what weake.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rome in dau~+ger to be ta|ken by a&s;|&s;aulte.</NOTE> Vi|tigis therfore and the Gothes geuing a&s;&s;aulte to the vttermo&s;te wall, albeit that there was vuleant and manful de+fence made agayn&s;te theym, yet they wanne it by &s;ure force. Then Be&s;&s;as (to who&s;e charge that part was comit|ted) mi&s;tru&s;tinge that he was not able to continue long again&s;t &s;o greats po|wer of his enemyes, &s;ent worde in all ha&s;te to Beli&s;arius in what perill he &s;tood, de&s;yring him to come to his re&s;|cow w^t al the &s;pede he could make. Be|li&s;arius &s;omwhat moued with the mat+ter. Left &s;ufficient defence behind him at the gate Salaria, and hym&s;elfe with a band of hys be&s;t &s;ouldyers ranne tho rowe the Citye to the &s;ame place. At hys comminge thyther thencounter was renewed a fre&s;he, and the &s;oul|diers beganne to take harte at the pre|&s;ence
<PB N="37" REF="53">of theyr Captayne, The Gothes had vndermined the wall, and a great companye of them enteryng in at the breach &s;tood betweite the two walles. By meanes whereof the feyghte was verye &s;harpe and cruell in the &s;ame place. In fyne tha&s;&s;aulte came to this ende, that the Gothes were co~&s;trained to retyre out at the &s;ame gappe where they came in, with greate &s;laughter and lo&s;&s;e of their people.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The repul&s;e of the gothes at the fyr&s;te a&s;&s;aulte.</NOTE> As &s;one as they were gotten oute, theyr enemies pur&s;ewynge hard vppon the, chaced theym away, and &s;et all theyr engines on fyre. The lyke chaunce happened vnto theym at the Gate Salaria. For the &s;ouldyers breakynge oute vppon theym, burnt vppe all theyr Turrets and other engynes. Thus was Rome in one daye bothe earne&s;tlye a&s;&s;aul|ted in manye places at ones, and va|leantlye defended. There were &s;tayn at the&s;e a&s;&s;aultes aboute three thou &s;and Gothes, but yet the &s;yege en|dured &s;tyll.</P>
<PB REF="54">
<P>The Romaines albeit then had Beli|&s;arius in great admiracion for his pro|we&s;&s;e,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Romains murmur a|gain&s;t Beli&s;a|rius.</NOTE> yet they murmured again&s;t him in that again&s;t &s;o great a pui&s;ians of y^e Gothes, he had with &s;o &s;mall a handful in copari&s;on &s;tyered vp &s;e great warres &amp; ca&s;t the Citie of Rome into &s;uch ex|treme perill and imminent daunger.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Beli&s;arius vvri+teth to the Emperour.</NOTE> The which thinge Beli&s;arius percey|uing (for it was <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">st done in huther mu+ther) althoughe he had duiers other times before aduerti&s;ed y^e Emperour Iu&s;tinian therof. Yet notiwht&s;tanding being as then greatly moued with the matter, he wrote more earne&s;tly vnto him, declaring the be&s;etgement of the Citie of Rome, with the huge multi|tude of his enemies and the litle hand|full of his owne men. For he &s;aide he had bene faine to dimini&s;he his armye that he brought forth with him, by lea|uing garri&s;onsof &s;ouldiers at Panor|mus and Syxacu&s;e in Sicill: and by manninge of Naples Cume, &amp; other places in Italye, as nede required for
<PB N="38" REF="54">their defence and &s;aufgard <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> &s;o that he had no mo then v. thou&s;and remaining about him, and yet he was be&s;eged w^t an ho&s;t of .CC.M. The Romains vn|acquainted with &s;uch perills, wold not endure the ha&s;ard of y^e &s;iege. As for his owne part, he had once vowed to &s;pend his life in &s;he Emperour Iu&s;tinians &s;eruice; thende whereof he pa&s;&s;ed not greatly whether it came &s;one or late. Howbeit he &s;aid there was re&s;pecte to be had how much the &s;ame &s;hould re|dound to the honur or di&s;honour of the Empire of Rome.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="11" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>&leaf; The .xi. Chapter.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>&para; Themperour &s;endeth nevv &s;uccours in to Italy, Afinarius and Vligi&s;alus Cap|taines of the Gothes be&s;ege Salons in Dalmatia. Vitigis vvinneth Portua, and cau&s;eth all the Romaines to be put to death vvhom he helde at Rauenna as ho&s;tages. Beli&s;arius putteth all vnable folke for the vvars oute of the citie for con&s;uming of victalls, and bani&s;heth the pope vpon &s;u&s;picion of trea&s;on.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<PB REF="55">
<P>THe Emperour Iu&s;tinian was vs rye &s;ore moued at the receipte of the&s;e letters:<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Empe|rour &s;endeth nevv &s;uccours into Italye.</NOTE> and therevpon com|maunded that certayne &s;ouldyers whi|ch had bene put in a readyne&s;&s;e before &s;hould immediatly &s;ayle into Italy, en+tending with all &s;pede to leuie a grea|ter power. Valerian and Martia~ were appoynted Captaynes of tho&s;e &s;ouldy|ers whyche he had alreadye prepared and whyche had wyntered all the dead tyme of that yere in Aetoly and Acar|name. The newes hereof beyngs broughte to Rome, put the Romains in good comforte lokynge for theyr ar|riuall as &s;one as the tyme of the yere wold &s;erue. While the&s;e thyngs were a dooynge at Rome,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Gothes be&s;ege Salo~s in Dalmatia.</NOTE> A&s;inarius and Vligi&s;alus Captaynes of the Gothes (whom Vitigis had &s;ent wyth an ho&s;t of men into Dalmatia, appoyntynge to theym moreouer for theyr more &s;trengthe a nauye of &s;hyppes), be|&s;yeged Salons bothe by &s;ea and lande For Con&s;tantian perceyuynge hym
<PB N="39" REF="55">&s;elfe to weake to matche &s;o huge a po|wer as hys enemies had, fortifyed the Citie throughly before hand and abode the &s;yege. Durynge the which, &s;ome|tyme y&s;&s;ewinge oute of the towne, he dyd greate harme to the Gothes both by &s;ea and by lande. In thys meane time, Rome beganne to be more hard|ly di&s;tre&s;&s;ed by the &s;eyge. For Vitigis after the time that he had taken &s;o di&s;|honorable repul&s;e at the fore&s;ayde a&s;|&s;aulte, beynge therewith &s;omewhat quickned, cea&s;ed not to &s;eke &amp; &s;erche all meanes po&s;&s;ible to be deuy&s;ed, where|by he myghte anoye hys be&s;eeged ene|myes. There was a hauen by the Sea &s;yde &s;tandinge on the ryght hand of the Kyuer Tyber, and adioyning to the &s;ame a Cytye enuyroned wyth a &s;tronge wall. In the whyche place were wonte to be &s;ette a lande all &s;uche thynges as were broughte by water:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Vitigis vvyn|neth Portua,</NOTE> and from thence agayne eyther by lande or by water were con|neyed to Rome.</P>
<PB REF="56">
<P>Vitigis therfore &s;ending thither &s;odain ly a great number of his &s;ouldiers, a&s;|&s;ailed the &s;aid citie of Portua vnwares and wonne it ere the town&s;men could put them&s;elues in a readines to make re&s;y&s;tens agan&s;t &s;o greate a power of the Gothes. By taking of this towne &s;trayt wayes en&s;ued great di&s;tre&s;&s;e at Rome, when their vent of fetching in of corne and victiaulls was ones &s;top|ped. For the Gothes leauing a gari&s;on of &s;ouldiers there,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The cruell commaunde|ment of Viti|gis again&s;t the Romayne ho&s;tage</NOTE> dyd kepe both the towne and the mouth of Tiber &s;uffer|ing nothing to be conueyed in. It was not longe after but that Vitigis &s;ent commaundement to Rauenna, that al the Citizens of Rome, which (as is de|clared) he led from thens and kept for ho&s;tages &s;hould be put to death. Many of them were of the nobility and many of the commonaltie (&s;urely worthy per+&s;onages) all the which ta&s;ted of one cup &s;auyng a few who hauinge incling of the matter before, e&s;caped by flighte. Amonge the which number were Cer+uentinus.
<PB N="40" REF="56">&amp; Reparatus the brother of Vigilins, that was afterward pope. For they hauing warning therof, fled into Fraunce and &s;aued their lyues. the re&s;t were all put to death. In the tyme that the Romaines moorned and lamented for the &s;iaughter of theyr ei|tizens at Rauenna, there came ano|ther &s;orrow in the necke of it. For Be+li&s;arius fearinge lea&s;t graine &s;houlde faile and ware &s;earce, made proclama|cion that the citizens &s;hould &s;end away their wiues and children, wyth al tho|ther multitude that was vnmete and vnable for the warres compelling hys men of warre al&s;o to doe the lyke why|ch had eyther Lemans or lackeys with in the towne. There were as yet two wayes left them to pa&s;&s;e out at. One leading to O&s;tia by the left &s;yde of the ryuer Tiber, and another through the fields cleane co~trary from tho&s;e places that were be&s;eged by thenemy. For the Gothes (as we haue &s;ayd) dyd not enui+ron the whole Citie with their &s;yege,
<PB REF="57">but onely from the gate of Aurelius to the gate that goeth to Prene&s;te. Be|yond tho&s;e boundes they dur&s;t not be+hold to be ouer bu&s;ye, or to &s;tray ouer farre. For yf they adue~tured ouer farre from theyr Campe, they lightly ranne in daunger of commynge &s;hort home, they could not &s;tirre any great way on|le&s;&s;e they went in greate companyes. By meanes whereof it came to pa&s;&s;e, that men myght at all tymes goe and come &s;aufely by the waye of Appius and the way of O&s;tia. The Romaines therefore &s;ent forthe their wyues and children and all their other people that were vnmeete for the warres. Wher|of &s;omme abode in Campanie, &s;ome at Naples and &s;ome in Sicill as eue+ry man thought mo&s;t for hys commo|ditye and behoofe. At Rome Beli&s;ari|us gaue &s;treyghte commaundemente and looked narrowlye to it,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Beli&s;arius de|uideth corne by the pole.</NOTE> that the corne was deuyded by the poll, to the entent y^e no wa&s;te nor &s;poyle &s;hould be made of it. The &s;ame time Beli&s;arius
<PB N="41" REF="57">banni&s;hed the town Liberius the pope vppon &s;u&s;picion of &s;ecrete con&s;piratie with the Gothes.<NOTE PLACE="marg">A pope bani|&s;hed vpo~ &s;u&s;|pition of trco|&s;on.</NOTE> And anone after was Vigilius con&s;ecrated high bi&s;hop and en&s;talled in his &s;teed. Other of the nobilitie of Rome al&s;o were banni&s;hed vppon lyke pre&s;umption, of the which number was one Marimus, who&s;e great graundfather after the death of Valentinian had v&s;urped the name and dignitie of the Empyre.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="12" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>The .xij. Chapter.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>The ayde that the Emperour &s;ent into Italy commeth to Rome, Beli&s;arius after practi|&s;ing his fouldiers in ikyrmi&s;hes, encoun|tereth vvith the Gothes in a mayne battell, and is ouercome vvith great &s;laughter.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>WHyle the&s;e thynges were a do|ing,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Nevv &s;uccour commeth to Rome.</NOTE> Martine &amp; Valerian (whom Iu&s;tinian had &s;ent forth as I &s;he|wed before) came vnto Rome, bring|ing with them a thou&s;and &amp; fixe hun|dred hor&s;emen, the which for the mo&s;t
<PB REF="58">parte with all Hunnes. Beli&s;ari|us beynge recomforted by the com|mynge of the&s;e Souldyers, determi|ned to order hys warres after ano|ther &s;ort then he had done before. For he was not mynded to &s;tand &s;tyl with in the Citye kepynge of the walles,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Beli&s;. practi|&s;eth his Soul|dyers in Skyt|mi&s;&s;hes.</NOTE> but euery daye &s;ent out hys lyght hor&s;e men and &s;kirmy&s;hed wyth hys ene|myes in open fyelde. By meanes whereof it came to pa&s;&s;e, that bothe partes were wonderfullye enflamed, and nothynge was lefte vnatrempted. For Beli&s;arius beynge a mo&s;t expert captaine in fcats of armes, taught his hor&s;men what they &s;hould do, &s;hewing them how farre they &s;huld go, &amp; where and when they &s;hould &s;tay. One while he &s;ent out his hor&s;men &s;odainly at the gates Salaria and Pinciana, and di&s;|quietted the Gothes that encamped theraboutes. Another while he would y&s;&s;ue oute at Aurelius gate and be do|yng wyth the Gothes that lay betwen Adrians tumbe &amp; the bridge Miluius.
<PB N="42" REF="58">In the&s;e conflictes the fouldiers of Be+li&s;arius beganne to preualle. Not that they were able to match the whole po|wer of theyr enemyes hor&s;emen, but becau&s;e they &s;eemed to be to good for them being equally matched as many to as many, or &s;ome what mo in num|ber then they them &s;elues were, and to be of more conning and audacitie in their feighting. His hor&s;emen being thus by litle and litle practi&s;ed, began to &s;et lyght by the hor&s;emen of theyr enemies. And the be&s;ieged beganne to take courage and confidence vn|to them. To be &s;hort, it came to that point, that they would not any more &s;kyrni&s;&s;he, but feight it out in the playne field wyth hand &s;trokes.</P>
<P>For the Captaynes and the Soul|dyers had lyen &s;o &s;ore at Beli&s;arius, and had &s;o often and &s;o carne&s;tly en|treated hym, that he determined to trye &s;ome greater encounter.<NOTE PLACE="marg">A battell be|tvvene the Go+thes and Beli|&s;arius.</NOTE></P>
<PB REF="59">
<P>And therevpon he di&s;po&s;ed his armye in this wy&s;e. Fir&s;t he commaunded one band to i&s;&s;ue out at the gate of Au|relius and to &s;tand in battell raye be|fore Adrianus tumbe again&s;t theyr enemies. The charge of this bande he committed to Valentine Lieutenant of the hor&s;emen, geuing him be&s;ides his hor&s;emen a certayne of the olde ex|pert footemen, and of the people of Rome, which of their own fre wyll re|que&s;ted the thyng at his hand. He wold not haue the&s;e footemen &s;tand with the hor&s;emen, but willed them to take the hilles which ri&s;e ouer the playnes on the left hand of Ianiculum. And he gaue Valentine commaundement to make a &s;hewe as though he woulde e|ner geue an on&s;et vppon the enemye, but in anye wy&s;e not to encounter with them vnle&s;&s;e he were compelled. For hys mynde was no moore but to deteyne that parte of the Gothes that encamped in that place, &s;tyll there, to the entent they &s;houlde not &s;uccour
<PB N="43" REF="59">theyr felowed al the gate Saiaria where he determined to feyght. Then made he two other battels, one at the gate Saleria, and another at the gate Pinciana. And in them both he placed the hor&s;emen in the forewarde, and the footemen in the rereward, com|maundynge eche battell to i&s;&s;ue out at theyr &s;euerall gates and to marche toward theyr enemies. Vitigis kynge of the Gothes hauyng intelligence by certayne runnagates that he &s;houlde haue battell the nexte morowe, cau|&s;ed the Gothes to arme them &s;elues by the breake of the daye. In orde|ryng of hys battelles, he &s;et hys foote|men in the middes, and on eche &s;yde of them hys hor&s;emen, as it were in wynges. In thys order he proceded a|gayn&s;t Beli&s;arius and gaue hym bat|tell. The Souldyers on bothe &s;ydes encountered together very fyercely. And the Captaynes folowynge after them, Beli&s;arius on the one &s;yde and Vitigis on the other, encouraged
<PB REF="60">their parties. At the beginning of the battell, the Souldiers of Beli&s;arius were farre to &s;trong for their enemies, and many of the Gothes were &s;laine. The battell was foughte harde by their campe, by meanes whereof the Gothes abounding in multitude, &s;ent euer fre&s;he and fre&s;he in &s;teed of them that were ouerthrowen. In this &s;orte the conflict la&s;ted vntyll it was noone, neyther partye gettynge aduantage of other. Howbeit the Souldyers of Beli&s;arius foughte more cherefullye. The Gothes helde it out onely with &s;ufferaunce. In the meane tyme the battell that &s;tood at the Sepulchre of Adrian, encountred with theyr ene|mies. For the people of Rome de|&s;cendynge from the hylles gaue charge vppon the Gothes.</P>
<P>And Valentine perceyuynge hys peo|ple entangled wyth theyr enemyes, marched forewarde wyth the Ho&s;te whereof he was Captayne, from the rumbe of Adrian, and a&s;&s;ayled hys
<PB N="44" REF="60">enemyes al&s;o. By <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> whereof the Gothes were not able to endure long again&s;t them, in e&s;peciallye for|as muche as they were aba&s;thed at the great number that came downe from the hylles, &s;o that beyng not able to recouer agayne to theyr Cam|pe, they were fayne to flye further of. Nowe, the Romaynes that came from the hygher groundes fell by and by to ryflynge of theyr enemyes Tentes. By meanes whereof ney|ther they them &s;elues pur&s;ued theyr enemyes, nor yet the Souldyers,<NOTE PLACE="marg">It is yll fi&s;h|ing before the nette.</NOTE> but &s;uffered them to goe where they woulds. For the Souldyers percey|uynge them to fall to ryflynge, to the entente they woulde not lo&s;e theyr parte of the Praye, lefte the pur&s;ute of theyr enemyes, and retour|ned to &s;poyle theyr Tentes al&s;o. And &s;o the Gothes being let &s;lip, when they
<PB REF="61">&s;awe that no <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"> them &s;tayed in the next mountaynes. From thence beholdyng theyr tentes to be pulled downe and earyed away, when they perceyued howe theyr enemyes kept neyther any order nor warrelyke di&s;cipline, they encouraged one ano|ther and gaue a newe charge vppon them. Whome (by rea&s;on they were laden and &s;kattered in gatherynge of the &s;poyle) they ea&s;ly ouercame, and &s;o both faued theyr tentes and al&s;o re|couered theyr pray. By that tyme For|tune beganne to chaunge her copie a|boute the kinges campe al&s;o. For the Gothi&s;he footemen re&s;orting in great number out of the nexte campe, ea&s;t them &s;elues vppon Beli&s;arius hor&s;e|men, and keueryng them &s;elues wyth theyr &s;hieldes in maner of a vaulte, prea&s;ed &s;o &s;ore vppon the forefront of theyr battell, that they compelled them to lo&s;e grounde. The whyche thynge when theyr hor&s;emen that &s;toode on the ryght wynge perceyued,
<PB N="45" REF="61">they a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">o auayied Beli&s;arius hor&s;e|men on the &s;yde. Who beynge not able to abyde the brunte and force of them any long tyme,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Beli&s;. and hys+men put to fleyght.</NOTE> af length rety|red to the mayne battell of theyr foote|men. The which beyng not of &s;trength &s;ufficient to with&s;tande the violence of the enemye, was with great &s;laugh|ter lyke wy&s;e put to flyght. Howe be it, there were two Peticaptaynes na|med Principius and Taruunt, who&s;e man hode and audacitie was well ap|proued in that place to theyr great com+mendation and immortall fame.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The valiaunt|nes of Princi|pius and Tar|nunt.</NOTE> For at &s;uche tyme as all the re&s;te fled, they two kepyng theyr &s;tandings, put them &s;elues again&s;t the whole power of the Gothes, and kepte them occupyed, to thentent that theyr companye mighte haue &s;pace to recouer the citie, &s;o long vntyll Principius beynge pitifullye mangled all hys body ouer, after long &s;eyghtyng fell downe, and aboute hym two and fourtye of hys retinewe: and Taruuntes being of lyke valiantues
<PB REF="62">and courage, when he ha<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> lo&s;t much blood at hys woundes, and that hys &s;trength beganne to fayle, was caried out of y^e battel to the Pincian gate by hys brother whether he woulde or no, and there fell downe dead.</P>
<P>After who&s;e departure the Souldy|ers ranne ful flyght toward the Citie.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The peryll of the~ that were ouercome.</NOTE> The Romaines &s;tanding vppon the walles dyd &s;hut y^t gatesagain&s;t them, for feare lea&s;t their enemies &s;hould ha|ue entered in with them. by meanes whereof agreat forte of the &s;ouldyers were &s;hutte out who getting ouer the Vaumure, &s;tood with their backes to the wales and their faces toward their enemies, hauyng no way to &s;aue their lyues but one, which was to be defen|ded by them that &s;tood vppon the wal|les. For the mo&s;t part of them hauing eyther broken their wapons in the bat|tell, or ells throwen them a way in the chace, had not wher with to defend them felues Howbeit tho&s;e that were vppon the battelmentes defended
<PB N="46" REF="62">them wyth &s;tones. Thys battell being begonne at the Campe of the Gothes at the la&s;te ended harde at the gates and walles of the Towne. There were &s;layne of Beli&s;arius men a great number, and tho&s;e of the valiante&s;t and be&s;t practi&s;ed.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="13" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>&para; The .xiii. Chapter.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>&leaf; Of dyuers &s;kyrmi&s;hes duringe the continuaunce of the &s;yege, the Gothes enuiron the Citye wyth another Campe wherevppon gro|weth &s;carcetye, and anone after en|&s;eweth the plague. Beli&s;arius by hys pollicye cau&s;ed &s;carcetye in the Gothy&s;he campe likewy&s;e, into the whiche the plague &s;pre|deth it &s;elfe al&s;o.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<PB REF="63">
<P>AFter this barrell Beli&s;arius ab|&s;teyned certayne dayes from fey|ghtyng,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The &s;yndged child dreadeth fyer.</NOTE> and was content to de|fend the walles onely. At the length, when he had well hartened hys foul|diers, he beganne to lead them forth a|gaine. But he dur&s;t not any more en|counter with his whole power. Only he per&s;euered to make lighte &s;kyrmi&s;|&s;hes as he had benn wont to do before. Of the which &s;ome were very notable &s;pecially &s;uche as were agayn&s;t tho&s;e Gothes that encamped on the hyther &s;yde of the bridge Miluius oueragain&s;t the gate of Aurelius.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Skyrmi&s;&s;hes aboute the bridge Milui|us.</NOTE> For in the &s;ame place is a plaine grounde very fytte for hor&s;emen to &s;kyrmi&s;&s;he in, and in the &s;ame playne &s;tandeth a theatre buyl|ded in olde tyme for mai&s;ters of fence to playe at weapons in. Aboute the &s;ame theatre were many whote &s;kyr|mi&s;&s;hes. Becau&s;e that eyther the foul|diers of Beli&s;arius dyd take and v&s;e it for a campe, or elles the Gothes pre|uentynge them layed ambu&s;&s;hes in
<PB N="47" REF="63">the &s;ame. Moreouer, both at the gate Salaria, and the gate Pinciana, daye by daye was &s;kyrmi&s;hyng, almo&s;t eue|rye daye. The Gothes therefore con|&s;ideryng howe the &s;iege was lyke to continew longe, thoughte there was no hope of wynnyng of the Citie anye other waye then by famin. For albeit that the taking awai of y^t hauen might &s;eeme to haue bene a great anoyance: yet not with&s;tandyng (as mans witte is imaginatiue &s;pecially in extremitie) the hoyes and &s;uch other &s;hippes of bur then as were wont to arriue at Port|na, arriued at Autium,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Aduer&s;itie <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">+keth men wy&s;e.</NOTE> and there vn|loding their corne and other nece&s;&s;a|ries &s;ent them from thence to Rome by land. The Gothes therefore de&s;y|rous to cutte of this commoditie from the Romains al&s;o, pytched the eyght Campe aboute the Citie betwene the waye that leadeth into Latium, and the waye of Appius. For there are in the &s;ame place two conduytes, the whiche cro&s;&s;yng eche other doe &s;tretch
<PB REF="64">as it were into two armes, and lea|uyng a certayne &s;pace betwixte them do mete a gayne a good waye of. They are from the Citie aboute fyue myles. The grounde betwene the &s;ayde ar|mes the Gothes tooke and enclo&s;ed with a Wall of &s;tone layed with lome. And &s;o by that meanes they hadde a &s;trong and well fortified campe, wher|in they placed &s;euen thou&s;ande hor&s;e|men, who infe&s;tyng bothe the vpper ma&s;t and the neather coa&s;t,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The great pe|ril that Rome &s;tood in.</NOTE> &s;topped vp the way into Latium, the waye of Ap|pius, and the waye to O&s;tia cuttynge of all libertie of conueying in of corne. Through this, they that were be&s;&s;e|ged &s;tood in wor&s;e ca&s;e then euer they dyd, and it was none other lyke but that Rome &s;houlde be fami&s;hed. Yet not wyth&s;tandynge as longe as there was corne in the fieldes, the Souldy|ers woulde &s;teale out of the towne in the night tyme, and fetch in corne, the which they &s;olde very dere to the Citi|zens, and &s;o relieued the nece&s;&s;itie for a
<PB N="48" REF="64">whyle. But when that this &s;hift once fayled, then all thyngs laye in vtter de|&s;payre. Nowe was the Sunne at the highe&s;t and the dayes at the longe&s;t, and the plage beganne to raigne in the towne, &s;o that diuers dyed,<NOTE PLACE="marg">A plage.</NOTE> not only of the common people, but al&s;o of Beli|&s;arius Souldiers. They were brought to a great di&s;tre&s;&s;e, and to afore after|deale, and therefore the Romaines refortyng to Beli&s;arius, bewayled theyr heauie mi&s;fortune,<NOTE PLACE="marg">A pitous com|playnt.</NOTE> in that they had brought them&s;elues to &s;uch extre|mitie by kepyng theyr fayth and alle|geans towarde the Emperoure vp|pon hys promi&s;e. For theyr Citizens had bene mi&s;erablye murdered at Ra|uenna by their enemie, their citie di&s;he+norably be&s;ieged by y^t Gothes, all thin|ges without y^t walls wa&s;ted &amp; &s;poiled, &amp; within the walls oppre&s;&s;ed with intol|lerable famin &amp; penurie of all things. Wherefore they be&s;oughte hym to leade them forth again&s;t theyr enemy, for it were better for them to dye lyke
<PB REF="65">men with their weapons in their hads then to pine away for hunger and to a|byde &s;o great and &s;o di&s;honorable cala|mities. When Beli&s;arius heard them make their mone in this &s;orte, he gaue them &s;carce &s;o gentle aun&s;were as the ca&s;e required.<NOTE PLACE="marg">A rough an|&s;were.</NOTE> He &s;aide they were mi&s;|&s;adui&s;ed and ledde by ra&s;&s;henes ac|cordyng to the nature of common peo|ple, whyche are wonte to be ledde by rage rather then ruled by rea&s;o~. They knewe well ynough that he was wont to be alwayes ruled by Coun&s;ell and to doe hys matters by di&s;cretion, and not by wylfullnes. He looked for an ar|mye of men from the Emperour, the whyche beynge ones come, yf they were then &s;o willynge to feyghte as they made them&s;elues to be, he might be able to warrant them victory wyth+oute fayle. The &s;ayd armie did bring wyth theym an infinite deale of corne and therefore he wylled theym to de|parte and to lette theym alone wyth the order of the warres.</P>
<PB N="49" REF="65">
<P>The Romaines with the&s;e words ey|ther recomforted or rather put in feare he beganne to imagin and deui&s;e with him&s;elfe,<NOTE PLACE="marg">the vvi&s;e prac+ti&s;e and pol|licie of Beli|&s;arius.</NOTE> by what meanes he myghte bring &s;carcene&s;&s;e of corne amonge the Gothes. For the performance wherof he practi&s;ed this pollicie. He &s;ent Con|&s;tantin and Traiane with a thou&s;and hor&s;men vnto Taracine, and Martine and Seuthis with fyue hundred vnto Tibur: and he placed another bande at Alba. Vnto all the&s;e he gaue commau~|dement that to the vttermo&s;te of their power they &s;huld &s;toppe all victuallers from the Gothi&s;he Campe, and helpe to &s;aufro~duct them that were willing to goe to Rome. And to thentent that the Campe which laye at the Conduyt &s;hould not anoy them, he cau&s;ed a bul|warke to be fortified at the church of &s;. Paule, and appointed a troope of hor&s;e men toward in the &s;ame place, to then|tent to defend the wayes (as farre as they could) from thinua&s;ions of y^e Go|thes.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Reuere~s ba<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> to religion.</NOTE> The church of S. Paule is w^tout
<PB REF="66">the gate toward O&s;tia, quite &amp; cleane another way from the church of S. Pe+ter, both of theym &s;tandyng wythout the towne and eche of them hauinge a porch from the gate of the Citie to the Church. The&s;e two temples of the A|po&s;tles The Gothes in all the tyme of their &s;iege did neuer violate. The prie&s;tes contynuinge in them dyd their deuine &s;eruice fr&eacute;ely wythoute inter|ruption or trouble, as they had bene accu&s;tomed to doe in foretymes. Con|&s;tantine and Traiane therfore goyng to Taracine, when they had broughte Antonia the wyfe of Beli&s;arius at Naples and there lefte her,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Antonia the vvife of Beli|&s;arius.</NOTE> retour|ned backe agayne and &s;poyled all the townes in tho&s;e quarters, whyche mini&s;tred relyefe and &s;uccour to the Gothes, and wythin &s;horte &s;pace they broughte to pa&s;&s;e, that nothing at al was conueyed to the Gothes out of tho&s;e places. Martine and Senthis al&s;o goyng to Tibur when they had re+paired the walles of that towne which
<PB N="50" REF="66">were decayed, dyd dayly mole&s;t and di&s;quiet the Gothes out of that place. By &s;ome meanes or other, &amp; wold not fuffer anye graine to be caried to theyr campe, The &s;ame thing did thei in like wife y^t were &s;ent to Alba. By meanes whereof w^tin very &s;hort &s;pace,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Scarcetie and pe&s;tilence in the Gothi&s;he Campe.</NOTE> it came to pa&s;&s;e y^t the Gothes which were y^t be fyegers, were put to as much di&s;tre&s;&s;e as they that were be&s;yeged. And be|&s;ides the &s;carcetye of corne, the pe&s;ti|lence al&s;o had &s;prede it &s;elfe into the campe of the Gothes.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="14" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>&para; The .xiiii. Chapter.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>&para; A new &s;uppliment of &s;ouldiers commeth from themperour, for the &s;aufe conuey wherof vnto Rome Beli&s;arius pollitique+ly prouideth to the great &s;laughter of the Gothes, who thervpon enter in commu|nication of peace, &s;o that a truce is taken whiles Amba&s;&s;adours may go and come from themperour to whom the determi+natio~ of all their co~trouer&s;ies is referred.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<PB REF="67">
<P>WHile the&s;e things were in doing,<NOTE PLACE="marg">A nevve &s;up|plement of &s;ouldiers.</NOTE> Iu&s;tinia~ &s;ent another ho&s;te of me~ into Italy. They were of Thra|cian hor&s;men eight hundred, of whom Iohn the &s;onne of his brother Vitalian had the leadinge: and a thou&s;and and three hundred mu&s;tered in other pla|ces, vnder the conducte of Alexander Maxcent and Zeno. Moreouer three thou&s;and footemen which came by wa+ter ledde by Paule and Conon. Al&s;o there were at Naples fyue hundred footemen prepared by Procopius of Ce&s;area. All the&s;e bandes a&s;&s;emblyng them&s;elues together, determyned to goe to Rome, they brought with them great plenty and &s;tore of victuals. The hor&s;men marched by the &s;ea coa&s;t, and the footemen were conueyed by wa|ter. In the &s;ame flete was broughte great abundaunce of corne, and much corne was al&s;o caryed by land in wa|gons. Beli&s;arius haui~g knowledge of theyr commynge,<NOTE PLACE="marg">A &s;uttle pol|licye.</NOTE> for feare lea&s;te the Gothes &s;hould meete wyth them and
<PB N="51" REF="67">interrupt them, inuented this pollicie. He commaunded the gate of Flami|nius (whyche he had dammed vp from the begynnyng of the &s;yege,) to be ope|ned in the nyght tyme and the bagage taken away wherewythall it was &s;top+ped. The whych beyng done he &s;ent certayne of hys &s;ouldyers thyther the nexte mornynge by the breake of the daye ready harne&s;&s;ed and well appoin|ted, byddyng them putte them&s;elues in araye and &s;o kept them clo&s;e wyth|oute noy&s;e. Then he &s;ent Traiane and Diogenes wyth a thou&s;and hor&s;e|men oute at the Pincian gate, com|maundynge theym to runne to the campe of theyr enemies with as much noy&s;e as they coulde, and when their enemyes were y&s;&s;ued out vpon them, to retyre backe agayne, and not to &s;taye before they came to the Gate where they went forthe. The&s;e thin|beynge in all poynctes thus accompli|&s;hed, whyles they were feyghtynge at the Pincian Gate, Beli&s;arius
<PB REF="68">&s;odainly i&s;&s;uyng out at the gate of Fla+minius with the re&s;te of hys armye, made &s;trayght to the campe of the Go|thes, where he founde all thynges vn|prouided and in maner emptye on that &s;yde, as they that mi&s;tru&s;ted no harme at all from the gate of Flaminius, be|cau&s;e that it had bene longe clo&s;ed vp.<NOTE PLACE="marg">a great &s;laugh+ter of the Gothes.</NOTE> So that it wanted lytle but that he had wonne their Campe. Then tour|ning hym &s;elfe towarde the Pincian gate, &amp; there gettyng his enemyes in the middes betwene his two hoo&s;ts, he by a&s;&s;ayling them on the backes, and tho&s;e that were fledde, by retournyng fier&s;ly vppon them before, &s;trake them with an incredible &s;laughter. And vp|pon thys Battell there fell &s;uche a terrible feare amonge them, that they doubled theyr watche in their Campe, and tooke care for nothynge &s;o much, as howe to defende them|&s;elues from the pollicies of Beli&s;a|rius. The enemye beynge by this
<PB N="52" REF="68">meanes troubled and putte in feare, the Emperours armye without anye let came vnto O&s;tia.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Communica|tion of peace</NOTE> The Gothes therefore beynge weryed and vexed with many di&s;plea&s;ures, and be&s;ydes that, vnder&s;tandynge howe a fre&s;he crewe of Souldyers were come to the ayde of Beli&s;arius, began to con&s;u<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">te of breaking vp theyr &s;iege. For by that tyme a great part of theyr campe was dimi&s;hed eyther by the plage or elles by the &s;worde, and many had bene fayne to for&s;ake the Campe, eyther for theyr woundes or elles for that they were &s;icke. Vitigis therefore &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">dyng Commi&s;&s;ioners, vnto Rome (after that many thynges had bene alledged, and aun&s;wered on bothe &s;ydes to and fro, as concernynge the equitye of theyr ca&s;e,) at length agreed to re|ferre the determination of theyr con|trouer&s;yes to the Emperour Iu&s;ti|nian, and he to decide the matter as he &s;hould thinke good.</P>
<PB REF="69">
<P>Here vppon Amba&s;&s;adours were &s;ent to hym,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Truce taken for a tyme.</NOTE> and a truce taken for thee mo|nethes vntyll they niyghte returne a|gaine, and for the better ob&s;eruynge of the truce, and performaunce of co|uenauntes, pledges were geuen and taken one both fydes. When thinges were thus &s;eta at &s;taye, the army and victualls that were meete at O&s;tia, came to Rome bothe by lande and by water.</P>
<P>&para; Thus endeth the fyr&s;t Booke.</P>
</DIV2>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="2" TYPE="book">
<PB N="53" REF="69">
<HEAD><HI>The &s;econd booke</HI> of Lenard Aretine, concer|nyng the warres in Italy again&s;t the Gothes.</HEAD>
<DIV2 N="1" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>&leaf; The fir&s;t Chapter.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>&para; There ri&s;eth occa&s;ion of grudge be|twene the Gothes and the imperialls which groweth to altercation, &s;o that in the end the truce is broken. Datius Bi&s;hop of Millaine enformeth Beli&s;a|rius of the good wills of the Millai|ners towards the Emperour and it re|mi&s;ed with great thankes Beli&s;arius is put in daunger of his lyfe by one of his Peticaptaines, whom he woulde haue punni&s;hed for his mi&s;behauiour the Gothes going about to &s;teale the Citie and to winne it by trea&s;on are tvvi&s;e detected.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>_WHyles thynges &s;toode thus at a &s;taie, and that the warres cea&s;ed by rea&s;on of the truce that was take~, (Beli&s;arius yet neuertheles in the
<PB REF="70">meane time kepinge Rome, ano <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> Gothes their Campe and b<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;tiles) &s;o|daynly there fortuned complaints and altercation for breakynge of the truce contrarie to promi&s;e,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Cau&s;es of al|tercation.</NOTE> vpon thys occa&s;i|on. There was (as I told you before) a garri&s;on of Gothes at the Citie Por|tua. Now the &s;ouldyers of the &s;aid gar|ri&s;on, when victualls fayled them, for|&s;oke the towne. They were not &s;o &s;one gonne out of it, but y^e Paule Captaine of the I&s;autiens, remayning with the nauyc at O&s;tia, entered into it. And wythin a whyle after, the &s;ouldyers of Beli&s;arius receyued another Cyty in Tu&s;kye nere vnto the &s;ea &s;yde cal|led Centumcelles beynge lykewy&s;e lefte vppe by the Gothes. Moreouer the Gothes abandoned vppe the Ci|tye Alba amonge the mar&s;es after the &s;ame &s;orte, and the &s;ouldyers of Beli&s;arius tooke it. When Vitigis knewe that hys enemyes had taken tho&s;e Cities, he &s;ent commi&s;&s;ioners to Rome, to complayne of violatyng
<PB N="54" REF="70">the Truce contrarye to the articles of agreement. In that Portua, Cent|umcelles, and Alba townes of the Gothes, contrarye to all equitye and con&s;cience, were taken from them for the Gothes had not geuen theym vppe, but &s;uche as were there in garry&s;on were comme to hym at hys commaundement, and &s;hould haue &s;hortlye retourned into the &s;ame a|gayn that whych they did they thought they myghte the freelyer haue done it by rea&s;on of the Truce. And there|fore of rea&s;on, re&s;titution oughte to be made. Beli&s;arius made aun&s;were to the commi&s;&s;ioners in this wy&s;e. Re|turne (&abquod; he) to the Kynge your Ma|&s;ter, and tell hym that as for tho&s;e thin+ges that he alledgeth as concernynge the callynge of hys garry&s;ons from theyr charges, to &s;end them thyther agayne, are but feyned matters.</P>
<P>For it was ea&s;ye to be &s;ene for what con&s;yderation the Gothes for&s;ooke tho&s;e Cytyes.</P>
<PB REF="71">
<P>He confe&s;&s;ed that it was not lawful for him by the truce, to take them perforce or to &s;ceale the~, but to enter vpon &s;uch as had no owners, nor anye bodye to k&eacute;epe po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion, that he &s;ayd was not forbidden. Vppon this matter ro&s;e pre|uye grudge and hartburnyng, the Go|thes &s;ekynge meanes to requite Beli|&s;arius wyth the lyke. For tho&s;e thre ci|ties being taken, did Beli&s;arius great plea&s;ure and &s;eruice for the warres. Wynter drew on a pace. And Beli&s;a|rius hauing men of warre good &s;tore, determined to &s;end forth his hor&s;men to winter in the country. Whervppon be&s;ides tho&s;e that went into other pla|ces. He &s;ent MM. into the Country of the Picents. Ouer who~ he made cap|taine Iohn Vitalian geuinge him in|&s;tructions what he would haue hym to do. There were in the &s;ame countrye the wiues and children of the Gothes, for the hu&s;ba~ds &amp; fathers were al come to the &s;iege of Rome as many as were able to beare armour. If the truce co~n|tinued,
<PB N="55" REF="71">he bad he &s;huld not &s;tirre, but yf the Gothes &s;hould happen to worke anye thynge contrarye to the articles of the Truce, then he wylled hym to make hauocke and &s;poyle, and to take as manye townes as he could. If any towne made re&s;i&s;tens he commaun|ded hym to be&s;yege it, and not to pa&s;&s;e from it vntyll he had wonne it. For he thoughte it &s;houlde not be for hys ea&s;e to proc&eacute;ede onward, and leaue the Townes of hys enemyes behynde hym. Wyth the&s;e wordes and in&s;truc|tions Beli&s;arius &s;ent Iohn amonge the Picentes wyth an armye. The verye &s;ame tyme Datius By&s;hoppe of Myllaine,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Datius bi&s;|&s;hoppe of Millaine.</NOTE> and wyth hym certayne of the heade Cityzens came to Beli|&s;arius declarynge vnto hym, that the Cytye of Myllaine &s;houlde be at the Emperours commaundement, yf he woulde &s;end neuer &s;o &s;lender a garry|&s;on thyther. For they were of power &s;uffycient of theym&s;elues to dryue the Gothes not onely out of Myllaine,
<PB REF="72">but al&s;o oute of all Lumbardye, yf &s;o be it that the Emperour woulde but onely beare the name of it. Beli&s;a|rius entertaynynge theym curtuou&s;ly, and geuyng theym mo&s;te harty than|kes wyth gentle and honorable words wylled theym to putte no doubte in the matter,<NOTE PLACE="marg">A &s;o dayne daunger.</NOTE> affyrmynge that when tyme &s;erued he woulde fullfyll theyr reque&s;tes. Duringe thys tyme that all thynges thus pro&s;pered and follo|wed theyr de&s;yres, there happened an horrible daunger, the whyche in one moment had almo&s;te tourned all thynges vppe &s;yde downe. There was one Pre&s;idius a citizien of Rome who beynge wont to dwell at Rauen|na, in the begynnyng of thys warre &s;tale awaye from thence, and came to Rome. In hys iourney the &s;oul|dyers of Con&s;tantyne whiche laye at Spolet, had taken from hym a &s;word curiouflye wroughte and co&s;tlye ver|ny&s;hed. The man beynge robbed and
<PB N="56" REF="72">takyngs the dy&s;plea&s;ure in yll parte, had made complaint thereof to Beli|&s;arius wyth reque&s;t to haue hys good re&s;tored again. And Beli&s;arius had ge+uen commaundement that it &s;houlde be &s;o. But by meanes of the warre and of the &s;yege whyche afterwarde en&s;ewed, the &s;ouldyers beynge o|therwy&s;e occupyed and the Captayne bu&s;yed aboute weightier matters, the thynge was delayed. At the length in thys tyme (as I &s;ayde) whyles all thynges were in ioyfull e&s;tate, as Beli&s;arius rodde through the towne. Pre&s;idius caughte hys Hor&s;e by the brydle, and wyth a lowd and com|playnynge voyce, in the audyence of a greate number, a&s;ked hym yf it were meete that a Cytyzen of Rome (who abandonynge all that euer he had to the enemy had fled a|way naked) &s;huld al&s;o be robbed by his &s;ouldiers of that little y^e he had caryed away w^t him, and be thus wrongfully
<PB REF="73">and iniurlou&s;ly dealt withall. He &s;ayd he had oftentymes putte vp hys com|playnt vnto him of the wrong and vio|lence that had bene offered, and coulde haue no redre&s;&s;e, and yet they that had robbed hym, had hys good wythin the Cyty, and dyd weare it daylye before hys face. The&s;e wordes dyd &s;tyrre the pacience of Beli&s;arius verye &s;ore.</P>
<P>And therfore affoone as he came home he cau&s;ed Con&s;tantine to be called be|fore hym (for they were his &s;ouldiers that had taken awaye the &s;worde) and gaue hym a great rebuke for neglec|tyng of his commaundement &s;o often|tymes in delyuerynge of the &s;worde. Marry (&abquod; Con&s;tantine) I wyll rather throwe it into the Tyber, then I wyll re&s;tore it to that Varlet. This was ve|ry lewdly and pre&s;umptuou&s;ly an&s;we|red. Then &s;ayde Beli&s;arius vnto him, art not thou vnder me? Yes &s;ayd he, for as much as it is the Emperours plea|&s;ure. But yet for all that, in this one thyng I wyll neuer be ruled by you
<PB N="57" REF="73">whyles I lyue. When Beli&s;arius hard hym &s;aye &s;o, he was more angrye with hym then before, and called for the Serieauntes. Con&s;tantine kno|wing that it &s;hould be to his co&s;te that the Serieauntes were &s;ent for, drewe out his Dagger that hung at his thigh and lyke a Bedlem runnyng at Beli|&s;arius, and dabbed hym in a lytle be|neath the &s;tomacke. Out of dout yf &s;uch as &s;tood by, had not &s;pedely &s;tept vnto him, and wronge the Dagger out of hys hande, and delyuered hym to the officers, Beli&s;arius had &s;urely di|ed forit, and hys death had drawen all things with it to vtter ruine, &amp; the Go|thes had the &s;ame day bene made lords of all. But God of hys infinite good|nes woulde not &s;uffer &s;o great a mi&s;|chaunce to happen. And after at the commaundement of Beli&s;arius, Con|&s;tantine was put to death. Within a whyle after,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Trea&s;on tvvi&s;e detected.</NOTE> the Gothes attempted to haue raken Rome by &s;tealth, fir&s;t by a way that they founde out in one of the
<PB REF="74">channells of the conduites in the night tyme, and afterwarde by &s;tealing ouer the ryuer in botes nere vnto the fielde of Mars. But they mi&s;&s;ed of their pur|po&s;e in both places. For in the channel theyr owne lyghts bewrayed theyr co|uert workyng, by meaues whereof the channell was &s;topped, &amp; they enclo&s;ed from gettyng out. And at the field of Mars their trea&s;on was detected, &amp; &s;o their attempt was made fru&s;trat. The trea&s;on was deui&s;edin this wi&s;e. Two ra&s;call Varletts that dwelte by S. Pe|ters churche (the Gothes as is &s;howed before, neuer offered harme or di&s;plea|&s;ure to that place, but in honour of tha|po&s;tle pre&s;erued bethe the buyldynges therof and tho&s;e that dwelled in them unhurt) had &s;ecret co~ference w^t Vitigis of betraying y^e citie. And to bring theyr purpo&s;e to effect, they deui&s;ed this po|licie. Beneath the field of Mars in one place, the walles were vexye weake &amp; &s;ore decayed for lacke of looking to, by rea&s;o~ (as I think) thei y^e had ben before
<PB N="58" REF="74">tymes, tru&s;ted altogether to the defens of the Ryuer. Vitigis therfore cau&s;ed lyghters &amp; barges and all kind of botes to be put in a readine&s;&s;e at the brydge Miluius. For had he once &s;et any con+uenient number of hys &s;ouldiers, ouer on thother &s;ide of the ryuer, he thought it would be an en&s;ie matter, after the landing of the fir&s;t, to conuey ouer &s;till mo and mo in the &s;ame ve&s;&s;elles. He douted nothing &s;o muche as that the watchmen that warded on that &s;ide &s;hould e&s;crie hym and bewray his de|ni&s;e. For the auryding of which dout, he corrupted the two Remaines for a piece of money, to further thys at|tempt. To whome he delyuered a &s;ie|ping pouder willing them to geue it the watchmen with wine, to thentent that when they had dronke the &s;ame, they might fall into a dead &s;lepe. After the&s;e conueances were thus deui&s;ed, &amp; agreed vppon, the one of them beyng &s;tryken with repentance, di&s;clo&s;ed the whole matter to Beli&s;arius, and
<PB REF="75">there vppon the other beynge taken with the &s;lepie medicine aboute hym, that the Kynge hadde geuen hym, was put to the torture and compelled to vtter all the order of the matter.</P>
<P>The whiche done, Beli&s;arius cau&s;ed his noe and eares to be cut of, and &s;ettyng hym vppon an A&s;&s;e, &s;ent hym out at the Pincian gate to the Gothi&s;h Campe, to the entent that Vitigis might perceiue how that his clo&s;e wor|kyng was detected, and his &s;erret prac|ti&s;es browght to lyght.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="2" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>&leaf; The .ij. Chapter.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>&para; Vpon the di&s;conerrie of the trea&s;on the truce ceaceth, Iohn Vitalian vvynneth di|vers tovvnes from the Gothes. and amon|ge&s;t other Arminine, vppon the takinge vvherof they breake vp their liege before Rome.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>WHen Beli&s;arius had &s;o onely di|&s;couered the&s;e their craftie pac|kinges,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The truce bro+ken betvvene the Gothes &amp; Beli&s;arius.</NOTE> he thought it not mete to ob&s;erue the truce any lenger w^t them.
<PB N="59" REF="75">Wheruppon he wrare to Iohn that he &s;houlde execute his commi&s;&s;ion. He with his two thou&s;and hor&s;emen &s;cou|ring the cou~trey of y^e Picents through, tooke the wyues and children of the Gothes pri&s;oners, and forraged &amp; &s;poy|led all the whole countrey from the one ende to the other. Morcouer encounte|ryng with Vglitheus vncle of Viti|gis by the fathers &s;yde, co~ming again&s;t him with an armye of the Gothes, he vanqui&s;hed him and &s;tew the captaine him&s;elf w^t a great part of his ho&s;te, &amp; &s;o lyke a co~queror ranged ouer al y^e whole countrey. When he had wonne many townes &amp; that he was about to be&s;iege Auriuu~, it was not vnknowne vnto him what a &s;lender garri&s;on was with in the town, but yet the place was of it &s;elf very &s;trong &amp; defen&s;ible. And there|fore thinkyng it folly to &s;pend the tyme in vayne aboute the be&s;ieging thereof, he kept on hys iourney forwarde. The &s;ame opinion al&s;o had he of the be&s;ie|ging of Vrbine. For the citie being
<PB REF="76">wel fortified &amp; &s;trong of it &s;elf, &s;ented of nece&s;&s;itie to a&s;ke a long time in y^e &s;iege therof, &amp; he had put al his hope in &s;pedie celeritie. He tooke Fauum &amp; Pi&s;auru~, and then brought his army again&s;t A|rimine in hope to get in, becau&s;e he had heard &s;aye that the men of Arimine could not well agree with the Gothes. When he had ones brought his ho&s;te to this towne, the ca&s;t &s;uch a terrour vp+pon the Gothes thereby, that thei dur&s;t not abyde thereaboutes, but remoued vnto Rauenna, and the towue&s;men &s;et open their gates to let him in. By this meanes Iohn toke Arimine, leauing behinde two &s;tronge cities manned by the Gothes, namely Auximum and Vrhine. All the which doinges were cleane contrarye to Beli&s;arius com|maundements. Howbeit he thought it better to be &s;ure of Arimine, then to &s;pende hys tyme vaynly in lying &s;tyll aboute Auximum and Vrbine.</P>
<P>Wherevnto he was the rather per|&s;naded,
<PB N="60" REF="76">becau&s;e that Arimine a towne &s;o nere neyghbour vnto Rauenna be|ing taken, it was not lykelye that the Gothes would tary any long tyme after at the &s;iege of Rome, but rather make ha&s;t to come away to the defence of Rauenna, and the places there|aboutes. The which thing came &s;o to pa&s;&s;e in dede. For as &s;oone as the Go|thes vnder&s;tood that Arimine was ta|ken, they determined to breake vp their &s;iege before Rome, and to depart thence. Vitigis therefore within a few dayes after &s;et fier on his tentes,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Gothes break vp their &s;iege before Rome.</NOTE> and with all the whole power of the Go|thes, di&s;lodged. In his retyring he &s;uf|fered great lo&s;&s;e. For when the one halfe of hys armye was pa&s;&s;ed the bridge, Beli&s;arius commaunded hys men to et vppon them that were be|hinde, amonge whome he made &s;uche a &s;laughter, that a greate number of theym that e&s;caped hys handes, for ha&s;te in gettynge
<PB REF="77">ouer the bridge were throwen downe on both &s;ides and drowned. This &s;iege of the citie of Rome endured a whole yere and nyne dayes, taking his be|ginning about the .xiiij. or .xv. daye of March. Nowe I wyll pur&s;ue the actes of eyther partes, and what proui&s;ion was made on both &s;ides after the brea|king vp of the &s;iege.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="3" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>The .iii. Chapter.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>&para; Vitigis be&s;ieginge Arimine is by the dili|gence and indu&s;trie of Iohn di&s;apoynted of an a&s;&s;ault that he determined to haue geuen to the tovvne, and repul&s;ed vvith great lo&s;&s;e.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>VItigis albeit he made &s;eede to|ward Rauenna, yet not with&s;tqan|ding he coueted to kepe the cities of Hetruria and of other Prouinces in theyr accu&s;tomed obedience. And ther|fore he placed at Cla&s;ium a thou&s;ande hor&s;emen, as manye at Vrbiuetus, fyue hundred at Tudert, foure thou|&s;ande
<PB N="61" REF="77">at Auxiuum, at Vrsine .ij. thou|&s;ande, fyue hundred at Ce&s;ena, and as many at Mountferrat.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Vitigis goeth to be&s;ege A|rimine.</NOTE> And he hym|&s;elfe with the re&s;t of his armie went to be&s;iege Arimine. Beli&s;arius after the departure of the Gothes, commaun|ded Martine and Ildiger with a thou|&s;ande hor&s;emen to make ha&s;t to Ari|mine, &amp; to bryng Iohn &amp; his hor&s;emen that were with him from thence, pla|cing fotemen there in their &s;teds. The whiche thinge he did to the entent he woulde not haue that bande (wherein were the be&s;t hor&s;emen of the ho&s;te) be|&s;ieged by the enemie. For if &s;o be it that Arimine were manned with fote men, he thoughte that the Gothes would not be&s;towe theyr labour in be|&s;ieging of it. And if they &s;houlde be|&s;iege it, he thought the footemen &s;huld be better able to endure out the &s;iege then hor&s;emen, for as muche as it is a difficulte matter to keepe hor&s;es in a &s;iege, and footemen might ea&s;ly be conueyed to Arimine at all tymes
<PB REF="78">by water from Aucon, whiche newly before had yelded it &s;elfe vnto him.</P>
<P>Herevppon Ildiger and martine for|&s;towing no time, dyd fetche a wynd|la&s;&s;e farre from theyr enemyes and came vnto ARimine. For the Gothes by rea&s;on of the huge multitude of their armye, were compelled to take more ley&s;ure in their iourney, whereas the other beynge lyght harne&s;&s;ed, out went theym a greate waye. When they were come to Arimine and had declared the mynde and commaunde|ment of Beli&s;arius,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The vvvlful|ne&s;&s;e of Iohn Vitalian.</NOTE> Iohn would ney+ther obey hym&s;elfe, nor yet &s;uffer hys co&s;yn Damian wyth hys hor&s;e|men whyche were aboute foure hun|dred, to be ruled by them. And therefore Ildiger and Martine de|partynge from Arimine, ledde a|waye wyth theym all the hor&s;emen that Beli&s;arius had delyuered vnto Iohn at hys &s;ettynge forthe lea|uynge behynde theym none but the footemen and tho&s;e hor&s;emen that
<PB N="62" REF="78">Iohn and Damian had of their owne. Immediatlye herevppon Vitigis came and be&s;yeged the Towne. At hys fyr&s;te commynge thyther, he framed a towre of lyke heyghth wyth the walles, the whyche was not dra|wen wyth Oxen as the other was be|fore at Rome, but dryuen by &s;oul|dyers that were wythin the engyne. The Gothes therefore &s;ette the &s;ame agayn&s;te that parte of the wall, where they myghte wyth mo&s;te ea&s;e ap|proache, entendynge the nexte daye to haue wonne the Towne by a&s;|&s;aulte. But Iohn the &s;ame nyghte went oute wyth hys &s;ouldyers,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The diligence and indu&s;trie of Iohn in pre+uentyng the purpo&s;e of his enemies.</NOTE> and cau&s;ed theym to cutte a broode and a deepe Dyche on that &s;yde ca&s;tyng vppe all the earthe that came oute of it on that browe of the Dyche that was nexte the wall. And &s;o one nyghtes worke di&s;appoynted the longe pre|pen&s;ed labour of the enemye, cut|tynge of all po&s;&s;ibilitye of bryngynge the engyne to the wall.</P>
<PB REF="79">
<P>Yet for all that Vititgis was mynded to fyll vp the dyche, commaundyng all hys armye to prepare Fagotts and &s;trawe wyth &s;uche other baggage for the &s;ame purpo&s;e. And to the entent the towre &s;houlde not the night follo|wyng be &s;et on fyer by the enemie, he determined to drawe it backe agayne to the Campe. As the Gothes were aboute it, Iohn i&s;&s;ued out with hys &s;ouldyers, and &s;et vppon them beyng bu&s;ye about the worke. There was a great and cruell combate aboute the Turret, and manye of the Gothes were &s;layne. Howe be it, after longe feyghtyng they drewe it backe agayne oute of daunger, but wyth &s;uche a &s;taughter and &s;o greate lo&s;&s;e of theyr be&s;t men of warre, that they were vtterlye in de&s;payre of wynnynge the towne by force, determinyng to &s;ub|due it by famine.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="4" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="63" REF="79">
<HEAD>&leaf; The iiij. Chapter.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>&para; Beli&s;arius endeth Mundilas vvith a po|vver to receiue Millaine, vvho in his vvaye at the Citye of Pauie by a mi&s;|chaunce lo&s;eth a noble man of hys companye called Fidelis. Millane and certayne other Cityes of Lombardye yelde vnto Mundilas. Vraias the Nephevv of Virigis goeth into Lum|bardye agayn&s;te the imperialles. Be|li&s;arius receyueth dyuers tovvnes in Italye by compo&s;ition. Vitigis &s;en|deth a crevve of &s;ouldyers to Auxi|oum for the more &s;trengthenynge thereof, the vvhych makyng a rode agayn&s;te the inhabiters of Aucon, throughe the follye of Conon Cap|tayne thereof make a greater &s;laugh|ter and put the tovvne in daunger of takynge.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>THe verye &s;elfe &s;ame tyme, Be|li&s;arius graunted an ayde of &s;oul|dyers to the Amba&s;&s;adours of Millain that came before vnto Rome. He appoynted Mundilas one of hys familiar frendes a verye &s;toute and
<PB REF="80">valiant man to be chieftaine of the &s;aid armie. In the &s;ame band was al&s;o Fi|delis of Millaine whome we declared to haue bene Stewarde of the kynges hou&s;e. All the&s;e being conueyed to Geane by &s;hippe, went from thence to Millaine on foote. And to thentent they woulde not be hyndered of theyr pa&s;&s;age ouer Po, they caryed Bots with them in Wagons, to ferrie ouer the ryuer withall. Marching therefore in this &s;ort as I haue tolde, when they had pa&s;&s;ed ouer the ryuer Po, and were come to the Citie Ticiuum whi|ch is nowe called Pauie, the Gothes i&s;&s;ued out of the towne and &s;et vppon them. For by rea&s;on that towne had a &s;trong ca&s;tle in it, the Gothes had be|&s;towed manye and precious thynges in the &s;ame, and had manned it wyth a great garri&s;on. The &s;kyrmy&s;he was no &s;ooner foughte, but that the Go|thes were dryuen into the Cytye.</P>
<P>And &s;o Mundilas pa&s;&s;ed wyth hys armye ouer the bridge that was harde
<PB N="64" REF="80">by the town. In the &s;ame place was Fi+delis of Millain &s;taine. For he we~t into a certaine church to make his prayers, and the re&s;idue of hys company beyng all gone, la&s;t of all he came out alone, &amp; as he wold haue taken hys hor&s;eback, be ouerethrewe. The whiche thyng hys enemyes that &s;tood vppen the Walle perceyuyng, ru&s;&s;hed out vppon hym and &s;lew hym,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The death of Fidelis of Mil+laine.</NOTE> before that Mundilas and the &s;ouldyers wy&s;te of it.</P>
<P>The deathe of thys man was great &s;orowe bothe to the Captaine and to the &s;ouldyers. For he was a noble man in hys countrey, and of muche power, and &s;uch a one as wyth his pre|&s;ence might greatly haue furthered the warre that was in hand. Mundi|las therefore and the re&s;te of his com|pany keepynge on theyr iourney to|warde Millaine,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Millaine and other cities of Lumbardy be come Imperial</NOTE> were receyued in|to the Citie. Therevppon, Come, Bergome, Nouaria, wyth the re&s;te
<PB REF="81">of the cities in tho&s;e borders, folowing then&s;ample of Millaine, of their owne accorde receyued Mundu~as and hys &s;ouldyers. When Vitigis had know|ledge of tho&s;e thinges that had happe|ned aboute Millaine, he &s;ent Vraias hys brothers &s;onne with a great ar|my into tho&s;e co&s;ts, to &s;hentent he &s;hould bothe cau&s;e &s;uch to keepe theyr allegians to the Gothes as had not yet reuolted, and al&s;o (yf he could) recouer &s;uch as had already yelded.</P>
<P>Furthermore, he wrate to Thew|deberre Kynge of Fraunce (wyth whome not long before he had ente|red in leage) de&s;yring hym to mimi&s;ter ayde vnto Vraias. In thys &s;tate or ra|ther in this expectation were the mat|ters of Lunthardie. Beli&s;arius at &s;uch tyme as corns began to ware type, &s;et|ting out of Rome, marched wyth hys armye towarde hys enemyes. The Gothes that were left in garri&s;on at Tudert and Clu&s;e, hearing that Be|li&s;arius was makyng towarde theym
<PB N="65" REF="81">for as muthe as they thought them|&s;elues ouer weake to encounter a|gayn&s;te hym, forthewyth &s;ent me&s;|&s;engers vnto hym and yelded vp theyr Townes by compo&s;ition. Whyle the&s;e thynges were in doinge, Vi|tigis &s;ent another armye vnto Auxi|mum. For he was vtterlye deter|myned to reteyne and k&eacute;epe &s;tyll that Citye. Wyth thys armye he &s;ent a newe deputye to haue the charge of the Towne and the men of warre, named Varinius. Who adioining his newe &s;ould yers and the olde crewe to|gyther, purpo&s;ed to attempt the win+nyng of Aucon hys nexte neyghbour citie, whych was manned wyth a gar|ry&s;on of Beli&s;arius. And therevppon he went wyth all hys whole power agayn&s;te the inhabiters of Auton.</P>
<P>That Towne in tho&s;e dayes was walled onelye on that &s;yde, that &s;toode vppon the hyll, the lower places &s;ituated on the playne grounds
<PB REF="82">albeit they were repleni&s;hed with buil+dings, yet were they not enclo&s;ed with anye wall. Therefore at &s;uch time as the Gothes approched. Conon captain of the towne and &s;ouldyers of Aucon, fearing lea&s;t the &s;uburbes and the in|habiters thereof &s;hould be wa&s;ted and de&s;troyed by thenemye, came downe from the vpper part of the towne with all his whole crewe,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The foole has dine&s;&s;e of Conon.</NOTE> and &s;et hym&s;elfe agayn&s;te hys enemye. But in that ca&s;e Conon was to farre ouermatched For he hauynge &s;car&s;e a thou&s;and &s;oul diers, encountered with his enemies beynge foure thou&s;and. And there|fore he dyd quickely abye hys fooly&s;he hardyne&s;&s;e. For beynge not able to &s;tand agayn&s;te &s;o manye, he was at length vanqui&s;&s;hed, and beynge put to flyghte lo&s;te the mo&s;te parte of hys men, and the Citie it &s;elfe was with much a doe hardly &s;aued from taking. For when the &s;ouldiers retyred full flyght toward the towne, the towne&s;|men for doubte lea&s;te their enemyes
<PB N="66" REF="82">&s;hould enter in amonge the &s;ouldyers, fearefully clo&s;ed vppe their gates. By meanes whereof there was a greate &s;laughter made of theym euen harde vnder the wall. And the Captayne Conon him&s;elfe was driuen to &s;o nar|rowe an erigent, that he had none other waye to &s;aue hys lyfe, but to be drawen vppe the wall by a lyne. The Gothes rerynge vppe &s;kalynge Lad|ders, endeuored to wynne the Cytye. Other&s;ome &s;ettynge fyre on the hou&s;es that we &s;pake of before, burnte vppe all that was wythoute the walles.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="5" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>&para; The .v. Chapter.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>&para; Nar&s;es an Eunuche the Emperours Cham|berlaine commeth into Italy with a new power and meeteth with Beli&s;arius about Aucon, where in con&s;ultinge what is to be done after diuers opinions of thother captaynes Nar&s;es per&s;wadeth to goe and re&s;cow Iohn Vatalian be&s;ieged in arimine the whych Beli&s;arius verye pollitiquelye bringeth to pa&s;&s;e. Through flatterie and
<PB REF="83">euall in&s;tigation ry&s;eth emuiation and di&s;|corde betwene Nar&s;es and Beli&s;arius Be|li&s;arius going with Nar&s;es to the liege of Vrbine is of him for&s;ake~ and yet through good fortune winneth the towne.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>NOT longe after that the&s;e thin|ges were done at Aucon,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The co~minge of Nar&s;es in|to Italy.</NOTE> Nar&s;es came into Italye wyth a newe ho&s;te of men. Thys Nar&s;es was an Enuche, a man that &s;toode muche in the Emperours fauour, and one that bare greate rule and aucthoritie aboute hym, For no man myghte commaund in the Emperours court, but he onelye. Moreouer he was threa&s;urer of the Empyre (whyche is the offyce of greatte&s;t honour and tru&s;te) and one of hys priuye coun&s;ell, by whome the Emperour was in manner altogether ruled.</P>
<P>He broughte wyth hym into Italye fyue thou&s;ande &s;ouldyers. The no|table&s;t amonge whome, was Iu|&s;tine, Captayne of the Illirien &s;oul|dyers, &amp; another, Nar&s;es a Per&s;ian
<PB N="67" REF="83">borne. Al&s;o there were in his retinew MM. of Therules of whom were cap|taines I&s;andre and Phauotheus.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The meeting of Beli&s;arius and Na<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="3 letters">.</NOTE> In y^e meane tyme Beli&s;arius hearynge in what daunger the men of Aucon &s;tood was come among the Picents: and &s;o was Nar&s;es in likwi&s;e. The captayns and their armies met both together a|bout the towne. There as they were con&s;ultinge concernynge the warre that they had in hand, and were deui|&s;inge what was mo&s;te requi&s;ite to be done next of all out of hand, there ap|peared many doubtes and daungers in the matter. For yf they &s;hould go and be&s;yege Aurimum, Iohn &amp; tho&s;e that were be&s;yeged wyth hym in Ari|mine &s;hould be left in apparant icoper die, ine&s;pecially con&s;ydering that foode fayled them. Againe yf they &s;hould go to Arimine, they &s;houlde leaue be|hynd them at Aurimum a great gar|ri&s;on of the Gothes, to the preiudice of theyr armye and domage of the countrye.</P>
<PB REF="84">
<P>In geuing of their verdittes manye of theym that were chiefe officers of the campe &s;pake much again&s;t the ra&s;he|ne&s;&s;e of Iohn,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Opinions of thofficers a|gain&s;t Iohn.</NOTE> in that he had &s;hutte vp hym&s;elfe in Arimine contrarye to the commaundement of Beli&s;arius, and that of a proud an couetous &s;tomacke, he had runne vppon hys owne heade, without regard of hys Captayne or of hys charge.<NOTE PLACE="marg">A frend is tri|ed at nede.</NOTE> When Nar&s;es perceyued that, fearing lea&s;t by y^e meanes Iohn &s;hould be abandoned whom he loued mo&s;t entierly, he &s;pake hys mynde to thys effect.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Thoration of Nar&s;es.</NOTE> My Mai&s;ters (&abquod; he) when men con&s;ult as concernynge the pub|lyke vtilitie, in my opinion they ought to haue an e&s;peciall eye thereto, for it owne &s;elfe, and not to hynder it eyther for malice or for loue. Certainly all o|ther thynges &s;et a &s;yde, when I waye with my&s;elfe the thing wherof we doe co~&s;ult, me thinks I &s;pie this difference in the matter. If we delay the &s;iege of Auximu~, there is no let but that with in fewe dayes after we maye attempt
<PB N="68" REF="84">the &s;ame when we ly&s;te. But yf we make anye taryance in re&s;cowyng the &s;ouldiers that are at Arimine, we can|not afterward helpe theym when we would. For ere many dayes to an end hunger wyll &s;o pinch theym, that they &s;halbe compelled to yelde them&s;elues to their enemies. And therefore what indifferent Iudge doubteth, but that mo&s;t &s;pede oughte to be made thyther where tariance procureth vnreconera|ble daunger. But Iohn (ye will &s;aye) de&s;erueth not to be &s;uccoured becau&s;e he de&s;pi&s;ed his captaynes commaunde ment, and through his owne wilful|ne&s;&s;e ca&s;t him&s;elfe into that daunger. Admitte that all the&s;e things are true y^e are reported of Iohn. What then? &s;hall we for the hatred we beare to Iohn, willfully &s;uffer the de&s;truction of &s;o noble and worthy a Citie as Ari|mine is, and of the innocent &s;ouldiers be&s;ieged in the &s;ame? I be&s;eech the O noble and pui&s;&s;ant Captaine Beli&s;a|rius, yf Iohn haue offended thee, wylt
<PB REF="85">thou wreke his tre&s;pa&s;&s;e vpon thempe|rour? who therby &s;hould lo&s;e both hys towne and his &s;ouldiers, to the greate preindice of the publike weale? againe what &s;hall men thinke, or what &s;hall men &s;ay of vs and our armies if we &s;it ring &s;till like a &s;ort of cowards and be|holding it with open eyes, &s;hall &s;uffer our companions in armes to pery&s;he, and our be&s;yeged Citie to be taken by the enemye, in manner harde vnder oure no&s;es? My opinion is therefore that wythoute anye further protrac|ting of tyme, we lead our armyes to Arimine, to &s;uccour our men that are in daunger. And afterward (yf it &s;hall &s;eme expedient) to be&s;ege<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Now called Ozimo,</NOTE> Auximu~ &amp; other of our enemis holds. To further thopinion of Nar&s;es w^t al, y^t very &s;ame time came letters fro~ Iohn vnto Be|li&s;arius, aduerti&s;ing him y^t the &s;ouldi|ers cou&s;trained by famin, had fallen to compo&s;ition w^t their enemies, to yelde w^tin &s;euen daies, onles they were re&s;|towed in the meane while. Herevpon,
<PB N="69" REF="85">the opinion of Nar&s;es was confirmed by the a&s;&s;ent of all the whole coun&s;el. When it was ones fullye condi&s;cen|ded that &s;uccour &s;houlde be mini&s;tred vnto Iohn w^t all &s;peede po&s;&s;ible,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The polliti|que proui&s;i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> of beli&s;ariu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> for the re&s;|cowinge of Arimine.</NOTE> Beli|&s;arius prouyded for the &s;ame in thys wi&s;e. Fyr&s;t he commaunded Aratus to abyde in the &s;ame place where they then were, with a thou&s;and hor&s;emen willynge hym in anye wy&s;e not to re|moue from thence, nor by any mea|nes to attempte fortune for anye oc|ca&s;yon, but onelye to defende hys campe yf the enemye aduentured vp|pon hym. After that, he furny|&s;hed hys &s;hyppes and embarked hys &s;ouldyers, commyttyng the charge of them to Herodian and Vliarius. But y^t rule of the whole flete he wold &s;huld be at the di&s;cretion of Ildiger, co~maun+ding him forthw^t to direct his cour&s;e to|ward Arimine. Another part of his ar|my he betoke to Martine, bidding him coa&s;t the &s;hippes and kepe w^t them as nere as he could by the &s;hore.</P>
<PB REF="86">
<P>And a&s;&s;one as they approched their e|nemies &s;o that thei came w^tin kenning then of &s;et purpo&s;e to kindle manye fires in their Campe, to the entent to make the enemy beleue y^t they were a greater army then they were in dede. Whiles the&s;e kept by the &s;ea coa&s;t, he him&s;elfe went a contrary waye by the City Saluia (The &s;ame was &s;omtime a faire citie but it had bene de&s;troyed and beaten downe to the grounde by the Gothes that came fyr&s;te into Ita|lye vnder Alaricus,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Saluia.</NOTE> &s;o that nothynge remained therof more then the ruines.) Beli&s;arius therfore pa&s;&s;inge by thys towne, marched by the mountaynes e&s;chewynge the playner waye that leadeth to Arimine, by the fyeldes of the Fauen&s;es and Pi&s;auriens. For &s;eynge that hys enemyes had a farre greatter armye aboute Arimine then he had, and that he had lefte a &s;tronge garry&s;on of theym behynde at Auximum, he thoughte it more for hys behoofe to v&s;e wy&s;edome and
<PB N="70" REF="86">policie agayn&s;te the Gothes, then to feight wyth theym in open felde. Mar|ching therefore the waye before men|cioned, when he came vnto the hilles that ry&s;e agayn&s;te Arimine, (as mu&s;te nedes be lightly in &s;o great an armye) he founde certaine of hs enemies ran|ging abrode. The which beyng either &s;layne or elles taken pri&s;oners, &s;ome of them with their faces &s;ore mangled he let goe agayne. Who returningt to the Campe of the Gothes, brought tidynges that Beli&s;arius was at hand wyth his whole power, for the confir|mation whereof they &s;hewed their fa|ces newlye wounded. It was aboute noone when this newes was brought to the campe. And thervpon proclama|cion was made to harne&s;&s;e, &amp; that eue|ry man &s;houlde fall in order of battell vnder his ante&s;ygne. The Captaines hauyng putte their men in araye, wai|ted for the commynge of Beli&s;arius, lookyng continually toward the moun+taines from whence he was reported
<PB REF="87">to come. But Beli&s;arius had aboute midday encamped him&s;elfe in the mou~+taynes, a good way of from Ariminie, and came not downe to hys enemyes that day. By meanes whereof the Go|thes hauyng &s;tood gapyng for them all day to no purpo&s;e, at length about the Sunne &s;etting brake their aray and re|tourned into their tentes. Howbeit, when night came, e&s;pying a great &s;orte of fiers on the &s;ea coa&s;t, cleane contra|ry to that way that Beli&s;arius was re|ported to come, (they were the fiers that Martyne and hys armye made) they were in great feare all that night, in &s;o muche that there was not anye of them that eyther tooke any &s;lepe or put of hys harne&s;&s;e. As &s;oone as it was daye, when they beheld the nauie al&s;o ready decked and furny&s;&s;hed makinge &s;ayle toward Arimine,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Gothes breake vp their lege be|fore Arimine.</NOTE> for feare lea&s;t they &s;houlde be entrapped by two ho&s;tes at ones, the one from the lande, the other from the water, they by and by brake vp theyr &s;iege, and without
<PB N="71" REF="87">any order fled to Rauenna. Fyr&s;t of all arriued Ildeger with hys flete at Arimine, and goyng on land &s;poyled the tentes of the Gothes. Anone after came Martine and Beli&s;arius wyth theyr armyes. When Beli&s;arius be|held Iohn and hys &s;ouldyers that had bene be&s;eged, howe pale and leane they looked wyth hunger, turning him &s;elfe to Iohn as it were to taunte him for hys ra&s;hene&s;&s;e, he &s;aide: ye are muche beholdynge to Ildiger, and worthye to thanke him for his paines. Iohn aun&s;wered proudlye and arro|gantlye agayne,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Occa&s;ion of di&s;cord amo~g thimperialles.</NOTE> that there was no cau&s;e whye he &s;houlde thanke Ildiger or anye man elles &s;aue onelye Nar|&s;es. As who &s;hould &s;aye, he de&s;yred to haue it knowen, that Beli&s;ari|us woulde &s;mallye haue regarded hys delyueraunce, yf Nar&s;es had not compelled hym. The&s;e wordes trou|bled Beli&s;arius, and they were the be|gynnynge of di&s;corde.</P>
<PB REF="88">
<P>For after that tyme, Iohn &s;tandyng in feare of Beli&s;arius, cleaued vnto Nar&s;es.<NOTE PLACE="marg">See what mi&s;+chiefe flattrye worketh.</NOTE> The re&s;idue al&s;o of his frends &s;tyrred vp Nar&s;es with euyll coun&s;ell again&s;t hym. Vouching that it was not for his honour being Threa&s;urour of Thempyre, and one of the Empe|rours priuie coun&s;ell, to be led by thad+ui&s;e of Beli&s;arius, &s;pecially &s;eyng that he him &s;elfe, had an armye farre pa&s;|&s;yng tharmye of Beli&s;arius, both in number and &s;trength of &s;ouldyers, and al&s;o in pollicie of Captaines, and ther|fore he ought to &s;eeke the glorye of the recouery of Italy from the Gothes, to hym &s;elf and not to Beli&s;arius. The&s;e flatterynge per&s;ua&s;ions &s;et Nar&s;es in &s;uch a pryde, that he euer after en|ramped by him &s;elf, and would not fo|low Beli&s;arins adui&s;e in nothyng.</P>
<P>But con&s;ulted by hym &s;elfe as tou|chynge the&s;e warres and all other af|fayres that were in hande. Neuerthe|le&s;&s;e they went bothe together to the &s;iege of Vrbine, but yet not in one
<PB N="72" REF="88">campe. For Beli&s;arius &s;aye on the raw &s;yde of the towne and Nar&s;es on the We&s;t. At &s;uche tyme as Beli&s;arius was purpo&s;ed to haue a&s;&s;aulted the towne, and had prepared engines for the &s;ame, Nar&s;es laughyng hym to &s;korne for his labour, within a daye or twayne after he came thither brake vp his &s;iege and retourned with hys ar|mye to Arimine, leauyng Beli&s;arius &amp; his company in wor&s;e ca&s;e, then yf he had not come there at all. For the ene|mye perceiuinge parte of the armye to di&s;lodge, beganne to take a &s;tout cou+rage, &s;mally regarding that part that remained &s;till behynd. Neuerthele&s;&s;e Beli&s;arius beganne to rere vppe ordi|naunce toward that gate of the towne where the ground was mo&s;t leuell,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The good for tune of Beli|&s;arius.</NOTE> &amp; to geue the aduenture to wynne it by a&s;&s;ault. Whiles he was putting the&s;e things in a readyne&s;&s;e by a meruelous good fortune it happened that the fou|taine (the towne&s;men of Vrbine ha|uing no mo but that one onely) dryed
<PB REF="89">vp of the owne accord. Wherthrough it came to pa&s;&s;e that the town for feare was yelded, vppon condition that the Gothes and the Citizens of Vrbine &s;hould become &s;ubiectes to the Empe|rour Iu&s;tinian, in as fr&eacute;e and ample manner as other Italyans that were Imperiall.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="6" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>The .vi. Chapter.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>&leaf; Of the great dearth that was throughe all Italy, and how the Gothes befoge Mil|laine and winne it through the di&s;cord of Beli&s;arius and Nar&s;es. Whereof the Empe|rour beynge aduerti&s;ed by Beli&s;arius cal|leth Nar&s;es out of Italy. Whervpon Beli|&s;arius hauing ab&s;olute aucthoritie agayne procedeth wyth the warres, and be&s;egeth Auximum, the &s;ytuation and &s;trengthe whereof is here declared.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>WHen Vrbine was thus yelded vn+to hym for as much as it &s;emed not as yet expedient tattempte the fiege of Auximum, Beli&s;arius led his ho&s;te again&s;t the Vrbeuetanes
<PB N="73" REF="89">The winning of that towne was &s;ome what difficult, becau&s;e it &s;tood vppon a rocke &s;o &s;tepe on all &s;ydes, that men coulde not well come to a&s;&s;ault it.</P>
<P>The onely hope was to wynne it by famin. For Italy was as it were &s;o wome to the hard bones with continu|all warre, and troden vnderfoote with many armyes, that there was not one citie in all the countrey, but it &s;uffered &s;car&s;itie and penurie:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Great darth through out all Italy.</NOTE> the which penu|rie Vrbeuetus al&s;o being at length op+pre&s;&s;ed, came in &s;ubiection to Beli&s;a|rius. Nar&s;es lyinge at Arimine &s;ent Iohn with an armye of men to wynne Ce&s;ena. At the which towne, as he was &s;calyng of the walles, he was re|pul&s;ed with manye woundes, and loft a great &s;ort of hys company. In the &s;ame a&s;&s;aulte was &s;layne Phauotheus captayne of the Exules. Wherevppon John de&s;i&s;ting from Ce&s;ena, went to Forum Cornelij, the whiche was yel|ded vnto hym by compo&s;ition. The &s;ame <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">yme Mundilas and tho&s;e that
<PB REF="90">were w^t him at Millaine, began to be wrapped in great di&s;tres. For Teude|bert the French kyng (as is before &s;pe|cified) being by Vitigis called vpon for ayde by vertue of the leage that was betwene them,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Millane be&s;ie|ged by the Gothes.</NOTE> had &s;ent to Vraias ten thou&s;and Burgonians vpo~ confidence of the which multitude he encamped him&s;elf not far from Millain, &s;uffering neither corne nor any other kinde of &s;u|&s;tenance to be conueyed thither. Mun|dilas had of nece&s;&s;itie bene driuen be|fore to di&s;per&s;e his &s;oldiers into Come, Bergome, &amp; Nouaria, &s;o that he had no great number of hor&s;emen aboute hym. Howe be it the harde&s;t of the mat+ter was not the defence of the citie, for the Citizens of Millain wyth one accord knitte them&s;elues togyther in the defence thereof. But the feare was lea&s;te victualle &s;hould fayle in &s;o populous a Cytye, yf &s;o be it the bar|barous Gothes &s;houlde be &s;uffered to continue longe in tho&s;e borders. Beli|&s;arius therefore hauynge intelligence
<PB N="74" REF="90">thereof, &s;ent Martine &amp; Vliarius thi|ther with a great power, to thentent that Mundilas &amp; they ioynyng toge|ther, might remoue the Gothes fur|ther of. When they came at the ryuer Po, which is fro~ Millain but one days iourney, they dur&s;t not pa&s;&s;e ouer for feare of their enemies, but lyngered many dayes in the &s;ame place, fru&s;tra|ting day by day the hope of Mundilas &amp; them that were be&s;ieged w^t him. For where as they made promi&s;e to haue pa&s;&s;ed the riuer &amp; come vnto Millaine, thei performed no part thereof. Dayly both hope &amp; &s;u&s;tenance failed tho&s;e that were be&s;iged. At y^e la&s;t after long lyn|gering Martine &amp; Vliarius confe&s;&s;ing the truth aduerti&s;ed Beli&s;arius y^e they alone were not able to pa&s;&s;e ouer y^e ri|uer again&s;t &s;o great a power of their enemies, onles they woulde wylful|ly runne in open danger of their liues. Wherefore if he thought it good, he &s;huld cau&s;e Iohn &amp; Iu&s;tine which wer w^t theyr armies not farre fro~ Bonome
<PB REF="91">to ioyne w^t them. Beli&s;arius herevpon imediatly wrate vnto Iohn &amp; Iu&s;tine commaundinge them to ioyne wyth Martyne, and to make all the &s;pede they coulde to relieue theyr fellowes beinge be&s;ieged and in vtter peryll of their lyues. They &s;ent hym worde againe that they woulde nothing do without the co~mau~dement of Nar&s;es. Therevppon Beli&s;arius wrate again vnto Nar&s;es. Who albeit he gaue his con&s;ent that the armye &s;houlde go thy|ther, yet not with&s;tanding, for as much as it was a thing done by Beli&s;arius, he went about it verye &s;lowly and ne|gligently as men are wont to do in o|ther mens bu&s;ine&s;&s;es. By this mea|nes the matter was &s;o longe delayed, that at la&s;t they were vtterly deceyued. In the meane tyme Millaine was eue|ry daye &s;orer afflicted then other, intol|lerable hungre welnye pyned them away, and the citie wauing betwene hope &amp; feare, abode &s;uch mi&s;eries &amp; an|gui&s;h as almo&s;t no menwere able to a|bide
<PB N="75" REF="91">again.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Millane is lo&s;s through the di&s;corde of Nar&s;es and Beli&s;arius.</NOTE> At y^<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> length being brought to vtter extremitie Mu~dilas &amp; his &s;oul|diers fell to co~po&s;ition to abandon vp the towne &s;o they might e&s;cape with theyr lyues. After who&s;e departure the Gothes enteryng into the citie, &s;pared neither yong nor old. For they &s;lew in euery place not only &s;uch as were able to beare armour, but al&s;o thold men &amp; yong boyes. The women were geuen in &s;eruitude to the Burgonions,<NOTE PLACE="marg">A notable crueltie.</NOTE> &amp; the citie ra&s;ed to the ground. Reparatus a citizen of Rome beyng taken in the towne by the Gothes, was hewen in &s;male gobbetts &amp; throwen to dogges. Thus was one of the goodlye&s;t &amp; mo&s;t populous cities of all Italy (through the di&s;cord of Nar&s;es &amp; Beli&s;arius) put to vtter de&s;tructio~. In this ruine &amp; ouer throw of y^e citie, were &s;lain of y^e Millai|ners about .xxx. M. When Beli&s;arius had tidings of it, he tooke great &s;orow forthe &s;ame, &amp; wrate vnto themperour Iu&s;tinian, the beginning and proce|ding of all the whole matter.
<PB REF="92">Iu&s;tinian being certruce or the trueth, was much offended thereat, but yet pu+ni&s;&s;hed not any man for it. Only he cal+led home Nar&s;es out of Italy,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Nar&s;es is cal|led out of Italy.</NOTE> co~mit|ting the whole charge &amp; authoritie of the warre vnto Beli&s;arius. Herevpon Nar&s;es w^t part of his armie retourned into Grece, &amp; Beli&s;arius with all the re&s;t abode &s;till in Italy. Who now ha|uing no man to ouerthwart him in his determinatio~s concerning the warre. Although that his chief care re&s;ted vp|pon Vitigis &amp; Rauenna, yet he minded is take two townes mo from &s;he Go|thes, before he proceded with hys ar|mie again&s;t Vitigis &amp; Rauenna. The towns that he de&s;ired were Auximum and Fe&s;ules: both of them very &s;trong|ly &s;ituate, &amp; both of them throughly manned by the Gothi&s;he garri&s;ons.</P>
<P>For neyther woulde he leaue at hys backe Auximu~ hauing in it thre thou|&s;and of cho&s;en &s;ouldiers, whiche were able to do muche di&s;plea&s;ure &amp; hinde|rance to his adherents: nor yet Fe&s;ules
<PB N="76" REF="92">becau&s;e that as long as y^<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> Gothes held that citie, he thought othing &s;huld be in re&s;t through Hetruria. Herevpon he deuided his army into thre parts, of the which he toke one with him to be&s;iege Auximum, another he &s;ent by Iu&s;tine &amp; Cyprian again&s;t Fe&s;ules, &amp; the third he betoke to Martine &amp; Iohn Vitalian, co~maunding them to encampe abouts the riuer Po, &amp; to deteyne Vraias with his ho&s;te as long as they could in tho&s;e borders, to thentent thei &s;houlde nar+come to rai&s;e any of the &s;iges among y^e Thu&s;kans &amp; Picents. And if thei were not able to kepe him &s;till there, then to &s;olow him in the taile. Martiue &amp; Iohn therfore &s;etting forth into Lumbardye w^t that part of the armye that we &s;pake of before, wanne the citie Dert one &s;i|tuate by the ciuer Po, and from thence did their endeuour to trouble Vraias &amp; y^t Gothes. Cyprian &amp; Iu&s;tin w^t another armye going vnto Fe&s;ules, albeit the be&s;teging of that citie were very difficil for y^e nature &amp; roughnes of the place,
<PB REF="93">yet not with&s;tandyng they brought theyr campe as nere as they could, &amp; be|&s;ieged it from a higher ground, where the way lay more plaine to the towne. Beli&s;arius him&s;elf with the puy&s;&s;an|te&s;t company of all,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Beli&s;. be&s;ie|geth Auximu~.</NOTE> be&s;et Auximum. Vitigis had placed in Auximum the be&s;t that he couldpyke out among the Gothes, &amp; was very circum&s;pent in for|tifiyng of that towne. Coniecturing that which was mo&s;t true, namely that Beli&s;arius would neuer procede to the befieging of Rauenna, onles he had fir&s;t &s;ubdued Auximum. When Beli|&s;arius had well viewed the &s;ituation &amp; nature of the place, he was pa&s;t all hopeof winning Auximum by force. For the citie &s;tandeth vpon &s;omwhat a high grounde, &amp; be&s;ides that there were within to defende it, a puy&s;&s;ant band of cho&s;en men of warre, able to gene battell euen in thopen field. So he had none other hope, but only to tame them by famin, for a&s;much as there was a great number enclo&s;ed w^t|in
<PB N="77" REF="93">the citie. And therefore Beli&s;arius omitting a&s;&s;ault, pitched his campe round about the hill on euery &s;ide, nar|rowly watching that nothing &s;houlde be conueyed in to them. But lyke as that large compa&s;&s;e of his campe was good to proibit the portage of things in, &s;o was it vnprofitable again&s;t &s;o|dain inua&s;ions of the enemie. For they that were w^tin, might at their plea&s;ure make &s;odaine a&s;&s;aults vpon what part of the Campe they ly&s;ted out of the towne aboue. And the &s;ouldyes of Be|li&s;arius lay &s;o farre one from another, that they coulde not readily helpe at need. By this meanes it came to pa&s;&s;e that the enemye continually infe&s;ted the campe, and diuers &s;kyrmy&s;&s;hes were therevppon fought. Moreouer; there was a certain moy&s;t ground not farre from the citie, where there grew muche gra&s;&s;e. This field was as it were the place of theyr dayly exerci&s;es, when eyther the be&s;iegers or the be|&s;ieged re&s;orted thyther for forage: and
<PB REF="94">&s;ometyme theyr courages were &s;o kyndeled on bothe &s;ydes, that almo&s;te all the whole Campe ranne thyther to feyght. In the&s;e encounters the Souldyers of Beli&s;arius preuay|led in multitude, and the Gothes by the &s;ituation of the place, bothe partes beynge equall in manhod and pro|we&s;&s;e. The lyke conflictes were al|&s;o at Fe&s;ules, for there were manye &s;odayne alarmes geuen, and welnye daylye &s;kyrmy&s;&s;hes betwene the be|&s;tegers and the be&s;ieged.</P>
<P>The be&s;iegers had none other hope of atteynynge theyr de&s;yre, then by keepynge the be&s;ieged from &s;u&s;te|naunce, and fami&s;&s;hinge them for want of foode. For there was no hope to wynne &s;o &s;tronge Cities as tho&s;e were by force. And therefore by ta|kynge vp &s;tandynges in places conue|nient about the townes, they cutte of all carryages and conueyaunce of thynges in.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="7" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="78" REF="94">
<HEAD>&para; The .vii. Chapter.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>&para; Of tovvnes that vvere be&s;ieged by the Im|perialles, hovv the French men comming into Italy after that they had put tvvo ar|mies to flight the one of the Gothes to o+ther of the Imperials bothe in one day, re|tourned home agayne, and hovv Fe&s;ules vvas yelded to the Imperialles.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>WHyle the warre was in this &s;tate and that Auximum among the Picentes, &amp; Fe&s;ules among the Hetrurians were narowly be&s;ieged,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The cau&s;e of the &s;odaine commyng of the frenchme~ into Italy.</NOTE> there happened a &s;traunge chaunce a|bout the riuer Po. For the frenchmen with their Captaine Thewdebert, ha|uing pa&s;&s;ed ouer the Alpes, came in great number into Lumbardye. The cau&s;e of their comming (as afterward was knowen) was thys. Becau&s;e that when they peerceyued how warre was made in Lumbardy, they being a war|like people &amp; in maner &s;auage, were of|fended that &s;uche a countrey beyng
<PB REF="95">their next neighbour, &s;hould fall as a reward to them y^t could get the vpper hand, and that thei them&s;elues &s;ytting &s;till lyke cowards the meane whyle, &s;hould accepte &s;uch to be their neygh|bours, whom the fortune of victorie appoynted to them. This was the oc|ca&s;ion why they pa&s;&s;ed the Alpes. The &s;ame tyme Vraias beyng often writte~ to by Vitigis, had pa&s;&s;ed the Ryuer Po and was marchinge wyth hys ar|mye toward Rauenna. Martin and Iohn likewi&s;e newlye &s;ent thyther by Beli&s;arius, preuentinge Vraias, had encamped them&s;elues not farre from the &s;ame place, to the entent (if they could) to haue &s;topped hym of hys pa&s;|&s;age. Their campe was di&s;tant fro~ the campe of Vraias about <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word">, myles. In the meane &s;ea&s;on, the Frenchmen &s;o|dainly came into tho&s;e quarters. Vra|ias &amp; the Gothes by rea&s;on of the leage that was lately taken betwixte them, &s;uppo&s;ed they had come to their ayde, lyke as they had doo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">e before in the
<PB N="79" REF="95">warres about Miliaine. The&s;e french+men y^e pa&s;&s;ed ouer the Alpes at that time w^t Thendebert,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The number &amp; armour of the frchchme~</NOTE> were to the num+ber of foure &s;core thou&s;and, wherof ve+ry fewe were hor&s;emen &amp; tho&s;e atten\ded alwaies vpon the kings per&s;on, all the re&s;idue being footemen. Their ar|mour was not in pikes nor in bowes, but to keuer their bodies w^t, they bare a tergat &amp; a &s;kull, and to &s;trike the ene|mye w^tall, a &s;word &amp; a byll. In the bat|tell they v&s;ed mo&s;te commonlye their billes, the which &s;trake w^t &s;uch force, y^e neither head pece nor tergat was able to hold out the blow, but that they cut through, nor anyman was of power able to w^t&s;tand the violence of y^e &s;tripe. The&s;e therfore as frendes of the Go|thes, being &s;uffred to pa&s;&s;e ouer the ry+uer Ticinus at the bridge by Pauie, did afterward much hurt &amp; di&s;plea&s;ure to thinhabiters of Pauie, &amp; of a &s;auage cruelty &s;lew the wines and children of the Gothes as they found them abrod in the country, anon after pa&s;&s;ing ouer
<PB REF="96">Po, when they approched nere Vraias campe,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Gothes and the impe|rials tourned both out of their campes by the french men.</NOTE> whether it were of &s;et purpo&s;e, or through ra&s;henes, they fell a quare|ling &amp; con&s;equently a feighting w^t the Gothes. Thend of the fray was, that the Gothes being put to the wor&s;e for|&s;oke their campe, &amp; flying not far from the campe of our men, cau&s;ed the &s;oul|diers of Beli&s;ari&abus; to wonder &s;ore what thei &s;huld meane. For thei had hard no thing of the comming of the French|men, &amp; therefore thei thought verely y^e Beli&s;arius had bene come by &s;ome pri|uis &amp; vnknowen way, to de&s;troy Vrai|as. Herevppon arming them&s;elues in ha&s;t, when they had gone a litle fore|ward, &s;odeinly they met w^t the french|men, &amp; being not able to retyre with|out battell, were enforced to feight, in the which they were &s;oone ouercome, &amp; for a&s;muche as they dur&s;t not repayre for heir campe, they had none other way to &s;aue them&s;elues but by flight. The Frenchmen getting the vpper ha~d bothof y^e Gothes &amp; tharmy of Be|li&s;arius
<PB N="80" REF="96">in one day, obteyned the cam|pes of them both al&s;o, &amp; re&s;ted in them finding good &s;tore of victuals in eche of them. Vraias fied to Rauenna, &amp; the &s;ouldiers of Beli&s;ari&abus; through y^e fields of y^e Placentines and Parmen&s;es gate ouer y^e mountaine Appennine &amp; went into Hetruria. This &s;odain co~ming of the Frenchmen troubled both Vitigis &amp; Beli&s;arius. The thing that Beli&s;ari|us feared mo&s;t, was lea&s;t the French|men &s;hould come into Hetruria &amp; op|pre&s;&s;e his army that be&s;ieged Fe&s;ules. For through y^e fields of the Placenti|nes &amp; Parmen&s;es, it is but a &s;horte &amp; a redy way into Hetruria.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The French|men retourns againe into Fraunce.</NOTE> But y^e french me~ whe~ they had taried a whyle about Po, &amp; coulde fynde neyther wyne nor other nece&s;&s;aries (the countrey beyng left bare by meanes of the long conti|nuance of the warre) &s;o that they had nothynge to feede on but Beof, nor nothynge to drynke but the water of the ryuer, within &s;hort &s;pace they fell into diuers di&s;ea&s;es.</P>
<PB REF="97">
<P>Of the which fora&s;much as they dyed in great number, they determined to retire backe, and &s;o they went home a|gaine into Fraunce, y^e very &s;ame way that they came oute ouer the Alpes.</P>
<P>This was thende of the Frenchmens voyage into Italy. The Gothes that were be&s;eged w^tin Fe&s;ules,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Fefules is yel|ded the Impe+rialles.</NOTE> being &s;ore con&s;treined w^t hunger, when they &s;aw that re&s;cow was often promi&s;ed &amp; yet none came, at length yelded vppe the towne to Iu&s;tine and Ciprian by com|po&s;ition. When they had receiued the towne &amp; placed a garri&s;on therin, they went w^t all the re&s;t of their army vnto Auximum. For Vitigis had promi&s;ed to come w^t all his whole power to rai&s;e the &s;ege before Auximum. And fora&s;|much as Vraias was then with hym, it was none other like but he woulde haue done &s;o in dede. By rea&s;on wher|of Beli&s;arius was co~pelled to gather all his power aboute him out of other places, to thentent that after hys long continued &s;yege, he would not be &s;ette
<PB N="81" REF="97">be&s;ide his purpo&s;e. But when this of|ten promi&s;ed &s;uccour came not, and yet they &s;tiffly held their owne to thutter-mo&s;t, Beli&s;arius determyned to cout-pell them to yelde by &s;ome extremitys maugre theyr harts for the compa&s;&s;ing wherof he inuented this pollicie.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="8" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>The .viii. Chapter.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>&leaf; Hovv after that Beli&s;arius had corrupted the vvater of a certayne vvell nere vnto Auximum the tovvne&s;men yelded them|&s;elues and the tovvne vnto hym by com|po&s;ition. The be&s;y eginge of Rauenna by Beli&s;arius and of hys vvonderfull good fortune, and his vvi&s;e dealing there at &s;uch tyme as the Frenche Amba&s;&s;adours came thyther, in &s;omuch that he cau&s;ed the of|fers of the Frenchemen to be reiected and a Truce to be taken for further commu|nication to be bad vvyth the Emperour for a &s;mall peace and agreement. Durynge the vvhyche Truce the &s;torehou&s;es and garners of corne in Rauenna are &s;ette on fyre no man can tell hovv.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<PB REF="98">
<P>WYthin a &s;tones ca&s;t of the Walles of Auximum, on the north &s;ide of the towne there was a wel w^t a very fre&s;he &s;pring the which Beli&s;a|rius purpo&s;ed to take from theym, by|cau&s;e he perceiued that the town&s;men had none other place to fetch waler at but onely there. To bring this matter to effect he commaunded his armye to be in armour by the dauninge of the next day, and to geue an approch to the walles. The Goths thinkinge they had prepared them to tha&s;&s;ault, placed them&s;elues orderly vppon the battell ments. Beli&s;arius in the meane time &s;ent fiue men conninge in &s;uch feats. with mattockes and axes, well paui|&s;hed w^t the bucklars and tergattes of a great number that were &s;ent w^t them for their defence, to vndermine the well and to cutte downe the tymber work. Who a&s;&s;one as they came there dyd get them vnder the &s;hed that coue|red the well, &amp; being &s;aufe out of dau~|ger from the walles, beganne to digge
<PB N="82" REF="98" MS="y">downe the Ma&s;on worke. But when the Gothes perceiuinge that all their endcuour was about heuing downe the well, they y&s;&s;ued out of the towne and a&s;&s;ailed theym verye fierflye.<NOTE PLACE="marg">An encoun|ter aboutbrea+king dovvne of a vvell.</NOTE> The fraye was harde vnder the walles in a place of aduantage and ea&s;ye to the Gothes coming downe to the defence of the well, but very vntoward and vn indifferent for the &s;ouldiers of Beli&s;a|rius to make a&s;&s;ault in. In this coflicte were many &s;laine,<NOTE PLACE="marg">In this vvere &s;laine of Beli+&s;arius &s;ouldiers</NOTE> but mo&s;t of Beli&s;a|rius &s;ouldiers, for the Gothes darting fro~ aloft, myght ea&s;ly endomage their enemies. Howbeit Beli&s;arius was e|uer at hand calling &s;till vpon hys men and encouraging them w^t a lowd voice and would not &s;uffer theym to geue backe, but euer put fre&s;he men in the places of &s;uche as were wounded or &s;laine. This encounter being begonne by the &s;unne ri&s;ing, la&s;ted vntil noone. At the la&s;t his &s;ouldiers pear&s;ing &s;tout ly vpon the Gothes, compelled theym to recoyle into the towne. Then they
<PB REF="99">returned backe and called away tho&s;e that were digging downe y^t well, &s;up|po&s;inge that they had di&s;patched their worke. But they had done litle or no|thing to the purpo&s;e in mining downe of the Ma&s;on worke. The cau&s;e therof was by rea&s;on that y^e well being made in old time, was wrought &s;o clo&s;e and &s;o &s;ure, that it had bene an ea&s;ier mat|ter to cutte a piece out of a whole quar+rie then to haue dygged downe anye parte of the wall of it. When it was perceyued howe that all that they had done, and all theyr feyghtynge was but lo&s;t labour, Beli&s;arius cau&s;ed the re&s;te of the water to be infected wyth the Iuceof venemous herbes, wyth &s;tynkinge Carions of dead cattell, and wyth a kynde of &s;tone called A&s;ne&s;t &s;o longe vntyll he had vtterlye marred it, that it was not to be occupied any more, &s;o that the Gothes fyndynge &s;carceiye of water by the my&s;tre of thys well, had muche a doe to re|lyeue theym &s;elues wyth that lyttle
<PB N="83" REF="99">and corruped water that they had in fylthye puddles wythin the towne.</P>
<P>After thys Beli&s;arius neuer &s;oughte to di&s;quiet theym anye more, eyther by &s;kermi&s;hyng or by anye other mea|nes, but &s;atte &s;tyll peaceablye to be|holde the ende of the matter. At length mention was made of yeldyng and the Gothes reque&s;ted that they myghte departe to Rauenna wythe bagge and baggage. Beli&s;arius hea|rynge theyr demaundes, was in doubte what he were be&s;te to dooe.</P>
<P>For he thoughte, that to lette goe &s;o manye good men of warre and therby to augment the &s;trengthe of hys ene|mies y^e were at Rauenna, &s;huld be no|thing to y^t profite of y^t weale publique: Again to &s;it &s;pending of y^e time in vain about Auximu~, he thought perillous &amp; preiudicial, ine&s;pecially &s;eing it was re+ported y^t y^e fee~chme~ were co~ming to th|aid of y^e Gothes. But mo&s;t of al &s;toud in contentio~ w^t him his own &s;ouldiers, who in reco~pens of their mi&s;eries and
<PB REF="100">calamities endured at their longe con|tinued &s;iege, loked of dutie to haue the &s;poyle of the towne, and would not in anye wi&s;e &s;uffer them&s;elues to be de|frauded therof by anye compo&s;ition or agrement Finally when on thone &s;ide the Gothes were &s;ore pinched w^t penu+rie and &s;carcetie of things nece&s;&s;arie,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Auximum yel+ded to Beli&s;a|rius.</NOTE> and on thother &s;ide Beli&s;arius in ma|ner forced by the importunitie of the tyme, at length throughe Beli&s;ari|us greate trauell the matter was con|cluded, that the one halfe of all that was in the towne &s;hould be geuen to hys &s;ouldiers for theyr &s;hare, and the Gothes &s;hould keepe the other halfe &s;tyll, prouided that the Gothes whi|che were wythin the towne of Auxi|mum, &s;houlde &s;erue Beli&s;arius in hys warres, in lyke ca&s;e and e&s;tate wyth other of hys &s;ouldyers. After thys &s;orte were thynges knytte vppe and the Towne &s;urrendered accor|dynge to the compo&s;ition. When Beli&s;arius had thus gotten Auximu~
<PB N="84" REF="100">into hys hande, he a&s;&s;embled all hys power togyther,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Beli&s;arius go|eth to be&s;ege Rauenna.</NOTE> myndyng to procede agayn&s;t Vitigis and Rauenna. As &s;one as he came thyther, by and by he &s;ent Maximus one of his captaines w^t parte of hys armye to watche and keepe the banckes of the Ryuer Po, to thentent that nothynge &s;houlde be conueyed into Rauenna that waye.</P>
<P>For one of the mouthes of that ryuer falleth into the Sea not farre from Rauenna, from whence there is a certayne dych cutte oute of the whole ground, wherin the ryuer is conueyed to the Towne. Beli&s;arius therefore myndinge fir&s;t &amp; forme&s;t to di&s;appoint them of this commoditie, gaue Maxi|mus charge to k&eacute;epe the hyther&s;yde of the Riuer w^t that bande that he had deliuered vnto him. Vitalis al&s;o co~|ming out of Dalmatia at the comman+dement of Beli&s;arius,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The wonder|full good fore+tune of Beli|&s;arius.</NOTE> had committed vnto him the keping of the further&s;ide w^t another band. There happened the &s;ame tyme a wounderfull ch<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">unce, &amp;
<PB REF="101">&s;uch a &s;trang thing as hath not lightly bene heard of. For as a great number of &s;hippes and galeyes were comming out of Fraunce laden wyth corne and victualles makinge &s;ayle toward Ra|uenna, the Riuer fell &s;o lowe, that ma+ny of the &s;hips &s;tood &s;tyl for want of wa+ter to beare them. Wherby it came to pa&s;&s;e y^e they were all taken by the &s;oul|diers of Beli&s;arius. This was y^t fyr&s;t token of good lucke wherw^t fortune be|ganne to further the procedynges of Beli&s;arius. For it could not be reme~|bered that euer any &s;uch thyng had hap+pened before. By this meanes was al+libertye of caryinge in and out by the ryuer Po cutte of from Rauenna. As for by &s;ea nothing could be conueied in by rea&s;on that the enemes of y^t Gothes were euery where lordes of the &s;ea.</P>
<P>Agayne on the land Beli&s;arius wyth his armye k&eacute;ept them &s;o &s;hort, that he would not &s;uffer oughte to be caryed that way. Whyle Rauenna was thus &s;traightlye be&s;yeged, there came Am|ba&s;&s;adours
<PB N="85" REF="101">out of Fraunce to Vi|tigis,<NOTE PLACE="marg">French Am|ba&s;&s;adours to Vitigis.</NOTE> offering that the Frenchemen &s;hould come into Italy and ray&s;e the &s;yege, and doubtle&s;&s;e to &s;iea Beli&s;a|rius wyth all hys armye, yf &s;o be yt that the Gothes woulde be content to admitte them as coparteners of their Empyre. This &s;tout bragge made by the french Amba&s;&s;adurs, dyd &s;et the hearers harts in a pryd. For thei promi+&s;ed to bryng fyus hundred thou&s;and men of warre, who&s;e comyng (if he were in hys ryghte wyttes) Beli|&s;arius woulde neuer abyde. For yf he did, they threatened to &s;uetch hym and all hys companye wyth theyr hol|berdes. The&s;e hyghe wordes dyd part|lye puffe vp Vitigis &amp; hys Gothes w^t pryde, &amp; partly made them afraid. For if the Frenchmen came into Italy, it was not to be doubted that they &s;huld get the vpper hand, but it was a diffi|culte matter to be beleued, that they would k&eacute;epe touche and play the good fellowes in parting of the Empyre.</P>
<PB REF="102">
<P>And therfore yf the Frenchmen &s;huld come they mi&s;tru&s;ted lea&s;t they would be as much to their confu&s;ion as to the co~fu&s;ion of their enemies.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Beli&s;arius &s;en+deth commi&s;|&s;ioners to Vi|tigis.</NOTE> This doubt of theirs Beli&s;arius helped to increa&s;e. For he beynge a &s;age Captayne and pollitique in all affayres, as &s;one as he knewe of the commynge of the Frenche Amba&s;&s;adours, &s;ent his com|my&s;&s;ioners al&s;o to Rauenna, both to offer the Gothes peace and attone|ment wyth the Emperour, and al|&s;o to wythdrawe theym from &s;ocietye wyth the Frenchemen, by puttynge them in remembrance of their former vnfaythefull dealynge. The Gothes when they had hearde the Frenche Amba&s;&s;adours and Beli&s;arius Com|my&s;&s;ioners what coulde be alledged on bothe &s;ides, takinge deliberation what was be&s;t to be done, after longe debating of &amp; on, preferred thattone|ment w^t the Emperour. By thys mea+nes the French Amba&s;&s;ade was di&s;|mi&s;&s;ed w^tout the thing that they came
<PB N="86" REF="102">for, and often treaties were had w^t Be|li&s;arius concerning the &s;ame, and dy|uers commi&s;&s;ioners and me&s;&s;engers went to and fro for conclu&s;ion there|of.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Truce be|twene the Gothes and the imperialls</NOTE> Finallye thys was the ende of the matters debated. That the determy|nation of all controuer&s;ies &s;hould be referred to the di&s;cretion of the Empe|rour Iu&s;tinian. Herevppon Amba&s;&s;a|dours were &s;ent to hym and a Truce was taken betwene the be&s;yegers and the be&s;eged. In the meane while it fortuned that the common &s;tore|hou&s;es at Rauenna and all the corne in them was burned vp,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The &s;tore|hou&s;es are &s;et on fire.</NOTE> y^e mi&s;chaunce broughte the Gothes in greate di&s;|tre&s;&s;e, con&s;yderynge theyr owne corne was burnt vp, and Beli&s;arius woulde not &s;uffer any more to be brought in, the whych (he &s;ayde) he dyd vpon this con&s;ideration, to the entent the Gothes &s;houlde be agreable to more indifferent articles of attone|ment. Howebeit Vitigis was in a mer+ueylous mi&s;tru&s;t, becau&s;e it could not
<PB REF="103">be learned by what meanes the fyer came. Some thought they were &s;et a &s;terw^t lightnig, other &s;uppo&s;ed it to be done by &s;ome malicious per&s;ons, &amp; o|ther&s;ome mi&s;tru&s;ted that Beli&s;arius &s;hould be the doer of it. The Qu&eacute;ene al&s;o was &s;u&s;pected for y^t matter. Who fora&s;much as &s;he was forced to marry w^t Vitigis again&s;t her will, was ther|fore demed to beare hatred and malice towarde hym in her harte. This bur|nyng of the grayne dyd greatly trou|ble Vitigis and the Gothes, &amp; brought them in maner to vtter di&s;payre. For if the fyre came by lyghtninge, they mighte thinke that God and the hea|uens were agayn&s;te theym. Or yf it were done of a &s;et purpo&s;e, they wi&s;t not whom they might tru&s;te. So were they lyke wythin a whyle to be quyte w^toute corne, and withoute all hope of comming by any more, becau&s;e y^e Beli+&s;arius after the burninge of the &s;tore|hou&s;es, looked more &s;traitlye to theyut that none &s;hould be conueyed in.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="9" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="87" REF="103">
<HEAD>&para; The .ix. Chapter.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>&leaf; Dyuers of the Gothes become Imperi|all, The Emperour &s;endeth hys Amba&s;|&s;adours wyth articlles of peace to Rauen|na the whiche of the Gothes are twell ly|ked and ioyfullye receyued. But Beli&s;a|rius perceyuing that more aduantage is to be gotten otherwi&s;e wilnot &s;ub&s;cribe vn|to them, by meanes whereof ri&s;eth a &s;u&s;|pition that Beli&s;arius wyll make hym&s;elfe Emperour, the whych the Gothes beyng glad of, to further the &s;ame, proferre their &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion and obedience vnto him, and he accepteth it promi&s;ing to take his othe at Rauenua for performaunce of their de|mands whervpon he is receiued royally in to the town, &amp; di&s;mi&s;&s;ern the mo&s;t part of the Gothi&s;h &s;ouldiers, through who&s;e de|parture hauing made him&s;elf &s;trong, hov<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="4 letters"> refu&s;eth to v&s;urpe as long as thempe+rour in&s;tinian liueth. The gothes in Pauie create a new king who maketh profer of &s;ubmi&s;&s;io~ vpon like condition the whych Beli&s;arius vtterly reiecteth, &amp; ca<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ieth vitigis pri&s;oner to Con&s;tantinople with diuers of his noble men and all his Threa&s;ures,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The reuol|ting of cer|taine Gothes to Beli&s;arius.</NOTE></P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>About this tyme many of y^t Gothes that inhabited the Alpes, &s;ent word to Beli&s;arius that they woulde yelde theym&s;elues vnto him.</P>
<PB REF="104">
<P>There are vppon the Alpes many ca|&s;tles, the which in old tyme were kept by the Gothes placed there to dwell.</P>
<P>For Thalpes do di&s;&s;euer Italy from Fraunce, ry&s;ing of a wonderful hight very hard to clymb vnto or to pa&s;&s;e o|uer, the which pa&s;&s;ages it was expedi|ent to the well kept. And therefore Theodorich kyng of the Gothes dyd hoth place a puy&s;&s;aunt company of his countrey men with their wyues and children in tho&s;e wa&s;t grounds, and al|&s;o buylded them ca&s;teles &amp; holds. Si&s;i|gis one of y^e Goti&s;h nobilitie, who had certain Ca&s;tles in Thalpes, was the fir&s;t of all that of his frewyll receyued the &s;ouldyers &s;ent into tho&s;e coa&s;ts by Beli&s;arius, per&s;uading other Ca&s;tles to do the lyke. The &s;ame tyme Vraias was in Lumbardy, mu&s;teryng of &s;oul|dyers to carye wyth hym to Rauenna. He had already rai&s;ed an army of foure thou&s;and men. Of the which the mo&s;t part were inhabiters of Thalpes.</P>
<P>Who hearyng that Si&s;igis was re|uolted
<PB N="88" REF="104">to their enemies, &amp; that the Ca|&s;tles wherein they had their wyues &amp; children were a&s;&s;ayled, they compelled Vraias fir&s;t &amp; forme&s;t to lead them thi|ther. Wherevppon he tooke his iour|ney w^t al the power that he had rai&s;ed, into Thalpes, and there be&s;ieged Si|&s;igis and the &s;ouldyers of Beli&s;arius. When newes of this gere came to Iohn Vitalian and Martine, who the &s;ame tyme had theyr campe in Lum|bardye, they al&s;o without further tari|ance marched toward Thalpes, &amp; toke certain Ca&s;tles in theyr waye. In the &s;ame were taken many of the wyues and chyldren of them that &s;erued vn|der Vraias. When the fathers, hu&s;|bands, &amp; kin&s;folke of them had know|ledge thereof, they for&s;ooke Vraias campe &amp; fled to theyr enemies, to the entent to recouer them againe.</P>
<P>Vraias beyng thus for&s;aken of hys owne &s;ouldyers, retourned with a few into Lumbardy, &amp; neuer &s;et his minde any more eyther about mu&s;terynge of
<PB REF="105">other &s;ouldiers, or &s;uccouringe &s;uch as were be&s;ieged. So Vitigis &amp; the Go|thes that were at Rauenna, beyng for &s;aken of their owne people &amp; de&s;titute of all hope of comforte, were &s;till be&s;ei|ged and &s;uffered euerye day more di&s;|tre&s;&s;e then other. Whyle the Gothes &s;toode in this e&s;tate, thamba&s;&s;adours returned fro~ themperour, Dominicus &amp; Marimus both of the Senate.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The an&s;were of the Empe|rour to the demaunds of the Gothes.</NOTE> They brought Iu&s;tinians aun&s;were to tho&s;e demaunds that Vitigis &amp; the Gothes had made as concerning the concord &amp; agr&eacute;ement. The &s;u~me of the Empe|rours decr&eacute;e was this. That Vitigis &s;hould hold &s;tyll all that he had beyond the ryuer Po, &amp; &s;urrender all that he had on thy&s;&s;yde. That he &s;hould dely|uer to the Emperour thone half of his threa&s;ure, &amp; kepe the other half for him &s;elfe &amp; that all the Gothes inhabityng on the hyther &s;yde of the Ryuer Po, &s;hould become &s;ubiectes to thempyre of Rome. When the Amba&s;&s;adours had fir&s;t conferred w^t Beli&s;arius, they
<PB N="89" REF="105">entered into Rauenna and declared their commi&s;&s;ion, the which things both Vitigis and the noble men of the Gothes were glad to here, and con&s;en|ted thereto with all their hartes.<NOTE PLACE="marg">A crafty &amp; &s;ut tell kynde of dealing.</NOTE> But Beli&s;arius was very &s;ory to &s;ee it. For it &s;pyted him to the hart, that when he might fully haue had the victorie of the Gothes, it &s;houlde be taken out of his hand. And therefore anone after when the commi&s;&s;ioners retourned, and re|que&s;ted him to &s;ub&s;cribe the articles he would not put to his hand. The which thing brought the Gothes in a mer|ueylous maze, fearing to be deceyued vnder a counterfet preten&s;e of peace. In &s;o muche that they beganne to &s;aye openly, they woulde dee nothyng as concernyng the peace, without the con&s;ent of Beli&s;arius. Thamba&s;&s;a|dours them&s;elues and &s;uche as were chiefe officers in the Campe, were greatly di&s;plea&s;ed with Beli&s;arius do|ing, and thought he dyd not well in di&s;obeyng themperours co~mau~deme~t.</P>
<PB REF="106">
<P>And therevppon bred a &s;u&s;picion, as though Beli&s;arius went aboute to|make him &s;elf emperour, &amp; were vtter|ly minded to w^tdrawe his obediens fro~ Iu&s;tinian. This &s;u&s;picion was almo&s;t in euery mans head at that time with the which opinio~ the Gothes being in|duced, &s;ent princly vnto him, exhorting him to take y^t we&s;t Empyre vpon him him&s;elfe, and not to acquire it to ano|ther. For if he woulde &s;o do, they &s;ayde that the Gothes woulde be contented to become his &s;ubiectes, &amp; to obey him with all theyr harts, &amp; that he &s;houlde inyntly enioy the kingdome of the Ita|lians &amp; the Gothes, together w^t <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">u in|comparable pui&s;&s;a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">s. The&s;e thinges were wrought priuely by the Goti&s;he nobilitie. Vitigis perceyuinge that &s;uche profers were made, &s;ent his me&s;|&s;engers al&s;o vnto Beli&s;arius encou|raging hym vnto the &s;ame. Beli&s;arius ponderyng the&s;e thynges wyth hym|&s;elfe, and con&s;ideryng they myght be greatlye for hys behoofe, yf they were
<PB N="90" REF="106">handeled wi&s;ely, &s;ent awaye into &s;un|drie places with theyr bandes, Iohn Vitalian, Be&s;&s;as, &amp; Aratus, men of much authoritie in hys campe, but in no wy&s;e his frendes, pretendynge an excu&s;e as thoughe &s;o greate armyes coulde not well be victualled together in one place, and that they &s;hould finde more plentie &amp; abundaunce of victuall and forage in other places.</P>
<P>This excu&s;e was pretended, but in d&eacute;ede they were &s;ent awaye to the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">|tent that with their pre&s;ence they &s;hould not interrupt him of his doings. Afterwardes he him &s;elfe &s;ommoning before him all the officers of his camp, when he had &s;ufficientlye debated with them as concernyng the di&s;tre&s;&s;e that the Gothes were broughte vnto, what woulde you &s;aye (&abquod; he) yf we &s;houlde by this warre atteyne at theyr handes, not onely tho&s;e things where|wyth the Empereur &s;&eacute;e meth to be con+tented, but al&s;o greater thynges.</P>
<PB REF="107">
<P>Euery man for hym &s;elfe commended that greater thyngs &s;houlde be attey|ned if it might be. When he hard them &s;aye &s;o, withoute further di&s;clo&s;inge of the matter, he di&s;mi&s;&s;ed the coun&s;ell. And therevppon he &s;ent one of his com+pany to Rauenna, aduerti&s;ing the Go|thes that he was co~tented to do as thei had coun&s;elled hym, exhorting them to make &s;pede in the matter. The Go|thes as they y^e were alreadye oppre&s;&s;ed with famin, without any delay &s;ent theyr commi&s;&s;ioners fully authori&s;ed by the prince and the common con&s;ent of them all vnto Beli&s;arius. The&s;e per&s;ons when they came into the camp &s;pake nothyng before the &s;ouldyers, but talkynge with Beli&s;arius alone, tolde hym that they were come to re|ceyue his faythfull promi&s;e and othe for thaccompli&s;hment of the matter before debated. There were two kinde of promi&s;es propounded by them, wher vnto they required him to be &s;worne. Thone was that he &s;houlde gouerne
<PB N="91" REF="107">them with iu&s;tice and equitie, maine|teyne and &s;upporte the cu&s;tomes and lawes of the Gothes, and not be offen|ded again&s;t any of them for ought that had bene done in tymes pa&s;t, with di|uers other things of lyke purport.</P>
<P>The other was that he &s;houlde from hence forth proclaime him&s;elfe king of Italy &amp; of the Gothes. If he woulde a|gre to the&s;e articles &amp; be &s;worne to the performance of them, they would &s;et open their gates &amp; receyue hym &amp; all his armye into Rauenna. Beli&s;arius &s;ware to all thother demaundes accor|ding as the commi&s;&s;ioners had reque|&s;ted, but concernynge the takynge of the kingdome vppon him, he &s;ayde he woulde take hys othe before Vitigis &amp; his noble men when he was come to Rauenna. The co~mi&s;&s;ioners mi&s;tru|&s;ting not but that he would haue bene king in dede, delayed the takynge of his othe in that behalfe, as though he &s;houlde haue performed the &s;ame be|fore the noble men immediatly vppon
<PB REF="108">his comming to Rauenna. But Beli|&s;arius purpo&s;ed nothyng le&s;&s;e.<NOTE PLACE="marg">the cau&s;e why Beli&s;a. woulde not take vpon him to be em+perour.</NOTE> For Iu|&s;tinian when he made him Lieute|naunt generall of the warres, had bounde him with a great othe, that he &s;houlde not take vppon him nor v&s;urpe the kingdome or Empyre, as longe as he were alyue, nor yet &s;uffer him&s;elf to be accompted or called by the name of tyrant, King or Emperour. This his othe he was determined to kepe vnui|olated,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The yelding of Rauenna to Beli&s;arius.</NOTE> &amp; did but daly wyth the Go|thes in that behalfe. Vppon this com|po&s;ition the Gothes verye de&s;irou&s;lye called Beli&s;arius into the towne.</P>
<P>And he with hys armye in royall or|der, and wyth hys &s;hyppes trymly dec|ked, bryngyng in them abundaunce of all kynde of victualles, entered into Rauenna to the great reioycement of the Gothes and theyr armye. Nowe becau&s;e there were a great number of men of warre of the Gothes wythin the towne, Beli&s;arius myndynge to abate theyr power, wythin a few daies
<PB N="92" REF="108">after hys comming thither, licen&s;ed all &s;uch to departe home, as dwelled on thys &s;yde the ryuet Po. They beynge wearyed wyth theyr longe continued warfate, were verye willing to re|tourne home to their frendes. And &s;o the multitude that was at Rauenna being dimini&s;hed, the armye of Beli|&s;arius wared the &s;tronger, and were euen as Lordes of the towne. As thin|ges fell oute in this wy&s;e the nobilitie of the Gothes that dwelled in anye part of all Italy, eyther came them &s;el|ues, or elles &s;ent their commi&s;&s;ioners vnto Beli&s;arius to Rauenna.</P>
<P>But when Beli&s;arius beganne to make delayes in the takynge vppon hym of the kingdome, men beganne to maruell what he &s;houlde meane, and al&s;o to ca&s;t doutes of hys doynges.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Beli&s;arius is &s;ent for out of Italy.</NOTE> The whyche &s;u&s;picion was augmen|ted vppon the &s;odayne &s;endynge of Iu&s;tinian vnto Beli&s;arius commaun|dyng hym to retourne home.</P>
<PB REF="109">
<P>For the &s;ame went &amp; certain had made report to the Emperour, that Beli&s;a|rius went about to make him&s;elf king of Italy, &amp; had already taken it vppon him. For feare wherof Iu&s;timan &s;ent for him immediatly out of Italy. The Gothes perceyuing that, coulde not at the fir&s;t by any meanes per&s;uade them &s;elues, that he would returne to them|perour Iu&s;tinian. But when they &s;aw preparacion made for the &s;ame, and all thynges put in a readine&s;&s;e toward his iourney, then they knewe well ynoughe that Beli&s;arius had wonne them in by a trayne and had qvtterly deceiued them. But what remedy? For he had both the towne and their noble men in his hand, &s;o that they could not &s;o much as bewayle their mi&s;fortune one to another, but that he mu&s;t nedes be priuye to it. When the Gothes that dwelt on the further&s;yde of Po, heard tydinges hereof, they a&s;&s;embled them|&s;elues togyther at Pauye, and there bewaylyng one to another the commo~
<PB N="93" REF="109">mi&s;fortune of their nation, and the de|ceitfullne&s;&s;e of Beli&s;arius, at length would haue made Vraias theyr Kyng.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Vraias refu|&s;eth to be made kyng of the Gothes.</NOTE> The whych thyng he would not in any wy&s;e &s;uffer them to doe, excu&s;ing him &s;elfe by thys rea&s;on, that for as much as he was Vitigis brothers &s;onne, he myght not &s;eeme to haue done eyther lyke a kyn&s;man or lyke an hone&s;t man yf he &s;huld take y^e kyngdome vpon him whiles Vitigis were alyue. Through thys allowable excu&s;e alledged for hym&s;elfe, he was the occa&s;ion that Il|douade a man of great aucthoritie and power amonge the Gothes,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ildouade is made king of the Gothes.</NOTE> and which had bene ruler of Veron a longe tyme before, was created kynge. Ildouade therefore beynge &s;ent for oute of Ver|on vnto Pauye, was there inue&s;ted in hys purple Robes of e&s;tate, and pro+claymed kynge of the Gothes, to the entent he &s;houlde &s;tudys and take care for the &s;aufgard of hys countrey men. Beyng in thys &s;orte made kynge, he &s;ent amba&s;&s;adours by &amp; by to Raue~na
<PB REF="110">vnto Beli&s;arius,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The effect of the amba&s;&s;ade &s;ent by Ildo|uade to Beli|&s;arius.</NOTE> geuing them charge to put hym in remembraunce of hys promi&s;e lately made for the taking vp|on him of the kingdome of Italy &amp; of the Gothes, not letting to reproue him openly of breakinge his faithfull pro|mi&s;e, through whiche cautel the Go|thes were deceyued. Wherefore if he woulde yet accompli&s;he his promi&s;e in proclaiming him &s;elfe kyng, and &s;hewe the &s;ame in his doings, Ildouade offe|red him &s;elfe to come to Rauenna, &amp; to laye of hys robes of e&s;tate at hys f&eacute;ete. But yf he had rather be themperours &s;laue then to be Emperour him&s;elf, he oughte not to be di&s;contented though Ildouade &amp; the Gothes that remayned endeuoured to prouide for the &s;auf|gard of theyr weale publique. Thys was the &s;umme of theyr amba&s;&s;ade.</P>
<P>Beli&s;arius an&s;wered openly therevn|to,<NOTE PLACE="marg">An example of a faithfull &s;ubiect and of an inuincible mynde.</NOTE> that as long as the Emperour Iu|&s;tinian lyued, he would neuer take vp|pon him to be kynge. Wyth thys an|&s;were the Amba&s;&s;adours retourned
<PB N="94" REF="110">to Ildouade vnto Pauie. And Beli|&s;arius hauynge decked hys Nauie, &s;ayled towarde Con&s;tantinople wyth Vitigis and dyuers other noble men of the Gothes, and all the kynges Threa&s;ure, the fyfth yere after the warre was begonne in Italy. (*)</P>
</DIV2>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="3" TYPE="book">
<PB REF="111">
<HEAD><HI>The thyrde booke</HI> of Lenard Aretine, concer|nyng the warres in Italy again&s;t the Gothes.</HEAD>
<DIV2 N="1" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>&leaf; The fir&s;t Chapter.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>&para; Thentertainement that Beli&s;arius and his pri&s;oners had at Con&s;tantinople. A com|mendation of Beli&s;arius good gouerne|ment, by compari&s;on betvvene hym and the Captaines that &s;ucceeded hym.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>_WHen Beli&s;arius was come to Con&s;tantino|ple y^e Emperour Iu&s;|tinian welcomed hym with great ioy, and ha|uing hym in great re|putation and honour, put out of mynd all mi&s;tru&s;t that he had co!ceyued of his doinges before. The Gothes whom he had brought with him were entertay|ned very gently and courteou&s;ly, and men wondered to beholde theym: the whych mighte &s;eme to haue chaunced
<PB N="95" REF="111">not without good cau&s;e. For there was Vitigis king of the Gothes that of late had be&s;yeged Rome wyth &s;uch a mul|titude,<NOTE PLACE="marg">What they vvere vvhome Beli&s;arius brought pri|&s;oners to Con+&s;tantinople.</NOTE> and his wyfe Amulu&s;uentha, thenece of Theoderich &s;omtime king of the Gothes who fir&s;t brought them into Italy, and there gaue them po&s;&s;e&s;|&s;io~s. Furthermore there were the two &s;onnes of Ildouade then Kynge of the Gothes, whem Beli&s;arius fynding in the Courte of Vitigis at Rauenna, wold not &s;uffer to depart, but brought them away w^t hym into Grecs. There were other noble men of the Gothes al&s;o, whom al men beheld, wondering at the pui&s;&s;ans of Beli&s;arius, that had atcheued &s;o great exploytes, and extol|ling him wyth pray&s;es to the &s;kye, in that he had lately before &s;ubdued Aph|rycke, and now Italy, vnder the domi|nion of Iu&s;tinian. And thus went the worlde in Grece. In Italye after the departure of Beli&s;arius, the order of thynges by the commaundement of the Emperour was committed to the
<PB REF="112">di&s;cretion of Iohn, of Be&s;&s;as, &amp; of Vi|talis. Con&s;tantian al&s;o was come out of Dalmatia, &amp; was added to the nu~ber of the Gouernours. It was &s;oone &s;eene what difference there was betwene y^e gouernment of the&s;e men &amp; of Beli&s;a.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The pray&s;e of beli&s;arius.</NOTE> For (to omitte his &s;kilfulne&s;&s;e in feats of warre &amp; cheularie wherin he far &s;ur|mounted al the Captaines of his time) there was in him a &s;inguler humam|tie &amp; gentlenes, through the which he exhibited him&s;elf a&s;well to the poore, as to the rich. There was no maner of per+&s;on, but might haue ea&s;ie &amp; fre acce&s;&s;e to is pre&s;ens: &amp; be&s;ides that, he was wonderous bountifull &amp; liberall. Vn|to his &s;ouldiers that had lo&s;t theyr hor|&s;es, weapons and armour (&s;o it were not cowardly) forthwith he gaue new agayne. Of the hu&s;bandmen he had &s;o great regarde, that in leading of hys armie, he would not &s;uffer any of them to be hurte or endomaged. Hys &s;ouldi|ers dur&s;te not be &s;o bolde as to touche the Apples hangyng on the trees.</P>
<PB N="96" REF="112">
<P>Through this his &s;traightne&s;&s;e in ob|&s;erning the lawe of armes, he obtry|ned that his campe was more plenti|fully &s;erued, then the marketts in any citie. So free and without peryll was the conueyance of all things that were to be &s;olde. His vprightne&s;&s;e towarde &s;uche Cytyes as were in &s;ocietie and leage wyth hym, no man is able to reporte as it de&s;erued. Men myghte heare of the great good tournes that he dyd for them, but not that he vexed or mole&s;ted any of them.</P>
<P>But as for them that &s;ucceded hym, they were nothynge lyke hym, ney|they in humanitie, neyther in pro|we&s;&s;e, neyther yet in vyryght dea|lynge. For bothe they them &s;elues were Pyllers and Pollers, and al&s;o they &s;uffered theyr Souldyers to fall into all kynd of licentiou&s;ne&s;&s;e &amp; di&s;or|der, beynge proude to theyr partakers, and ea&s;ye inough to be entreated to|ward their enemies, by meanes wher|of within &s;hort &s;pace matters began to
<PB REF="113">goe cleane backeward, and to &s;lyde in|to open and manife&s;t ruine, as I &s;hall &s;heweyou hereafter.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="2" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>The .ij. Chapter.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>&para; The diligence of Ildouade kinge of the Gothes, the greate mi&s;gouernaunce of the Imperiall Captaines, by meanes vvhereof then be brought lovve and the Gothes in|cre&s;ed ion &s;trength and courage. The death of Vraias, the death of Ildouade, the elect|tion and death of Ataticus, and the electi|on of Totilas.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>ILdouade beyng newly created kyng of the Gothes (as I decla|red before) after the departure of Beli&s;arius, went in hand wyth hys matters very diligently. For he gaue commaundement that all the Gothes and all the Italians that fauored the Gothy&s;he parte, &s;hould at a daye ap|poynted meete all rogyther readye furni&s;hed with armour at Pauye. His armye at y^t beginning was verye &s;ten+der, but it co~tinually encrea&s;ed &amp; euery
<PB N="97" REF="113">daye was in better hope and comforte then other.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The iniur&s;|ous dealing of the Empe|perours Col|lectours cau|&s;eth great al|teration.</NOTE> The couetou&s;ne&s;&s;e and wrongful dealing of their aduer&s;aries dyd not a lytle helpe the Gothi&s;h part. For the collectours of Iu&s;tinian vnder the colour of forfeytures and arrera|ges, began to vexe the people of Italy maruelous bytterlye, and to compell theym to the payment of &s;ummes that were neuer due. For by calling an ac|compt of all thyngs that the Italians had taken charge of in the tyme of Theoderich fyr&s;te kynge of the Go|thes, or of anye other of the Kynges that &s;ucceeded hym, togyther wyth the accompte of all &s;uche offices as anye Italyan had borne durynge the &s;ayde tyme, and moreouer by makyng in|qui&s;ition for the money lately promy|fed by the Cytyes to the Gothes, the whyche they chalenged to the Empe|rour as due by the name of forfeyture, they broughte euery man priuatelye and all the Cytyes generallye in &s;uche ade&s;payre, that they wy&s;hed y^e Gothes
<PB REF="114">to be loroes of all againe &amp; therevppon many, of their owne free will reuolted to Ildouade, helpinge to augarent the number &amp; &s;trength of his armie. The loke grudge was al&s;o in themperours armie. For loke with what greadines the money that was neuer due was tracted of the Italians, with like pin|ching were the &s;ouldiers re&s;trayned of theyr due de&s;erued wages. Thers was no regarde had of any thyng but one, which was to &s;ati&s;fye the Empe|rours vn&s;atiable couetou&s;nes, by ga|thering of money and &s;pendinge none againe. And therfore as well the &s;oul|dyers as the Italyans, beyng con&s;trai|ned with &s;o great wronges, &s;ought to bryng the Empyre to decaye. By mea+nes whereof Ildouade daylye grow|ynge &s;tronge, brought vnder hys o|bey&s;ance all the Cytyes beyonde the Ryuer Po, and all the Cytyes per|teynynge to the e&s;tate of Venice, and hys armpe was fullye furni&s;hed with number both of Italians and Gothes,
<PB N="98" REF="114">Through the whyche within a whyle he was &s;o encouraged, that he was not a frayde to leade hys armye into open feld, &amp; to try the fortune of battel.<NOTE PLACE="marg">A battell be|tvvene ildo|uade and the imperialles.</NOTE> This encounter was fought not farre fro~<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Novv called Trenizo.</NOTE> Tarui&s;ium again&s;t Vitalis one of the Emperours Captaines. In the which Ildouade getting thupper hand made &s;uch a&s;laughter of Vitalis army y^e whiles the captanie him&s;elf w^t a few &s;led away, all the re&s;t were either &s;lain or taken pri&s;oners by the Gothes.</P>
<P>Through this victorie being &s;o great &amp; &s;o notable, it is a wonder to &s;ee how the gothes were entouraged, &amp; how much the power of their aduer&s;aries was a|bated. In &s;o much y^e not only beyonde the Ryuer Po, and vnder the domini|on of Venice, but al&s;o all &s;uche as on thys &s;yde the Po, helde of the Go|thy&s;he part, were throughly &s;trengthe|ned and the name of Ildouade grewe famous euen in the Emperour Iu|&s;tinians Court, and amonge forreine nations al&s;o.</P>
<PB REF="115">
<P>It was not long after but that he pur|&s;ued to y^t death Vraias a man of much aucthoritie and e&s;timation among the Gothes vpon pre&s;umption y^e he &s;hould con&s;pire with his enemies This cau&s;e was pretended.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The death of Vraias.</NOTE> Howbeit &s;omme were of opinion that he tooke prytch agayn&s;t Vraias by cau&s;e that latly before, there had bene alterration betwen his wife and the Qu&eacute;ene. But &s;urely I cannot thinke that Ildouade being a graue &amp; wy&s;e man would be &s;o farre ouer&s;ene as to be induced with brablinge mat|ters of women, to kill &s;uche a man as was Vraias. I beleue rather that the cau&s;e why Ildouade dyd putte him to death, was that he feared his power &amp; aucthoritie. For it is mamife&s;t that the Gothes in generall are of nature very mi&s;tru&s;tfull, and &s;carce &s;ufficientlye fa&s;thfull toward their kinges. Many of the Gothes di&s;&s;alowed the death of V|raias, and openly dete&s;ted it as a hey|nous and wicked acte. By meanes wherof it came to pa&s;&s;e, that Ildouade
<PB N="99" REF="115">him&s;elf was &s;tayne by one of his owne gard whiles he &s;ate at his meate.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The death of Ildouade.</NOTE> In his &s;tead was Ataricus created King: but he raigned not long. For w^t in fiue monethes after his election, he was &s;lain by his owne &s;ubiectes for his euil behauiour &amp; mi&s;gouernement.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The death of Ataricus.</NOTE> Thus hauing killed two of their kinges w^tin two yeres &s;pace, they offered the king|dome with one con&s;ent vnto Totilas.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Totilas crea|ted king.</NOTE> This man before he was made kynge had borne great aucthority at<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Novv called Treuizo.</NOTE> Tarui fiuer, which is a citie of the Venetians and hys father was brother to Ildo|uade late Kynge.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="3" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>The .iii. Chapter.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>&leaf; A larger declaration of the election and creation of Totilas mencioned brieflye in the Chapter before. The Emperours Captaines through their in&s;aciable gredi|nes of pray &s;tryuing for the bootie before they had gotten it lo&s;e the Citis Veron vvhiche vvas deliuered into their handes, and betray their ovvne companie.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<PB REF="116">
<P>AFter that Ildouade (as I &s;hewed before) was &s;laine, Totilas drea|ding to be in daunger bycau&s;e he waws &s;o nere of his kinne, &s;ent priuely to Rauenna &amp; made compact with them|perours captaines to turne vnto them with &s;uch as he had rule of &amp; to yeld vp y^e town of Tarui&s;ium into their ha~ds. A day was limited for performans of y^e matter. But ere euer y^e day came, the Gothes repenting y^e they had reioyced in y^t death of Ildouade, &amp; that they had made Ataxicus their king, a ma~ nether of wi&s;dome nor courage able to defend y^e Gothes again&s;t &s;o great &s;trength of their enemies, began to encline to To tilas the nere kin&s;man of Ildouade, &amp; to wi&s;he that he were their king. In co~ clu&s;to~ they di&s;patched Ataricus out of the way, &amp; made Totilas king in ded. Iu&s;tinian hauing intelligence of the&s;e things y^e had happened in Italy, found great fault w^t thun&s;kilfulnes &amp; coward+nes of his captaines, y^t in al the tyme y^e their enemies were &s;o at di&s;&s;ention a|mong
<PB N="100" REF="116">them&s;elues, &amp; among &s;o many alterations &amp; chaunges, they hauing &s;o great oportunity for y^e &s;pe~ding of their matters, had done nothing at all. The captaines moued w^e this di&s;honorable rebuke, a&s;&s;e~bled togither at Rauenna. There when it came to con&s;ultation as concerning the war, it was thought be&s;t, fir&s;t &amp; forme&s;t to &s;end an armye a|gain&s;t y^e citie. Veron. For they had ben &s;ecretly put in hope of thobteining of y^e towne. The captaines were in nu~ber xi: of who~ the chiefe were Con&s;tantian &amp; Alexa~der lately &s;ent thither by them perour for the collection ofhis money. Therfore &s;etting forth wyth a greate armye, when they approched neere to Veron, they determyned to putte in tryall the hope that was lately genen theym. For there was one Martine a noble man of that Countrie that had a Ca&s;tle not farre from Veron: who (for as much as in his hart he was un|periall) had allured the keper of one of the gates to let in y^t emperours army.
<PB REF="117">The matter being in this wy&s;e clo&s;ely agr&eacute;ed vpon, when the captaines came thither with their armye, they &s;ent be|fore one Artauades an Armenian w^t a number of pycked &s;ouldiers to take the gate, &amp; there to awaite the co~ming of the re&s;t of the ho&s;te. No parte of pro|my&s;e was lefte vnperformed in that place. For in the dead of the night whe~ the &s;ouldyers came to the gate, the trai+tour &s;et it wyde all open &amp; let them in|to the Cytye. They enterynge in and hauynge al&s;o taken the walles aboue the &s;ame, gaue notyce thereof to the re&s;t of the armye. The Gothes percei|uing their enemies wythin the towne, fled out at another gate.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Note the co|uetou&s;nes of thimperialles and vvhat came of it.</NOTE> The captains hearinge that their men had taken the towne, marched forwarde. But ere e|uer they came there, they fell at alter|cation for the &s;poyle by y^e way, &amp; &s;taied fiue miles from the Citie. In y^e meane while the daye brake. Now there is a ca&s;tle aboue the citie of Veron which hath a very great pro&s;pect, both into the
<PB N="101" REF="117">towne, &amp; al&s;o farre into the countrye. The Gothes which were fled into this hold, perceli<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">g few of their enemyes to be within the Citie, and the armye to abyde &s;till without makinge no ap|proch toward the walles, &s;odainely y&s;|&s;ued out of the Ca&s;tle, &amp; aduenturyng through the citie, recouered to the gate where their enemies came in &amp; &s;hut it. The &s;ouldygers that were entered by night, were partly oppre&s;&s;ed, &amp; partly flying to the walles made re&s;i&s;tens fro~ aboue. Anone after, the captaines com+ming thyther &amp; finding the gate &s;hut. although y^e &s;ouldiers w^tin called to the~ for help, de&s;iring them not to abandon them in that &s;orte, yet notwith&s;tanding they retired backe againe out of hand. Some of the &s;ouldiers leaped downe the walles &amp; &s;aued them&s;elues: among which number was Artauades the Ar+menian their guide. The re&s;t were ey|ther &s;laine or ells taken pri&s;oners. By this meanes through the mi&s;gouerne|ment &amp; couetou&s;nes of the Captaines
<PB REF="118" MS="y">&s;triuing amonge theym&s;elues for the pra<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">e before they had gotten it, when they &s;huld haue made mo&s;t &s;pede for y^e winning of the &s;ame, the matter quai|led about Veron.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="4" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>The iiij. Chapter.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>&para;f Totilas by his pollicie ouercommeth the Imperials being of greater force and num+ber then his army vvas, in the vvhich victo+rie he &s;hevveth great clemencie.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>AFter this the Captaynes of Iu&s;ti|nian (for becau&s;e their attempt fell out &s;o ylfaueredly and di&s;honorable at Veron) began to fall at debate among theym&s;elues, euerye man putting the fault in other, &amp; therevpon departyng out of tho&s;e quarters, they pa&s;&s;ed ouer the riuer Po, &amp; marched toward Plea+&s;ans. At that time was Totilas at Pa+uy who hearing of the comming of his enemies, rai&s;ed as mam men of warre as be could with all &s;pede po&s;&s;ible. In the meane tyme the captaines hauing
<PB N="102" REF="118">pa&s;&s;ed beyond Plea&s;ans, had enca~ped them&s;elues by the &s;ide of the riuer Po. Totilas albeit he were far ouermat|ched, yet he determined to goe again&s;t them w^t &s;uche power as he had and to trie thaduenture of battell. So when both the campes approched nere togy|ther, &amp; that thencounter waws fully re|&s;olued vppon by both parties, Totilas in the nyghte tyme &s;eut certayne of hys hor&s;emen before, commaundyng theym to gette ouer the Ryuer almo&s;t twenty furlonges aboue the campe of their enemies, &amp; as &s;oone as the bat|tell was ioyned, to retyre and a&s;&s;ayle the enemye behynde wythe as muche noy&s;e and hurlyburlye as they could. He him&s;elfe (when he &s;awe hys tyme) marched towarde hys enemyes. The|emperours captains did y^e like. There was in tho&s;te of Tetilas a Gother cal|led Vlarus mounted on a good cour|&s;er and rychely armed: who aduaun|cing him&s;elf before the battel,<NOTE PLACE="marg">A combate hand to ha~d.</NOTE> chale~ged to &s;eight with any man hand to hand.
<PB REF="119">Again&s;t this man offered him&s;elfe to the combat Artauades the Armenian of whome mencion was made in the entering into Veron. So in the &s;ight of both tharmes, they fetched their races &amp; ranne one at another with their &s;pea|res in the re&s;t. Artauades thru&s;te the Gothe through the right &s;ide with his &s;peare &s;o that he fell downe dead. And he him&s;elf being driuen by mi&s;chaunce vpo~ the &s;peare of the dead ma~ &s;ticking in the ground through the only force &amp; violence of his owne hor&s;e, ranne him|&s;elf vppon the poynet of it, in &s;o muche that it wounded him through his Cu|ret, of the whyche wounde he dyed within thre dayes after. The two bat|telles in the meane tyme encountred very fier&s;lye, &amp; eeuery man &s;hewed hys conning what he was able to doe wyth his weapon. When the battell was at the whote&s;t, &amp; that both parts wer mo&s;t intentife to their feyghtinge, victorie as yet enclining to neyther &s;ide, y^e &s;oul|dyers of Totilas whiche had pa&s;&s;ed the
<PB N="103" REF="119">riuer came &amp; &s;et vppon Themperours Captaines behind.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Imperi|alls are van|qui&s;hed by Totilas.</NOTE> Whervpon aro&s;e a great noy&s;e, &amp; manye being beaten downe, fir&s;t they brake the araye of the Emperours armye, &amp; anone after put them to open flight. For after the time theyr battelles were once opened, their enemies pre&s;&s;ed &s;o &s;ore vpon them both before &amp; behind, y^e thei were &s;one di&s;per peled. Many were &s;lain by the Gothes in y^e chace, &amp; many e&s;caped by bypathes &amp; vnknowen wayes. But the greate&s;t nu~ber was of the~ y^e were take~ pri&s;oners Moreouer (which neuer happened be|fore) al y^t &s;ta~dards, ba~ners &amp; ante&s;iges,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The great &amp; di&s;honorable lo&s;&s;e in thys battell.</NOTE> of themperours army were taken in y^e battell, &amp; being brought vnto Totilas, made his victory more famous &amp; renou+med, in y^e he hauing &s;cars half &s;o many men in his armye as his enemies, had wittingly &amp; willingly encountred w^t a greater power then his own, of whom thorough his marciall pollitie he had gotten the victorie. Hauing thus gotte~ the vppeer hand, he v&s;ed the victory very
<PB REF="120">courteou&s;ly vexing none of y^e pri&s;oners but &s;e~ding diuers away w^tout ra~&s;ome The which his gentlene&s;&s;e dyd gract|ly augme~t his honour and renoume.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The gentle|nes of Toti|las after hys victorie,</NOTE> The captaines of Iu&s;tinia~ y^e e&s;caped, fled fir&s;t vnto Plea&s;ans, &amp; from thence we~t euery ma~ a &s;undry way, bu&s;ying the~&s;elues as much as might be in ray|&s;ing a new armye of men.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="5" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>The .v. Chapter.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>&para; Iu&s;tine one of themperours captaines in be &s;eged vvithin Florens, &amp; re&s;covved by tho|ther imperial captaines, vvho in the pur&s;ute of their enemies through an vntrue report ca&s;t in &s;odain feare are vvith great flaughter put to flight. Totilas recouereth diuers tovv+nes in Lombardie, rai&s;eth the vvalls of Bene+uent &amp; be&s;iegeth Naples, A compari&s;on be tvvene the good gouernement of Totilas and the mi&s;gouernaunceof the Imperiall Captaines.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>WIthin a while after this victorie, Totilas now conceuing greater things in his mind, &s;ent an army to Hetruria wherof he made captayns thre of the worthie&s;t men of al the Go|thes,
<PB N="104" REF="120">Beldas, Rodericke, &amp; Vliaris. There was in Hetruria a captain cal|led Iu&s;tine, one of tho&s;e y^t had bene at the fore&s;aid battell. Who after the di&s;|comfiture had neuer cea&s;ed leuing of a new power,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The be&s;eging of Florens &amp; the rai&s;ing of the &s;ame.</NOTE> &amp; fortifiyng of the townes neuer theles tharmie of Totilas came &s;odainly vpon him, &amp; be&s;ieged him w^tin y^e walls of Florens. Iu&s;tine feared no|thing &s;o much as &s;carcety of victualles. For nothing couled be conueied in, &amp; that which was wythin alreadye, was lyke to be &s;o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">e &s;pent. Wherevppon be &s;ent to the re&s;t of the Captaynes at Rauenna &amp; aduerti&s;ed theym in what perill his e&s;tate &s;hood; reque&s;ting them of &s;uccour. Being moued w^t this me&s;|&s;age, Be&s;&s;as, Ciprian &amp; Iohn Vitalian came into Hetruria with their armies when the Gothes had vnder&s;tanding of their approch, by &amp; by they brake vp their &s;lege &amp; di&s;lodged their campe, not &s;taying anye where, vntill they came to a place called Muciall whythe is a dayes ioumey from Florens.</P>
<PB REF="121" MS="y">
<P>As &s;one as tharmy of con&s;everats was entered into Florens, the Captaynes thought it good to leaue a fewe behynd theym for defence of the towne, &amp; they them&s;elues with all the re&s;t of tharmie to marthe again&s;t thenemie. Whyle they were on their way, it &s;emed good y^e &s;ome one of the Captaines &s;hould goe quickely before to a&s;&s;a&s;&s;e thenemy, &amp; to &s;taye him from going awaye, &amp; the re&s;t w^t all &s;pede &s;hould follow after. When lottes were ca&s;t, the charge of goynge before fell vnto Iohn, who with his men in good order of battell, made ha&s;te towarde the enemys. Nowe the enemies being afrayed at the co~ming of the ho&s;te, for&s;ake the place where they had emcamped them&s;elues fyr&s;t, and gate them to a hyll thereby bothe &s;tepe and hard to clyurbe vnto. Yet for all that Iohn made no curte&s;ye at the matter when he came to place, but di|rected hys battell agayn&s;t the hyll, and wyth a noble courage endeuored to get vp by playne force. Hys enemyes
<PB N="105" REF="121" MS="y">&s;tood carne&s;tly at defence, as they that might ca&s;&s;ye make re&s;i&s;tens from the higher ground. In thys place whyles Iohn &s;troue to get vp, feightinge vali|antly amonge the forme&s;t, one of hys companions was &s;trike~ through wyth a pycke and flayne hard by hys &s;yde.<NOTE PLACE="marg">An vntrue re|port cau&s;e of a &s;hamefull di&s;comfiture.</NOTE></P>
<P>Wherevpon forthwith ro&s;e an vntrue rumour (which was lyghtly beleued) that Iohn was &s;layne, and therwithall his men began to runne awaye. The brute hereof beinge reported to theym that came with the re&s;t of tharmye be|hynd, togither wyth the fearfull flyght of &s;uche as were at the battell, made them al&s;o mo&s;t &s;hamefully to runne a|way. Neyther was there any mea&s;ure of their flyght, but &s;catteryng them&s;el|ues here &s;ome &amp; they brake their aray and for&s;oke their &s;tandard. By meanes whereof the Captaynes them&s;elues were faynt to take theym to flyght al&s;o wythoute compul&s;ion of any enemie. After this time they came no more togither againe, but euery ma~
<PB REF="122">kept by him&s;elf one in one towne and another in another, as they had reco|uered vnto oute of the chace. Yet for all that, the Gothes retourned not to the &s;yege of Florens, partly for feare of the greate power of theyr enemye, the whiche although it were di&s;per&s;ed, yet was it &s;tyll within the compa&s;&s;e of Hetruria, and partlye becau&s;e the win+ter drewe nere. Thys was the ende of the &s;euen yeres &s;ynce Beli&s;arius be|ganne the warres fyr&s;te. The nexte yere following,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Totilas reco|uereth tovvns in Lumbardy</NOTE> as &s;one as the tyme of the yere &s;erued to encampe in the fielde. Totilas leuied an armye and came into Lumbardye, and there be|&s;ieged Ce&s;en, and Petra the whyche towne is now a dayes comonly cal|led by a corrupte name Bretines, as for all the re&s;te of the townes of that countrye, for the mo&s;t parte eyther he had wonne them by force, or ells taken them by compo&s;ition, whe~ he had thus compa&s;&s;ed hys matters in that coun|trye, he pa&s;&s;ed from thence wyth hys
<PB N="106" REF="122">armie into Hetruria. There finding al thynges whoter for hym then he loo|ked for, he determyned fullye not to &s;pende hys tyme in wa&s;te about them. And therefore pa&s;&s;ing ouer the ryuer Tyber which bowndeth Hetruria, he tooke hys iourney throughe the Vm|bres, the Sabities, and the Mar&s;es into ampany,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Totilas ra&s;eth the vvalles of Beneuent.</NOTE> in the whych place he wonne the Cytye of Beneuent, and ra&s;ed downe the walles of it to the grounde. For he was loth that &s;o &s;tronge and defen&s;ible a Citie &s;huld belefte for hys enemyes, (yf they &s;houlde happen to comme into the&s;e borders, to make they, Bulwarke and fortre&s;&s;e of.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The &s;yege of Naples.</NOTE> The whyche done he be&s;yeged Naples, hauynge fyr&s;te entreated theym gentlye wyth many wordes, that they woulde rather accepte hys frend&s;hyppe, then procure hys di&s;plea&s;ure. But hys words were to no purpo&s;e. For there was in garri|&s;on Conon one of Iu&s;tinians Cap|taines wyth a band of not &s;o fewe as a
<PB REF="123">thou&s;and &s;ouldiers, who would &s;uffer nothing to be done in coun&s;ell, wyth|out his cou&s;ent. The which thing whe~ Totilas vnder&s;toode, he planted hys &s;iege not farre from the Citie. Howbe|it he a&s;&s;aulted it not, but &s;ate &s;tyll in quiet. In the meane while he &s;ent part of hys armye abroade, and recouered Cume with certayne other townes in tho&s;e borders, by the whiche he gate a greate ma&s;&s;e of money, Be&s;ides thys there happened certaine noble wome~ of Rome to be taken in tho&s;e places.<NOTE PLACE="marg">An example of clementie and magna|nimitie.</NOTE></P>
<P>All the which Totilas cau&s;ed to be be|rys courteou&s;lye entreated wythoute re&s;traint of their libertie, and &s;ent the~ home agayne to their hu&s;bandes and parentes wyth an honorable company to &s;aufconduit the~. And fora&s;muche as in tho&s;e borders was not any Cap|tayne or anye power to with&s;tande the doynges of Totilas, he &s;ent e&s;te one parte of hys armye and e&s;te another, &s;o longe vntyll he had broughte vnder hys obey&s;ans Appulia, Lucauie, and
<PB N="107" REF="123">Calabre wyth all theyr townes. By meanes whereof if came to pa&s;&s;e, that there hwas not any more monye paied oute of tho&s;e countryes to Iu&s;tinians Captaines and &s;ouldiers,<NOTE PLACE="marg">See vvhat vvant of good gouernement doth in vvar.</NOTE> nor any man that would obey the Captaines, or fet one foote oute of doores to goe wyth theym, For the &s;ouldyers iurkynge wythin the walled townes robbed and pylled as well theyr frendes as theyr foes, and throughe theyr extortion e|uyll rule made hauocke of al thynges. And the Captaynes for the &s;ame cau&s;e kepyng them&s;elues wythin y^e walles, dyd no more but onelye defende the townes from the enemye. For they parted the Cytyes amonge theym, &s;o that Iohn had the charge of Rome, Be&s;&s;as the charge of Spolet, Cypry|an the charge of Peru&s;ia, Iu&s;tine the rule of Florens, and Con&s;tantian the kepynge of Raucinia. In the meane tyme Naples began to be euerye daye in wor&s;e ca&s;e then other, by meanes of the &s;iege. For Totilas hauing &s;ent
<PB REF="124">for hys flete had keepte theym &s;o &s;hort, that nothing coulde be conueyed in nei+ther by water nor by land. Whereby it was to be perceyued, that vnles &s;ome bodye re&s;cowed it, that Cytye was lyke at length to come in &s;ub|iection to the enemie.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="6" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>The .vi. Chapter.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>&para; A nevve Lieuetenant is &s;ent tovvarde Italy vvho&s;e covvardoe&s;&s;e in protracting of the time doth not a litle endomage the imperi+alls. Demetrius deui&s;eth produently for the re&s;covving of Maples, vvhich for vvant of courage in executinge the &s;ame tourneth to his ovvne de&s;truction.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>IV&s;tinian hearinge of thys,<NOTE PLACE="marg">A nevv lieue|tenant &s;ent into italy.</NOTE> and beynge di&s;quieted for the mi&s;e|rable e&s;tate of Italye and the di&s;honour of the Empyre. Sent one Marimius (receyuer of hys reue|nues) into Italye, to amende and repayre thyriges ami&s;&s;e, geuynge hym a nauye of &s;hyppes and an
<PB N="108" REF="124">armye of Thracians and Armenians. Captayne of the Thracians was He|rodian, and Captayne of the Arme|nians was Pha&s;es. Be&s;ydes the&s;e, he had al&s;o in hys &s;hyppes no &s;malle number of the Hunnes.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The covvard+nes of Mari|mius.</NOTE> Marimius departynge from Con&s;tantinople, came into Epyre. There in delibe|ratynge vppon the affayres of Ita|lye, hangynge in doubte betwene hope and feare, throughe his flouth|fullne&s;&s;e and cowardy&s;e, he lo&s;t the tyme. For thys Maximine was a good gentyllman, of a mylde na|ture, meete for matters of peace, but altogyther vn&s;kyllfull of warre|lyke exploytes, and therefore fearfull, fyndynge delayes and ca&s;tynge doub|tes in euery tri&s;te. Now thaffaires of Italy at y^e time, required quicke &s;pede both in con&s;ultinge and in workinge. Iu&s;tinian &s;aw &s;o &s;mal hope of any good doinge in Marimine, he &s;ent one De|metrius (becau&s;e that lately before he had &s;erued vnder Beli&s;arius in
<PB REF="125">the warres in Italy, wyth another na|uie into Sicil. This Dometrius when he was arryued in Sicill, hearyng of the &s;yege of Naples, and of the dyf|tre&s;&s;e that they were putte vnto that were within, determyned to &s;uccour theym,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The prudent pollicie of de+metrius yf he had follovved it.</NOTE> and that wythoute further de|laye. Now for as muche as he thought hym&s;elfe not able to dooe it by playne force, by cau&s;e that neyther hys &s;hip|pes nor hys army were &s;ufficient ther|vnto, he detty&s;ed thys pollicye. He gate togyther all the &s;hyppes that he coulde comme by in Sicill, and made of theym a greate flete as to the &s;how, the whyche he fraughted wyth corne, and &s;o made &s;ayle towarde Naples. Thys thynge dyd bothe greatlye com|forte the be&s;peged, and al&s;o putte the Gothes in greate feare. For they had hearde &s;aye he was commynge wyth a greate number of &s;hyppes, and they thoughte verylye he hadde broughte a greate power of men in theym. And &s;urely yf he had gonne
<PB N="109" REF="125">dyrectlye <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> Naples at the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word">, all thynges had happened to good &s;ucce&s;&s;e and the be&s;yeged Cytye had oute of all doubte bene &s;aued. For hys enemies were &s;o dy&s;mayed at the multitude of hys &s;hyppes that they dur&s;te not haue made anye countenaunce of re&s;i&s;tens. Howbeit he knowyng his own weak|ne&s;&s;e, dur&s;te not arryue at Naples, but went to Rome, to thentent there to furny&s;he hys nauye wyth men, and &s;o to &s;ayle &s;tronglye vnto Naples.</P>
<P>But the &s;ouldiers that were at Rome woulde not take &s;hippynge for hym. For by rea&s;on they had bene vanqui&s;|&s;hed by the Gothes in twoo foughte battelles, they &s;toode in feare of theym beyonde all mea&s;ure. Beynge therefore de&s;titute of thys hope, De|metrius was compelled to go again&s;t hys enemyes wyth tho&s;e &s;hyppes one|lye, that he broughte wyth hym from Con&s;tantinople.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Occa&s;ion let &s;lyppe vvil not be cavvght againe.</NOTE> Totilas kepte con|tinuallye readye furny&s;&s;hed certayne &s;wyfte Pyue&s;&s;es in the hauen of
<PB REF="126">Naples, and alwayes tooke diligent bheede to the flete of Demetrius, wher+fore when he heard that Demetrius was &s;ette oute of Rome toward Na|ples, and that he was arriued at the nexte &s;hore, &s;odaynelye he &s;ette vp|pon hym wyth hys Pyne&s;&s;es tho|rowe the whyche &s;odayne vnlooked for a&s;&s;aulte, the &s;hypmen and &s;oul|dyers were &s;tryken in &s;uche a feare, that they tooke theym to flyghte.</P>
<P>The Gothes pur&s;ewinge them wyth theyr &s;wyfte Pyne&s;&s;es, made a great flaughter and tooke all Demetrius &s;hyppes with theyr freight and men. For none e&s;caped of that flete excepte it were &s;uche as at the begynning had leapt into botes &amp; hidden them&s;elues, among whom was Demetrius Cap|taine of the &s;aid flete:</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="7" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>&para; The .vii. Chapter.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>&leaf; Demetrius &s;aylinge agayne to the re&s;|covvynge of Naples is taken pry&s;onner,
<PB N="110" REF="126" MS="y">vvherevppon Naples is yelded to Totilas vvho benaueth hym&s;elfe verye courteou&s;|lye and frendlye both to the tovvne &s;men and to the Emperours &s;ouldyers, but to|vvarde his ovvne men extendeth much &s;e|ueritie in keping vvarlike di&s;cipline.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>AFTER thys Marimine &s;ayled oute of Epyre into Sicill wyth a greatter nauye,<NOTE PLACE="marg">A covvardly carpet knyght.</NOTE> and a greatter furniture of men. And when he was arriued at Syracu&s;e, through hys ac|cu&s;tomed cowardy&s;e in delayinge and driuing of, he lo&s;te the time againe. Neyther regardinge the neceuine, nor the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> of &s;uche as were be|&s;yeged. At the lengthe when Iu&s;ti|nian had &s;ente &s;traighte charge vnto hym, not wythoute threates, that he &s;houlde proc&eacute;ede, yet coulde not all that cau&s;e hym to &s;ayle agayn&s;te hys enemyes, but he delyuered the charge of hys fleete to Demetrius Herodian and Pha&s;es, and he him|&s;elfe abode &s;till in Sicill.</P>
<PB REF="127">
<P>It was nowe the dead of the wynter when they beganne to &s;ette forthe.<NOTE PLACE="marg">A tempe&s;t.</NOTE></P>
<P>And when they came wythin a lyttle of Naples &s;odaynely the flete was ta|ken wyth a vehement tempe&s;t, in &s;o muche that neyther ores nor anye con|nynge in the world could &s;aue theym but that they were dryuen a land per|force vppon the &s;hore where their ene|mies were encamped.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Demetrius is taken pri&s;o|ner.</NOTE> The Gothes perceyuinge that, ranne thyther and wythoute anye a doe tooke the &s;hippes If any made re&s;i&s;tens they &s;lew them, the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span">. Of the whych number Demetrius was one. Whom Totilas commaunded to be broughte fettered in chaines vnto the walles of Naples, where callynge Conon Captayne of the Towne and the &s;ouldyers wyth the Cytyzens of Naples, Demetrius by the Kynges commaundement made an oration, per&s;wadynge theym not to looke for anye more helpe. For con&s;yderynge that tho&s;e twoo fletes wyth all theyr
<PB N="111" REF="127">men and furniture were lo&s;te, there remayned not anye hope for theym to tru&s;te vnto. They that were be&s;ye|ged beynge &s;ore pyned wyth hunger, when they &s;awe Demetrius taken and all hope of comforte cutte of, fell to weepynge and lamentation, not knowynge what to doe or which waye to tourne theym in &s;o muche that all the Cytye was in a wonderfull trou|ble and di&s;quietne&s;&s;e for feare. When Totilas rerceiued that, he called them and &s;pake vnto theym as they &s;toode vppon the walles in thys wy&s;e. Ye men of Naples, we haue not goone aboute to be&s;yege your Cytye, for anye anger or dy&s;plea&s;ure that we beare agayn&s;te you, but to thentent that by &s;ettinge you free from the bon|dage of oure enemye, we myght re|compence you for the troubles that you haue &s;uffeted in the tyme of the&s;e warres at oure onemyes handes, for keepynge your allegeans to the Go|thes. For you onelye of all the Ita|lians
<PB REF="128">vtterlye again&s;te your wills came in &s;ubiection of oure enemyes, compelled therto by violence &amp; &s;laugh|ter, and well nye by the vtter de&s;truc+tion of your Cytye. And therefore me thynkes I am a&s;&s;hamed that we haue be&s;yeged you, but that ne|ce&s;&s;itye con&s;trayned vs becau&s;e oure enemyes were amonge&s;t you. Wher|fore a&s;&s;ure your &s;elues, rather of a good tourne and of frend&s;hyppe at oure hand then of anye puni&s;hement. Moreouer for your &s;akes we wyll not be anye thynge &s;trayghte laced toward oure onemyes that are in the Towne wyth you. For yf &s;o be it they wyll render it vppe, they &s;hall haue fre libertye and leaue to cho&s;e, whether they wyll &s;erue vs in oure warres in lyke e&s;tate and ca&s;e as other of oure owne &s;ouldyers, or elles de|parte whyther they ly&s;te them&s;elues wyth bagge and baggage. Thys oure promy&s;e we are contented to con&s;yrme wyth an other. Bothe the
<PB N="112" REF="128">Neapolitanes and the Emperours &s;ouldyers commended Totilas hys wordes. Neuerthele&s;&s;e to thentent theyr yeldynge myghte &s;eme the more honne&s;t and rea&s;onable, they de&s;y|red a Truce for thyrtye dayes, yf per|chaunce anye bodye woulde re&s;cowe theym wythin that tyme. Totilas aun&s;wered that he was contented to geue theym not thyrtye, by thry&s;e thyrtye dayes re&s;pyte.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Naples is yel+ded to roti|las.</NOTE> The be&s;ye|ged wonderynge at &s;o greate libertye, and playnelye perceyuinge that there was no hope of helpe, wythin fewe dayes after &s;ette open theyr gates,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The curteous and trendlye behauiour of Totilas tovvard the neapolitaner.</NOTE> and receyued Totilas and hys armye into the Towne. When the was comme into Naples, he entreated not anye man otherwy&s;e then well neyther was he greuous to anye per|&s;onne but rather v&s;ed &s;uche huma|nitie and courte&s;ye as would not haue bene thoughte to haue bene in a bar|barous Gothe.</P>
<PB REF="129">
<P>For where as manye through hunger were broughte &s;o bare and &s;o weake, that they were not able to totre on their legges, and were fallen &s;ycke, to the entent they &s;hould not ca&s;t theym|&s;elues awaye wyth ouerlayinge their &s;tomackes by f&eacute;edyng to greadely, he looked carefullye and diligentlye vnto theym, that not onelye the Citizens of Naples. But al&s;o the &s;ouldyers had euerye daye twy&s;e, a &s;mall pyt|tans allowed theym by wayghte, &s;treyghtelye ob&s;eruynge that they &s;houlde not haue more anye where elles and that euerye daye by lyttle and lyttle theyr meales &s;houlde be en|crea&s;ed. To Conon and the men of warre whych were mynded to depart, he appoynted &s;hippes to conuey them. And where as by meanes of contra|rye wyndes they coulde not departe wythin the daye limited vnto theym, yet not wyth &s;tandynge he gaue them fr&eacute;e libertye. And furthermore
<PB N="113" REF="129">when as the wynde commued dyll a|gayn&s;t them, and that they determined to go away byland, he lent them hor&s;es and bea&s;ts for their cariages, allowing them moreouere victualls and mony to &s;pend by the waye, and al&s;o &s;ente of the Gothes with them to &s;aufconduyt the~.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The &s;eueritie of Totilas to|vvard male|factours.</NOTE> Thus Totilas v&s;ed gentlene&s;&s;e to|ward &s;traungers, but among hys own men he kepte &s;o &s;treight order, that he &s;uffered no offence to &s;cape vnponi&s;hed the pony&s;hmente of &s;tealers, quarrel|lers, &amp; raui&s;hers of women was death, and the forfeityng of all their goodes, to the v&s;e of them agayn&s;t whom the dy&s;|plea&s;ure was done. By meanes wher|of where&s;oeuer the Gothes encamped, or pa&s;&s;ed in and out through any of the Cityes or countries that were in leage with them, there was no harme done to any of them.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Licencious li+berty pernici|ous to men of vvarre.</NOTE> But the ca&s;e &s;tode farre otherwy&s;e in tho&s;e daies with the Cap|taynes of Iu&s;tinian. For the Captains them&s;elues could not hold their hands from doing wrong, and the &s;ouldyers
<PB REF="130">through their euell en&s;ample fallen is all kynde of licentiou&s;ne&s;&s;e, ab&s;tei|ned from nothing that was euyll. Nei|ther was there any thyng more my&s;e|rable in tho&s;e dayes, then the people of Italy that were vnder thempyre, beyng wythoute theyr walles &s;poy|led by the enemye, and wythin their walles by theyr owne men of warre. For the Captaynes hauyng taken the &s;trong holdes for theyr owne &s;afegard, pa&s;&s;ed not what became of the poore commons. Throughe thys iniu|rious dealyng, de&s;payre &s;o encrea|&s;ed daye by daye more and more, that the Emperoure was fayne to deter|myne wyth hym&s;elfe to &s;ende Beli&s;a|rius thyther agayne. For all the other Captaynes were &s;o farre from recoueryng that whych was lo&s;te, that it was not lyke they &s;houlde any long tyme be able to kepe that whiche they had.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="8" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="114" REF="130">
<HEAD>The .viij. Chapter.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>&para; Beli&s;arius beyng &s;ente againe into Italy, in hys vvaye doth re&s;covve Hydrunt be&s;ieged by the Cothes. the my&s;erable e&s;tate of I|taly at that tyme, Totilas receaueth Tibut and be&s;iegeth Auximum, Vitalis is for|&s;aken of hys ovvne &s;ouldiers. Beli&s;ari|us &s;endeth &s;uccour to Auximum, and re|payreth Py&s;anrum Totilas be&s;iegeth A&s;cu|lum and Firmum.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>FOr the&s;e con&s;iderations Beli&s;ari|us was cho&s;en agayne to take the charge of the warres in Italy,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Beli&s;arius diligence in cho&s;yng of hys &s;ouldiers.</NOTE> and yet the warres were &s;carcely finy&s;hed the whyche all thys meane tyme he had made agayn&s;te the Medes. Therefore when he &s;awe there was no remedye but to mu&s;ter newe &s;ouldiers, (for he had le&s;te hys olde armye at the ryuer Euphrates,) he went about al Thrace, where throughe hys lyberall &s;pendyng he gathered to the number of foure thou&s;ande withoute commi&s;&s;ion, the
<PB REF="131">whiche he embarked &s;peoely, and ra|kyng with hym vitalles the Lieueten|nant of Illiricum whiche came newly to hym oute of Italy, &s;ayled forwarde, &amp; hauyng cut ouer the Ionian &s;ea, arri|ued at Salons. In the tyme of thys iourney, he ray&s;ed a &s;iege aboute Hi|drunt a Towne of Calabre.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The re&s;covvig of Hidrunte novv called Otronto.</NOTE> For they that were be&s;ieged being compelled therto by the Gothes for want of victu|alls, had compounded to yelde vp the towne by a certayne daye, if they were not re&s;cowed in y^e meane time. Wher|of Beli&s;arius hauyng knowledge, co~|maunded Valentine to &s;ayle thyther, &amp; to cary with hym come &amp; other nece&s;&s;a|ryes, and to bryng awaye the &s;ouldyers that had bene long be&s;ieged there, put|tyng newe in their romes. Thys was an ea&s;y matter to bryng to effecte.<NOTE PLACE="marg">In greate&s;t calme for a &s;torme prouide.</NOTE> For the Gothes after the truce taken, loked but &s;lyghtly to them, not &s;o muche as mi&s;tru&s;ting that any body would come to &s;uccor them. By meanes whereof
<PB N="115" REF="131">when <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"> vpon the~ vnlookes for, they trembled for feare &amp; were fayne to breake vp their &s;iege and get them further of. Valentyne ente|ryng into the towne, toke the olde &s;oul|diers out of the holde, and placed newe in their &s;teades, leauyng them dictu|alls for a whole yeare. The which done he returned with tho&s;e &s;hyppes that he brought with hym, vnto the rea&s;t of the flete at Salons. After hys returne Be|li&s;arius &s;ayled to Pole,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Beli&s;arius ar|riuall in Italy.</NOTE> where hauyng taried a while to practi&s;e hys yong &s;oul|diours that he had mu&s;tered in Thrace at length with hys whole nauye he &s;ay|led to Rauenna. At hys commyng thi\ther, he founde all thyngs in wor&s;e ca&s;e through Italy the~ he thought they had bene. For hys enemyes &s;&eacute;emed to haue the better end of the &s;taffe euery wher, and to &s;tand in be&s;te hope and po&s;&s;ibili|tye. Contrarywi&s;e hys frendes and ad|hearentes weere euerywhere through all Italy di&s;couraged and broughte in de&s;paire.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The mi&s;ery of Italy through mi&s;gouerne|ment,</NOTE> The cities and people of the
<PB REF="132">country becau&s;e they were <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> &amp; mo|le&s;ted by y^e men of warre, &amp; the men of warre becau&s;e themperour was behind hand w^t their wages for a long tyme &amp; payed none, became &s;tubborne and fro|ward, refu&s;ing either to be ruled by the captaines, or to &s;et onefote out of dores to y^e warres. And to &s;ay the truth they were brought to a very &s;mal nu~ber. As for y^e comming of Beli&s;arius, it did ra|ther encrea&s;e their de&s;paire then any whit co~fort them.<NOTE PLACE="marg">A Captaine is able to do no thing vvith|out men and monye.</NOTE> For albeit he were a notable captaine, &amp; out of all doubt in tho&s;e daies perele&s;&s;e, yea &amp; in dede a ve|ry Ma&s;ter of Cheualrie, yet notwith|&s;tandyng fora&s;much as he brought but a &s;lender company with him (for he had but foure thou&s;and &amp; tho&s;e were al vn|practi&s;ed and fre&s;hwater &s;ouldiers and had no money to deale amonge&s;t them, when he preached vnto them at Ra|uenna declaryng the cau&s;e of hys com|myng and exhortyng them to goe for|warde with the warres, neyther the Towne&s;men nor yet the men of warre
<PB N="116" REF="132" MS="y">were <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"> gaue any token of comfort &amp; good hope. In|&s;omuche that it repented Beli&s;arius hym&s;elfe that he was come into Italy.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Totilas recea+ueth Tibur.</NOTE> In the meane tyme there ro&s;e a di&s;&s;en|tion betwene the towne&s;men and the &s;ouldiers of Tibur, by meanes where|of Totilas beyng called to the ayd of the one part receaued the whole towne. The Citye of Tibur is nere <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">ygh|boure vnto Rome,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Tibur xvi miles from Rome.</NOTE> beyng di&s;tant from thence no further then &s;yrtene myles. The takyng whereof was a great eye &s;ore and noyous to the Romaynes, as wherby they were <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> of all thynges in Latium.<NOTE PLACE="marg">He be&s;iegeth Auximum.</NOTE> After thus Toti|las hauyng perfecte intelligence of the commyng of Beli&s;arius, wente with hys armye into the countrye of the Pi|centes, and encamped aboute Auxi|mum.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The vnfayth|fulne&s;&s;e ofthe Illirian &s;ouldi+ers tovvarde their captain.</NOTE> The very &s;ame &s;ea&s;on had Be|li&s;arius &s;ent Vitalis with a conuenient crewe of Illirians into the countrye a|boute Bononie.</P>
<PB REF="133">
<P>After the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">yme he had wonne a <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"> towne thereaboutes, and had beene re|ceaued into Bononie, the Illirians without any cau&s;e why or wherfore for &s;oke hym, and a&s;&s;emblyng them&s;elues together went their wayes home. For y^e whiche dede they afterward alledged this excu&s;e vnto themperour, that whi|les they wer &s;cruing him in his warres in Italy, the Collectors of his tributes, did &s;el their ly uelond in their Countrie, and ca&s;te their wiues and children out of hou&s;e and home, by meanes whereof they were compelled to returne thither to defend their owne. When Totilas heard of thys &s;odayne departure of the Illirians he &s;ente out an armye of Go|thes, in hope to haue take~ Vitales and the rea&s;t of hys companye tardie. But they preuentyng hym, had recouered vnto Rauenna. Beli&s;arius knowyng that they which were be&s;ieged at Aux|imum were &s;ore oppre&s;&s;ed, &s;ent to their ayde a thou&s;and hor&s;emen ouer whom he made three Captaynes Teremunt,
<PB N="117" REF="133">Ricilas, and Sabinian, whee entering into the towne priutly by nyghte, the next duye following made a &s;kyrmy&s;he with the Gothes, by who~ Ricils one of the Captaines was &s;laine. The rea&s;t within a fowe dayes after determined to departe. For they &s;awe that by theyr tarying there, they dyd but helpe to &s;pend their frendes victualls and nece&s;|&s;aryes, and coulde do their enemyes no harme. Hereuppon &s;tealyng out of the towne by nyghte, when they had gone aboute three myles on their waye, they fell into an ambu&s;he of their <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word">, by whom being be &s;et on all &s;ydes and &s;o put to fryght, they lou&s;te two hundred of their companye together with their apparell, armour, and all other &s;tuffe &amp; the bea&s;tes that caryed them. The refi|due after long and weary trauell reco|nered vnto Arimin. Fanum &amp; Py&s;an|rum are Cityes &s;tandyng vppon the coa&s;te of thadriatike &s;ea, and are &s;ituate beetwene Auximum and Arimine. The&s;e townes at y^e begynnyng of the&s;e
<PB REF="134">warres, has Viligis <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span">, &amp; bea|ten down the walles of them mydway to the grounde.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Beli&s;arius re|paireth Pi&s;an|rum, &amp; man|neth in novve called Pezaro</NOTE> Of the&s;e two Beli&s;ari|us determyned to repayre Py&s;aurum, and to place a Thrope of hor&s;emen in the &s;ame, for the accompli&s;hment wher|of, he &s;ent workemen thyther &s;ecretly, to take iu&s;te mea&s;ure of the gates, the whiche he cau&s;ed to be framed at Ra|uenna with lockes, henges, barres, and all other yron worke belongyng vnto them, and cau&s;ed them to be conueyed by water to Py&s;aurum, writyng to the Captaynes and hor&s;emen of Arimine, that they &s;hould &s;odaynly take y^e towne and hange vp the gates, and mende vp the walles of rough worke, and clen&s;e the dyches. As for all kynde of vyand he peouided that it was &s;ent them by Sea. The hor&s;emen of Arimine therefore when they had taken Pi&s;aurum, did all thynges accordyng to Beli&s;arius com|maundement. Totilas perce auyng that, went thither with a great power to interrupte them of their worke.</P>
<PB N="118" REF="134">
<P>But <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"> them in &s;cowring the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word">, in ca&s;tyng of the tronches, in makyng of Ra<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">|pyres, in fortefiyng the towne, and in repayring the walles &amp; the bulwarkes, that the kyng wondered to &s;ee &s;o many thynges &s;o wyttely deui&s;ed and polliti|quely brought to pa&s;&s;e in &s;o fewe daies And therfore whe~ he had taried a while there aboutes, fora&s;much as he &s;aw he could do no good, he returned into hys campe before Alximu~, neuer y^e neerer of hys purpo&s;e. Howbeit Totilas &amp; the Gothes perceauyng that Beli&s;arius &s;hewed not hym&s;elfe abroade in the o|pen fieldes with themperours armye in no parte of Italy, but only kept him|&s;elf within the walled townes and de|fended them, they determined not to &s;yt altogether aboute Auximum onely but to make warre agayn&s;t other Ci|tyes al&s;o.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Totilas be&s;ie+geth A&s;culum and Firmum.</NOTE> Hereuppon Totilas went with an armye and be&s;ieged A&s;culum and Firmum among the Picentes.</P>
<PB REF="135">
<P>Beli&s;arius <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"> &s;uch as were be&s;ieged that called vpon hym dayly for helpe, (for he had not &s;o great a power that he dur&s;t venture a|broade agayn&s;t y^e Gothes) was in great perpleritie, and toke it very greuou&s;ty that hys name &s;hould be &s;o di&s;honored, At the length he &s;ent Iohn Vitalian to Themperour to enforme hym of the &s;tate of Italy, by who~ he addrefied his letters al&s;o, the tenor wherof contained thys in effecte.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="9" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>The .ix. Chapter.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>&para; The Copie of Beli&s;arius letters to thempe|rour the good &s;ucce&s;&s;e of Totilas, the vali|aunt Demeanor of Si&s;ifride the trayterous murtheryng of Ciprian and the manline&s;&s;e of hys &s;ouldiers.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>MO&s;te noble and puy&s;&s;ant Em|perour your Maie&s;tie hath &s;ent me into Italy &s;lenderly furny|&s;hed of men,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Beli&s;arius let|ters to them+perour</NOTE> hor&s;es, and monye, the which thing I declared vnto you before
<PB N="119" REF="135">my <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> be&s;uching your highne&s;&s;e to haue redre&s;&s;ed the matter. In the which &s;ute albeit I could not prenafle: yet notwith&s;tandyng it was my dutye to be obedient to your edmaundement. Whereby I was con&s;trayned to come forth with a fewe Thracians and Illi|rians, the &s;ame being fre&s;hwater &s;oul|diers and altogether vn&s;kilfull of the warres, not knowing &s;o much as howe to holde their weapons in their hands. And as for the olde &s;ouldiers that I found in Italy, by rea&s;on they had bene vanqui&s;hed in diuere&s;e battells beefore by the Gothes, they are &s;o afrayed of them, that they dare &s;carce once loke vppon them. Be&s;pdes thys, fora&s;much as they haue bene long time defrauded of their wages, they at not able to fur|ny&s;he them&s;elues agayne with hor&s;e and armour lo&s;te and broken in the for|mer warres, neyther will they con&s;ent to goe forth with them. And yet to &s;aye the truth, there is not &s;o greate a num|ber of them, that they can encounter a|gain&s;t
<PB REF="136">the power of the enemye, with|out their owne manyfe&s;te perrill and daunger. For the greater part of them that were wonte to fyghte vnder your hyghne&s;&s;e banner in Italy, prouoked by the afore&s;ayd dy&s;plea&s;ures, haue of their owne accorde reuolted to your e|nemye. Furthermore you may not ac|contpte hereafter, that you are lyke to haue any reuenewes here, toward the payment of your &s;ouldiers, con&s;idering that the enemy hath recoucred y^t grea|ter parte of Italy, &amp; that which remay|neth is &s;o empoueri&s;hed and afflicted by y^e warres, that it is not by any meanes able to yelde you tributes. Wherefore if the pre&s;ence of Beli&s;arius be &s;uffici|ent to recouer Italy, you haue done a&s;much as may be done in that behalfe for I am here in Italy. But if you pur|po&s;e to ouercome your enemies in dede your Maie&s;tye mu&s;t make other proui|&s;ion. For a Captayne (be he neuer &s;o valiante, pollitique and fortunate,) is able to dooe nothyng, if he haue not
<PB N="120" REF="136">wher wyth to accomply&s;he hys <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word">. And therefore it is requi&s;ite that you &s;end me hyther an armye of myne own practi&s;ed &s;ouldiers, together wyth a greate multitude of the Hunnes and other Barbarous people. Morecouer you mu&s;t of nece&s;&s;ity prouyde that we may haue alwayes &s;toore of monye. for wythout that, there is no good to be done in warres. Thus much dyd Be|li&s;arius write to themperoure at that tyme. Iohn going to Iu&s;tinian with the&s;e in&s;tructions, and hauyng taryed there a certayne tyme, had a very &s;lowe &amp; could &s;ute for he could bring nothing to effecte.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The &s;ucce&s;&s;e of Totilas.</NOTE> In the meane while fora&s;|muche as no man re&s;cowed A&s;culum &amp; Firmu~ y^e were be&s;ieged by Totilas, he toke the~ by compo&s;ition. From thence he departed out of the Picentes in|to Vinbria and be&s;ieged A&s;e&s;&s;um and Spolet. Captayne of Spolet was Herodian and Captayne of A&s;e&s;&s;um was Si&s;ifride. Herodian although hys piece were &s;tronge and defen&s;ible,
<PB REF="137">yet notwith&s;tandyng he toke truce for a fewe daies, within the which becau&s;e no re&s;cue came, yeldyng the towne and the holde at the day appointed, he him|&s;elf with hys &s;ouldiers reuolted to To|tilas. But Si&s;ifride behaued hym&s;elfe more valiantlye:<NOTE PLACE="marg">The valiant &amp; faithful de|mean nor of Si+&s;ifride.</NOTE> for albeit hys piece were nothyng &s;o &s;trong as the others, yet coulde he neuer abyde to here any worde of compo&s;ition, but lyke a &s;toute warrior, i&s;&s;ued oute valiantly diuere&s;e tymes vppon the Gothes, and foughte &s;undrye &s;kyrmi&s;hes wyth them to hys great pray&s;e and commendation. How|beit at the length fighting manfully he was &s;layne by his enemyes. The Citi|zens of A&s;&s;i&s;is beeing de&s;titute of the helpe of that worthy Captayne, within fewe dayes after yelded them&s;elues &amp; their towne vnto Totilas. Fro~ thence Totilas led his armye again&s;t Peru&s;i|um.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The trayte|rous murthe|ring of Cipri|an &amp; the ma~|fulne&s;&s;e of his fouldiers.</NOTE> Captayne therof was Ciprian of whom mention is made before among the Captaynes of Iu&s;tinian. Totilas pereceauyng y^e he could not wynne him,
<PB N="123" REF="137">neyther by faire meanes nor by foule, corrupted one of his e&s;quires called Vliarus for a piece of mony, by who&s;e fal&s;ehod and treacherie he kyiled him. Neuerthele&s;&s;e after the death of Cipri+an, the &s;ouldiers puni&s;hed the trea&s;on vpon Vliarus head, and manfully de|fended the Citie &s;till.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="10" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>&para; The .x. Chapter.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>&para; Totilas be&s;egeth Rome, and Beli&s;arius pre+pareth to re&s;covve the &s;ame. The mi&s;for|tune of thimperialls at Portua, Pelagius a Decon of Rome goeth to Totilas to en|treate for his Citizens &amp; cannot be heard.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>TOtilas therefore minding not to linger about it any lenger, brake vp his &s;iege there, &amp; made toward Rome. When he came thyther,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Totilas be&s;e|geth Rome.</NOTE> he planted hys &s;iege aboute the &s;ame in places conuenient, but yet he trou|bled not the hu&s;bandmen. For all the tyme of thys warres he neuer &s;uffered anye of the Tylmen and hu&s;bandmen
<PB REF="138">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="123" REF="138">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB REF="139">to be hurte or hyndred by hys men of war. There was in garri&s;on at Rome Be&s;&s;as one of the Emperours Cap|taynes, &amp; Conon whiche not long Si|thens had bene Captayne of Naples. Al&s;o Beli&s;arius had &s;ent thyther, Ar|ta&s;yras a Per&s;ian, and Barbation a Thracian with a conuenient number of &s;ouldyers, to looke to the &s;aufe ke|pinge of the Citie with the other Cap|taynes. The Gothes beinge thus &s;et|tled aboute Rome, Arta&s;yras &amp; Bar|bation y&s;&s;ued oute wyth theyr retinew and foughte wyth them. At the fyr&s;te they putte theym to flyghte, but tho|rowe followynge the chace to farre, they were at length intrapped by their enemyes, and wyth the lo&s;&s;e of the more parte of theyr men hardlye and narrowlye e&s;caped them&s;elues into the Cycye. From that tyme forward hope daylye decayinge, fyr&s;te came derth and afterwarde famyne amonge theym. For nothynge coulde be con|neyed into theym by lande, by rea&s;on
<PB N="122" REF="139">the Gothes had be&s;ette theym rounde aboute. nor yet by water fora&s;muche as the nauye that Totilas had of late buylded at Naples, and then &s;ente abroade, &s;o &s;coured the Seas that no &s;hyppe of burden coulde pa&s;&s;e for theym. Be&s;ydes thys the verye &s;ame tyme aro&s;e wythin the Cytye of Rome greate pre&s;umptions of trea&s;on. For the whyche Cethegus chyefe Pre&s;ident of the Senate of Rome, beynge banni&s;&s;hed the Cy|tye fledded to Centmucelles. While the&s;e thynges were a dooynge at Rome, another armye of the Go|thes by the commaundemente of Totilas be&s;yeged Plea&s;ans. The &s;ame is a greate Cytye by the Ry|uer Po, and all onelye of the Cy|tyes of that Countrye, contynued in faythefull obedyence to the Em|pyre. When Beli&s;arius behelde the&s;e thynges,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Beli&s;arius de|ui&s;eth to &s;uc+cour Rome.</NOTE> he was verye &s;orrowefull and full of care for the peryll of the Cytye of Rome,
<PB REF="140">in as muche as he was not able to re|medy it from Rauenna where he was, becau&s;e that wyth that &s;mall and flen|der companye whiche he had aboute hym, it was not for him to depart from thence, con&s;ydring hys enemyes held all the Countries betwene hym and Rome, &s;o that he could not goe thither by land, wherevppon he deui&s;ed to &s;uc|cour them another waye. For the per|formance whereof leauynge Iu&s;tine with a band of &s;ouldyers at Rauenna, he hym&s;elfe wente to<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Novv called Durazo.</NOTE> Dirrachium in Dalmatia, entendynge there to a|wayte the commynge of a new armie from the Emperour. In the meane tyme Rome was &s;trayghtly be&s;yeged in &s;uche &s;orte that all thynges were wor&s;e and wor&s;e, and lyke to fall to vt|ter decaye and ruine. Valentine and Phocas beynge &s;ent before by Beli|&s;arius, held the Towne of Portua, and from thence dyd greatlye mole&s;te and endomage the enemye wyth con|tinuall rodes almo&s;te daye by days.
<PB N="121" REF="140">After they had donne thus a certayne &s;pace wyth good &s;ucce&s;&s;e, and by mea|nes thereof greatlye reliued them that were be&s;yeged,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The euill for|tune of the imperialles.</NOTE> at length fallinge into an ambu&s;he and beynge enuironed of their enemyes they were &s;layne, and but a verye fewe of theyr &s;ouldyers e&s;|caped, the whyche had muche a doe to recouer the towne of Portua. Thys &s;laughter of the Captaynes and the &s;ouldyers drewe wyth it a greater di&s;|commoditie,<NOTE PLACE="marg">One mi&s;chief in anothers. necke.</NOTE> for it was the lo&s;&s;e of a greate deale of corne by &s;uche a mea|nes Vigilius the By&s;hoppe of Rome lyuinge at that tyme in Sicill, hea|rynge that the people of Rome were fore afflicted wyth famyne, had &s;hyp|ped a greate deale of Corne and &s;ent it towarde Rome. The Gothes ha|uynge knowledge thereof, when the &s;hyppes approched conueyed them&s;el|ues before into the hauen, and hiding them behynde the Towres and buyl|dynges laye readye for theym in Am|bu&s;he. The &s;ouldyers that were with
<PB REF="141">in the towne for as muche as lately be fore they had lo&s;te theyr Captaynes, and their companyons for the mo&s;te parte were &s;layne, they beynge &s;o fewe lefte, dur&s;te not aduenture out again&s;te their enemyes, but as well as they coulde from the walles and bulwarkes wyth &s;hakinge theyr gar|mentes, wyth wagginge their handes and wyth crying oute a loude to them made tokens to the &s;hyppemen that there was trea&s;on in the hauen, war|nynge theym to beware and not to ar|riue there, But the &s;hyppemen (as they that had not heard anye thynge of the vnfortunate battell and the lo&s;&s;e of the Captaynes) tooke tho&s;e &s;ygnes and tokens that were made, as fignes and tookens of gladne&s;&s;e and encourage|ment to come with more &s;pede. Wher+vppon making the more ha&s;te, wyth a fre&s;he gale of winde thei entered into the hauen. Where they were all taken by the Gothes breakynge oute of the ambu&s;he, to the greate di&s;comforte
<PB N="124" REF="141">and di&s;payre of the people of Rome, whiche hunge wholly vppon the one|lye hope of that borne. In &s;o muche that nowe the Towne was oppre&s;&s;ed wyth intolerable famayne. And the Gothes therevppon prea&s;ed the more boldly vpon them.<NOTE PLACE="marg">An example of employng &s;pirituall goodes.</NOTE> There was at the &s;ame tyme in Rome a certayne Dea|con called Pelagius, who in this di&s;|tre&s;&s;e of famine, had &s;hewed very ma|nye &amp; notable workes of mercye vppon the people of Rome, by laying out hys monye &amp; relieuing the want and endi|ne&s;&s;e of euerye man. For the whiche almo&s;e dedes (whereas his name was greatly renoumed in times pa&s;t, nowe it was farre more renoumed then be|fore; The romains came vnto this ma~ humbly be&s;ieching him y^e for the &s;auf|gard of the people of Rome, he would vouch&s;afe to go of Amba&s;&s;ade to Toti|las and entreate him to graunt them a truce for a fewe daies within the whi|che onle&s;&s;e re&s;cowe came, the Cytye &s;hould be geuen vppe vnto hym.
<PB REF="142">Pelagius fora&s;much as he &s;awe there was none other remedye, obeyed the peoples reque&s;t, and wyth hys in&s;truc|tions went to Totilas into his campe.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro&s;peritie maketh men forget them|&s;elues.</NOTE> Totilas coniecturinge the effecte of hys errand (for he had learned by the rennegates the vtter nece&s;&s;itie and di&s;|tre&s;&s;e that the be&s;ieged were brought vnto) entertayned Pelagius verye ho|norably at hys commynge. Howbeit before he had begonne to declare hys me&s;&s;age, he hym&s;elfe preuentyng him, wyth a longe and bytter oration, in|ueihed again&s;t the Romaynes, ca&s;ting them in the teth wyth the benefites of Theoderich and the Gothes towardes them, and reprouynge theym of theyr vntrouthe towarde the Gothes. In thend he concluded that there was no waye eyther of communication or com+po&s;ition, onles they would beat downe their walles, and wholly &s;ubmit them &s;elues &amp; al that they had bodles &amp; goods to the wil and di&s;cretion of the Gothes to be dealte withall in &s;uche wy&s;e as
<PB N="125" REF="142">&s;hould plea&s;e the conquierours. Pela|gius hearing him talke &s;o bytterly and di&s;daynefully and thynkinge in hym|&s;elfe that it botted not to &s;tand in con|tention wyth hym, &s;ayde thus vnto him. Fora&s;much as thou Totilas ha&s;t not vouche&s;aued to here an Amba&s;&s;a|dour tell hys me&s;&s;age, but by preuen tynge hym ha&s;te abridged hym of the lybertie of &s;peaking,<NOTE PLACE="marg">God the re|fuge in ex|tremities.</NOTE> we will flye vn|to God who of hys Iu&s;tice is wont to abate the courages of men, when they grow ouer proude and &s;tately. When he had &s;ayde tho&s;e wordes, he retur|ned by and by into the Cytye. The Romaynes &s;eynge hym come agayne wythoute &s;peding of hys purpo&s;e, were in &s;uche an agonie that they wy&s;t not what to doe nor whyche way to turne them. For on the one&s;ide they were af|flicted w^t intolerable famine, and on thother&s;ide &s;tood before their eyes the outrageous cruelty of Totilas &amp; of the gothes, who&s;e mo&s;t cruel hands rather then they would fall into, they fullye
<PB REF="143">determined to &s;tarue the~&s;elues for hun+ger. By meanes whereof the people of Rome &s;uffered and abode &s;uch thyn|ges, as it is a mi&s;erie euen to reher&s;e them.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="11" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>The .xi. Chapter.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>&para; Iohn Vitalian commeth vvith a nevve po|vver from the emperour, vvhervpon adui&s;e is taken for the &s;uccouring of Rome, ac|cording to the vvhiche Beli&s;arius goeth to Portua by vvater commaundinge Iohn to mete him there by lande. But he through the pro&s;perousa &s;ncce&s;&s;e that he hath agai~&s;t the Gothes commeth not there at all. By meanes vvhereof Beli&s;arius is faine to de|ui&s;e another vvay for the &s;uccouring of the Citie the vvhich by his indu&s;trie takynge good effect agai~&s;t thenemy is by the folly of his ovvne men interrupted to his ovvne great &s;orrovve and appairing of his health through rage of anger and &s;odayne feare, and to the vtter preiud ice of Rome. For Totilas anone after taketh and &s;acketh it the vvhyche done he maketh an oratyon to his &s;ouldyers.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<PB N="126" REF="143">
<P>IN the meane tyme Iu&s;tinian &s;ent Iohn w^t an armie vnto Beli&s;arius.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The returne of iohn vvith an&s;vver from themperour.</NOTE> They were not any great number that he &s;et forth at y^e tyme, but he pre|pared to &s;end a greater power oute of hand. For the whiche occa&s;ion he had &s;ent his Chamberlaine Nar&s;es vnto y^e Erulians &amp; other barbarous nations inhabiting about the riuer of Danow, of the which &s;ome were alreadye come into Thrace.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Debating in coun&s;ell for the re&s;covv|ing of rome.</NOTE> When tharmies were a&s;+&s;embled to Dirrhachi&s;i, &amp; that con&s;ulta+tion was had as concerning the war, it was agr&eacute;ed by one confent fir&s;t of all to re&s;cow the romains. But how that might be done there was diuer&s;itie of opinions. Iohn per&s;uaded to march w^t all y^e whole power togither thorow Ca+labre &amp; appulia &amp; &s;o to go to Rome. For if they went all in one companye they might be the better able to get the vp|per hand wheras if tharmie &s;hould be deuided and &s;ome &s;hould go by fea anbd &s;ome by lande, none of bothe partes &s;hould be able to matche the enemye.
<PB REF="144">Beli&s;arius &s;aid he could wel alow the &s;ame opinion, if the people of Rome &s;tood not at &s;uch an exigent. But now con&s;idering their e&s;tate, it was nedeful to make all &s;pede y^e might be. It was a long iourney to go through Calabre and Appulia, &amp; if their enemies &s;hould mete them they might ca&s;t many letts in their way, whereas by the &s;ea yf the wind &s;erued, their nauie myghte w^tin fiue dayes arriue in the Romaine ha|uen, &amp; by theyr beinge &s;o nere at hand, putte the Romaines in certaine hope &amp; comfort. For he had heard of thunfor|tunate mi&s;chaunce of his captaines, &amp; knew of the lo&s;&s;e of the corne that was &s;ent out of Sicill, wherevpon he con&s;y|dered in his minde the de&s;paire &amp; di&s;|&s;tre&s;&s;e y^e the Romaines were in. Thys opinion was allowed in the coun&s;ell, &amp; thervpon Beli&s;arius &s;etting forth fro~ Dirrhachiu~ arriued at Hidrunt. The Gothes which were be&s;ieging of that towne being &s;triken with feare at the pre&s;ence of Beli&s;arius, brake vp their
<PB N="127" REF="144">&s;iege and flying from his &s;ight retired to Brundu&s;e, the which is aboute two dayes iourney from Hidrunt. By and by they &s;ent vnto Totilas aduerti&s;ing him of Beli&s;arius comming, beleuing that he would haue iourneyed by land. When Totilas heard that, forthwith he putte him&s;elfe &amp; his armye in a rea|dine&s;&s;e to goe m&eacute;ete hym. But when he vnder&s;toode that Beli&s;arius went by &s;ea, he addre&s;&s;ed hym&s;elfe whollye to with&s;tande hym aboute the Citie of Rome, ine&s;pecially makynge proui|&s;ion that nothing mighte be conueyed into the Citie to theym that were be|&s;ieged, by the Ryuer Tiber. For the accompli&s;hement whereof he deui&s;ed this practi&s;e. He cho&s;e a place aboute eleue~ miles of from Rome where the Ryuer Tiber is narrowe&s;t, &amp; there he layd ouer long beames from thone&s;ide to thother in maner of a brydge at eche ende whereof he buylded a Towre of Timber, &amp; drew a long pron chaine by the brydges &s;ide, at the endes whereof
<PB REF="145">he made two ba&s;tiles the whiche &amp; the afore&s;aid towers he manned with &s;oul diers to defend the bridge.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Beli&s;arius co~|meth to Pot|tua for the re&s;covving of Rome.</NOTE> In y^e meane while was Beli&s;arius come to the Ro+mayne hauen. And hauynge &s;ette hys men a land, taryed for Iohn &amp; tharmie that was with him. The Rmaines knowynge of hys comminge, endured all their extremityes with better cou|rage vppon hope of re&s;cowe. Iohn af+ter the departure of Beli&s;arius, ha|uing cut ouer the narowe &s;eas, had in|uaded the Gothes looking for nothing le&s;&s;e, and hauynge putte theym to flyghte,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The good &s;ucce&s;&s;e of Iohn again&s;t the Gothes.</NOTE> wyth greate &s;laughter pur&s;e|wed them, &amp; at the fir&s;t a&s;&s;ault wonne Brundu&s;e. Then hauinge reconci|led the people of Calabre &amp; broughte them again to fauour themperour, w^t many faire promi&s;es made vnto the~, he departed from Brundu&s;e, &amp; after v. re|mouings came to Canu&s;iu~, the which town he al&s;o brought in &s;ubiectio~. Not far from Canu&s;iu~ is y^e vilage of Can|nas,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Cannas.</NOTE> where the notable battell was
<PB N="128" REF="145">fought betwene Hanniball and the Romaines. In this place one Tullian the &s;onne of Venant a man of greate name &amp; authoritie amonge y^e Lucans came to Iohn delcaring to him that the Lucanes &amp; Brutians had taken parte w^t his enemyes not of theyr owne ac|cord, but compelled by the di&s;plea&s;ures doone to theym by the Imperialles. Wherefore yf the Emperour woulde entreate them frendly &amp; gently, the peo+ple wold willingly returne vnder his o+bedience. Iohn loading him wyth com|mendations &amp; thankes promi&s;ed hym greate rewards, &amp; afterwarde v&s;ed his helpe to his great co~moditie &amp; further|aunce. AT &s;uch time as Totilas hard of Iohns approch, he &s;ent a crewe of hys hor&s;men to Capua, commaunding the~ to keepe them&s;elues clo&s;e wythin the walles, and to make no &s;howe at all to theyr enemyes vntyll they were pa&s;t, and then to followe the tayle of theyr ho&s;t. What was to be done afterward he willed them to ca&s;t y^e care bpo~ hym.
<PB REF="146">This thing &s;o greatly troubled, Iohn, that for feare he &s;hould be entrapped by his enemies, he left of his iourney toward Beli&s;arius, &amp; turned him&s;elfe towarde the Brutians and Lucanes. There was among the Brutians a cer+taine Gothe, called Richemond &s;ette there by Totilas w^t an armie to kepe y^e country in obedience, &amp; to kepe the en|terance betwene Scilla &amp; Charibdis. Him did Iohn &s;odainly a&s;&s;aile, and at the fir&s;t brunt put hym to flight, and af+ter great &s;laughter receiued the re&s;t y^e were lefte togither w^t their Captayne by compo&s;ition. Herevpon al the Bru|tians &amp; Lucanes reuolted from the Go+thes to themperour. Whiles Iohn oc|cupied him&s;elf in this &s;ort, Beli&s;arius loked daily for him &amp; was wonderfull &s;ory for his long tariens, greatly bla|minge Iohns cowardi&s;e, that he had not &s;oughte again&s;te the hor&s;emen that were at Capua, ine&s;pecially &s;eing that he hym&s;elfe had &s;o notable a band of Hor&s;emen of the Hunnes.</P>
<PB N="129" REF="146">
<P>Whereby he <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"> haue come through maugre his enemies heades, and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">eded not to haue turned backe a|gayne &s;o &s;hamefully. The&s;e and &s;uche other thynges dyd Beli&s;arius fynde faulte with. But it booted hym not to complayne, for Iohn had taken vp hys &s;tandyng in Appulia, and there deter|mined to abyde mynding nothing le&s;&s;e then to goe to Rome. Beli&s;arius ther|fore fearyng lea&s;t the be&s;ieged &s;houlde thynke them&s;elues abandoned, and through de&s;paire &s;hold chaunce to mi&s;|carry determined to &s;uccour them by y^e Tiber, for hys power was not &s;o great that he was abie to encounter with his enemyes vppon the land: and therefore he tru&s;ted rather to hys pollicie and to the riuer for the &s;uccoryng of y^e towne. Vppon this thought he be&s;tyrde hym &amp; gate two hundred of tho&s;e kind of &s;hip|pes which the Grekes call Dromades,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Beli&s;arius pro+ui&s;ion for the re&s;covvyng of Rome.</NOTE> the&s;e &s;hippes haue walles of timber on euery fyde with loopes in places con|nemente to let oute arrowes and other
<PB REF="147">weapons at the enemyes <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> the brydge and other thynges that were &s;et to &s;toppe hym vppon the riuer, he made thys deuy&s;ethe &s;et two &s;hyppes vpo~ the &s;treame fa&s;tened &s;urely together wyth barres &amp; crowes of yron, vpon the &s;ame he buylded a tower of tymber &s;ome|what hygher then the towers that wer buylded at the endes of the brydge by hys enemyes. Whe~ the&s;e thyngs were in a redine&s;&s;e, he cau&s;ed the Dromades to be fraughted with corne &amp; other &s;u&s;te+nance to be conueyed to Rome, man|nyng them with the &s;toute&s;t and vali|ante&s;t &s;ouldiers that he had. Co~maun|dyng all the re&s;idue to goe on fente by the riuers &s;yde, &amp; to drawe the &s;hyppes with the tower. With his nauie furni|&s;hed &amp; decked in thys wy&s;e he &s;et for|warde agayn&s;t hys enemyes. Herhym|&s;elfe enteryng into one of the Droma|des &s;ayled forme&s;t, and the re&s;te fol|lowed hym in order, hys footemen al|&s;o went by hym vpon the ryuer bancke.
<PB N="130" REF="147">Furthermore he &s;ente to Rome vnto Be&s;&s;as, that he &s;houlde y&s;&s;ue out at the very &s;ame tyme &amp; hepe the enemyes as much occupyed as he could. But Be&s;|&s;as dyd neyther that nor yet any thyng ells that was to any purpo&s;e during al that &s;iege. Beli&s;arius nauie being dec|ked in &s;uche &s;orte as I haue tolde you, went vp the &s;treame. Neyther dyd the Gothes mete them in any place, but kepte them&s;elues quietly wythin theyr bulwarkes. When the &s;hyppes came nere y^e brydge there they founde a trope of their enemyes and one ba&s;tile &s;et at the tone end of the chayne, the whiche Beli&s;arius &s;ouldiers wonne at y^e fir&s;te a&s;&s;ault, &amp; &s;o takyng awaye the chayne proceded to the brydge. There began a cur&s;te fraye, the Gothes endeuoryng to defende the brydge, and the &s;ouldiers of Beli&s;arius to wynne it. For y^e Gothes y&s;&s;uyng fro~ both y^t towers at eche end of y^e brydge, fought very valiantly. A|gayne the &s;ouldiers driuyng the &s;hyp|pes harder to the brydge, dyd beate the
<PB REF="148">Gothes and would not &s;u&s;&s;er them to &s;tand vpon it. In the meane while Be|li&s;arius cau&s;ed the &s;hyppes wherin the tower of tymber was, to be brought as nere the tower of his enemyes as could be. And when they came hard to it he commaunded the ve&s;&s;elles of brim&s;tone (whiche he had hanged in the toppe of hys tower for the &s;ame purpo&s;e before) to be &s;et on fyre, and to be ca&s;te downe vppon the towre of hys enemyes, the which being done, the fyre lighting vp|pon the tower of hys enemyes, burned it vp and al the Gothes that were with|in it. There were not le&s;&s;e then two hundred that peri&s;hed in y^t fyre among whom was the Captayne of the holde hym&s;elfe, &s;uch a man of hys handes as was not among all the Gothes agayn. Hereuppon the &s;ouldiers a&s;&s;ayling the rea&s;t of the Gothes more boldely and fier&s;ly, compelled them to geue backe, wherby they wonne y^e brydge, y^e which forthwith they purpo&s;ed to haue hea|uen downe, and with their whole flete
<PB N="131" REF="148">to haue &s;ayied to Rome. For there re|mayned not now any let in their wayes, but that they myghte haue gone to the Citye and haue conueyed in the corne and all other nece&s;&s;aryes, to the greate renoune and commendation of Beli&s;a|rius, whoe had deui&s;ed &s;uche a nauie.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Man purpo|&s;eth and God dy&s;po&s;eth.</NOTE> But fortune (as it &s;hould &s;eme) had de|termined other wy&s;e. For &s;odaynely there happened a wonderful mi&s;chau~ce (not by meanes of the enemye, but by hys owne men) which peruerted al hys deui&s;es. The Gothes helde the Citye O&s;tia which &s;tandeth on the lefte hand of Tyher by the &s;ea &s;yde ouer agayn&s;t the whiche &s;tandeth the City Portua on the ryght hande of the riuer. When Beli&s;arius &s;et forth with hys nauie, he had lefte hys wyfe and al his hou&s;ehold furniture in the &s;ayd towne of Portua, and had appoynted as ruler thereof one I&s;aac a valiant gentleman and a tru&s;ty with a conuenient Crew of &s;ouldiers, commaundyng and hartely belieching him, that he would not for any chaunce
<PB REF="149">or occa&s;ion, depart out of the towne but kepe hym&s;elfe within it and defende&s;t only: Now at &s;uch tyme as Beli&s;arius had &s;et hys enemyes tower on fyre (as we haue delcared before) by &amp; by ranne certayne to the towne of Portua, and whereas the victorie was notable of it &s;elfe, they reported it farre greater then it was in dede. At the which tydinges I&s;aac leapyng for ioye &amp; eraltyng hym|&s;elfe in hys owne conceite, lyke a mad bedlem quite forgettyng what Beli&s;a|rius had &s;ayd vnto hym, commaunded hys men to arme them&s;elues, &amp; in thys &s;odayne heate &amp; exta&s;ye wafting ouer hys men to inuade hys enemyes that kept their &s;tandyng on the other &s;yde of the riuer, ranne vpon them not farre from the towne of O&s;tia: Through his &s;odayne a&s;&s;aulte at the fyr&s;t encounter he put them to &s;tyght. Howbeit anon after, hys enemies gatheryng them&s;el|ues together and encouraging one an|other, returned e&s;t&s;ones vppon hym &amp; hauyng &s;layne a great &s;orte of his &s;oul|diers, to coole hys firye madne&s;&s;e, toke
<PB N="132" REF="149">hym pry&s;oner. Immeviatly hereupon certayne hor&s;emen broughte worde to Beli&s;arius that his enemies had taken I&s;aat pray&s;oner. With y^e which tydings Beli&s;arius beyng &s;tryken to the heart, demaunded not one worde of y^e me&s;&s;a~|ger where or in what &s;ort, but mi&s;con|&s;truing that hys enemyes had taken Portua, and bene Lordes of hys wyfe &amp; all that euer be had, he was &s;odaynly &s;trycken with &s;uche an inward &s;orrow, y^e he was not able to &s;peake. And there|upon turnyng backe agayne, he retyred with hys nauye &amp; hys &s;ouldiers in all ha&s;te that myghte be, vtterly determy|nyng eyther to recouer y^e towne while the matter was but newly begonne, &amp; hys enemyes had yet &s;carcely &s;ettled the~&s;elues, or els to die in y^e battell. By this meanes y^e victorie which he had as good as gotte~ &s;typped out of his handes. But whe~ he came to Portua &amp; &s;awe y^e towne &s;afe &amp; him&s;elfe deceaued through light credite &amp; mi&s;taking of y^e me&s;&s;age, he toke &s;o great &s;orrowe for it, y^e he fell &s;icke and was fayne to keepe hys bed
<PB REF="150">and be&s;ydes that, he was taken with a &s;ore and daungerous feuer, which held hym long tyme ere he coulde be ryd of it.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The vvorthie revvarde of vvilful ra&s;he|ne&s;&s;e.</NOTE> I&s;aac the author of all this mi&s;chiefe was by the commaundement of Toti|las put to death in pri&s;on, in reuenge|ment of the death of Rodericke Cap|tayne of the garry&s;on, whiche had dyed of a wound taken in the fore&s;aid bat&s;el. For by thys tyme had Totilas quyte chaunged that gentlene&s;&s;e whiche he had pretended in the begynnyng of hys reigne, into &s;tatelyne&s;&s;e and crueltie. Verely eyther bycau&s;e his pro&s;perous &s;ucce&s;te made hym forget hym&s;elfe, or ells becau&s;e hys gentlene&s;&s;e beyng but feined at the begynning, could not con|tinne. I a&s;&s;ure you he would &s;peake &s;o bitterly of y^e people of Rome, y^t the very terror therof was an occa&s;ion that they endured the famyne more ob&s;tinately then they would haue done, becau&s;e e|uery man was afrayed of hys outrage|ous cruelty.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The mi&s;erable e&s;tate of Rome.</NOTE> Therfore as long as euer there was any hope of helpe at Beli&s;a|rius
<PB N="133" REF="150">hand, the people of Rome beyond their power &amp; (to &s;ay the truth) beyond y^e bondes of manhode and nature, endu|red the famyn. For to omit other thyn|ges, euen the fle&s;he of hor&s;es, a&s;&s;es, and mules were deyntye delicates at that tyme in Rome, they thoughte they had &s;ped well that coulde get either dogges or myce or &s;uch other vncleane bea&s;tes to fede on: Other&s;ome wer glad to eate all kynde of herbes, euen &s;uche as the brute bea&s;tes would not haue touched, and diuer&s;e lyued by rootes and barkes of trees. But when they &s;awe there was no hope of helpe, then turnyng to teares and lamentation, &s;ome fordyd them&s;elues, and &s;ome &s;tealyng out in y^t night attempted to deceaue the watche of their enemies. Many al&s;o &s;tarued for hunger and want of foode within their own hou&s;es, &amp; neuer came out of their dores. While the Citye &s;toode in thys lamentable and piteous e&s;tate,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rome is be|trayed.</NOTE> foure I&s;aurien &s;ouldiers con&s;pyred to betray it to the enemye the&s;e &s;ouldiers warded
<PB REF="151">at the gate Celimontana, co~monly cal|led A&s;maria, whoe after the tyme they were fully re&s;olued vpo~ the matter, did let the~ &s;elues downe the wall by a lyne, &amp; went &s;trayght vnto. Totilas promy|fyng to betraye y^t Citye into his hands. Totilas encouragyng them with pro|my&s;e of great rewardes, &s;ent certayne of hys men with the~ to view the place &amp; to con&s;ider whyther the thyng they had promy&s;ed, were po&s;&s;ible to be done or no. The I&s;aurians leadyng the~ to the walles went vp agayne in their fyghte by the &s;ame lyne that they flided down. And &s;o whe~ the experience of the mat|ter had geue~ &s;ufficient credit, Totilas at y^t nyght appoynted to the acco~ply&s;h|ment of the my&s;chiefe, co~maunded hys ho&s;te to be readie in armour about him by one of the clocke after mydnyghte. The whiche beyng done, he &s;ent cer|tayne of his men before to get vp by the lyne, and hy hym&s;elfe followyng clo&s;ely after with the rea&s;t of hys armye, &s;tay|ed a lyttle from the gate. They that
<PB N="134" REF="151">were &s;ente by Totilas, were according to couenante beetwene hym and the traytours, drawen vp the walles, from whence they proceeded forthwith to the gate and with axes cut it open. To|tilas hauyng by thys meanes entered into Rome, kept hys armye &s;till about hym at the gate, not &s;ufferyng any of hys men to ronne into the Citye, but kept them together wyth hym vntyll it was daye, Sodaynly there &s;prang a noy&s;e aboute that parte of the towne, that the enemie was gotten within the walles, &amp; thereupon en&s;ued a wonder|full feare euery ma~ begynnyng to flye, Suche as fled wente out at tho&s;e gates that were farthe&s;t fro~ the place where y^e enemy entered. Many al&s;o both of the nobilitie and of the commonalty toke &s;anctuarye in the Churches.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The &s;ackyng of Rome.</NOTE> A&s;&s;one as it was daye the enemyes ranne through all the Citie, and wythout any re&s;pect &s;lewe as many as came in their waye.</P>
<PB REF="152">
<P>Totilas marching fro~ Lateran where he had &s;tode al nyght, went through the Citye to Saint Peters as it had bene to performe hys vowe, accompanied with traynes of mo&s;t cruell and bloudy butchers, which with their naked &s;wor|des bathed in bloud, &s;lewe all that euer came in their way without regarde of any per&s;on. Hauyng in this &s;orte &s;wept through the mydoe&s;t of the Citye from the one end to the other, when he came into the Vaticane vnto the portche of Saint Peters,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Pelagius ma|keth &s;upplica+tion for hys Citizens.</NOTE> Pelagius of whom we reade mention before, fearing to ap|proche into prefence, raui&s;hed in y^t ap|parell accu&s;tomed in &s;olemne ceremo|nyes, and boldyng the Te&s;tamente of Chri&s;t in hys hande, kneled humblye downe on hys kn&eacute;es, &amp; &s;ayd: O kyng I be&s;icche thee &s;pare thy humble &s;uppli|antes. At that worde Totilas dy&s;dayn|fully ca&s;te a proud loke vpon hym, &s;ay|ing: comme&s;t thou nowe to me Pelagi|us to make &s;upplication? Yea euen nowe (&abquod; Pelagius) &s;ithens it is the wil
<PB N="135" REF="152">of God to make thee Lorde &amp; Ma&s;ter o|uer me. And therfore my &s;oueraine Lord haue mercy vpon thy &s;eruaunts. Therwithall y^t wrath of Totilas was a&s;&s;uaged, in&s;omuche that he made pro|clamation y^t fro~ thence forth there &s;hold not any per&s;on be &s;tricke~ with y^t &s;word but that there &s;hould be re&s;pecte from &s;laughter &amp; bloud&s;hed. Moreouer he gaue co~maundement, that no gentle|woman were &s;he mayde, maryed, wife or wydowe, &s;hould be defyled, y^t which he cau&s;ed to be ob&s;erued with great &s;e|ueritie. Onely the goodes of the Ro|maynes he gaue for a pray to hys &s;oul|diers, gcuyng &s;trayght charge that no ma~ &s;hould be &s;o bolde as to touch their bodyes. Then myndyng to pull down the courages of the Gothes, putted vp with pryde for thys victorye, he &s;omo|ned them together the next day &amp; made this oration vnto them.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Oration of totilas to hys men of warre.</NOTE> Is there any of you my companions in armes (&abquod; he) that be holdyng &s;o great alterations as haue chau~ced within the&s;e fewe yeres,
<PB REF="153">dreadeth not the frayltye of mannes e|&s;tate? And is not able to coniecture whereupon and wherefore all the&s;e al|terations &amp; chaunges haue happened? I wyll not &s;peake of Rome, &s;omtyme the Ladye of the whole worlde, whiche now is fallen into your hands. For &s;he hath &s;uffered many my&s;chau~ces which were done &s;o longe a goe that they are not nowe to be recounted, and thys is not the fyr&s;t ruine that hath happened vnto her. Wherefore I had rather put you in remembraunce of our owne affayres. What thyng was there of grater power and &s;trength before the&s;e warres, then the nation of the Gothes through out all Italy? It &s;ent into the field two hundred thou&s;ande fyghtyng men, throughly furny&s;hed wyth ar|mour, weapons, artillerye, hor&s;es, victualles, golde and fyluer. It holde in po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion all Italye, Sicill, Cor&s;ica, Sardinia, and Dalmatia. Who would haue beleued it had bene po&s;&s;ible for
<PB N="136" REF="153">&s;euen thou&s;ande Grekes (for there came no mo into Italy at the fyr&s;t) to haue &s;ubuerted &s;o great a power? And what &s;hall we &s;ay of the &s;ame Grekes: when they had in manner brought all in &s;ubiection to them: and helde all as Lordes and conquerers? woulde any man haue thought that you beyng but a fewe and broughte almo&s;te to begge|rye, &s;houlde haue recouered Italy out of the handes of them beyng twentye thou&s;and men, con&s;ideryng that at that tyme ye were not able to make aboue foure thou&s;and hor&s;emen? and had not a towne lefte you in all Italy, more then Pauye Veron, &amp;<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Now called Treuizo.</NOTE> Tarui&s;ium? woulde any man haue thought that e|uer ye &s;houlde haue taken Rome the head of the worlde? the whiche Vitigis was not able to &s;ubdue with hys two hundred thou&s;and me in a whole yeres be&s;iegement? Surely countryme~ the&s;e thynges are very great and not a lyttle to be wondered at.</P>
<PB REF="154">
<P>Howbeit if we li&s;te to con&s;ider &amp; marke them, the cau&s;es of the&s;e alterations are mo&s;t manife&s;t &amp; apparant. For as long as the Gothes executed. Iu&s;tice &amp; v&s;ed equitye, &s;o long their power flori|&s;hed, their e&s;tate pro&s;pered, their mat|ters went forward, &amp; what&s;oeuer they toke in hand had good &s;ucce&s;&s;e. But as &s;one as they wer once led away through couetou&s;ne&s;&s;e, then bred there preuye grudge among them, the~ ro&s;e there in|warde debate, then one &s;oughte to cut anothers throte, then &s;prang vp &s;ecret trea&s;on, through y^t which they brought them&s;elues to vtter ruine &amp; decaye. A|gayne whe~ the&s;e contagious maladies were pa&s;&s;ed out of you into y^t captaines of Iu&s;tinian, through your amende|ment you ea&s;ily ouercame the~. Wher|fore yf you wey &amp; con&s;ider the&s;e thyngs wel, ye haue no cau&s;e at al to be proude of thys victorie, but rather oughte to dread God &amp; to feare the mutabilitie of fortune. For ye mu&s;t vnder&s;tand that all Empire &amp; power is ea&s;ily forgone,
<PB N="137" REF="154">onle&s;&s;e they be maintayned by Iu&s;tice pollicie, and payne&s;takinge. Yea my companions in armes, know ye this &amp; beleue it for a certainetie, that the grea+te&s;t parte of your labour is yet behind. For it is a harder matter to kepe thin|ges gotten, then to gette them, For as muche as in gettinge often tymes the cowardnes of the po&s;&s;e&s;&s;our furthereth a man more then his owne prowe&s;&s;e. But to kepe thynges gotten, no man is able without his own prowe&s;&s;e and pollicie. Thus muche &s;pake Totilas at that tyme &amp; the Gothes dyd great|lye commende the wyfedome of theyr Kynge.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="12" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>&para; The .xii. Chapter.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>&para; The bytter wordes of Totilas to the Ro|maines, and thacquital of a noble woman accu&s;ed of trea&s;on. Totilas fendeth Am|ba&s;&s;adours with letters to the Emperour, at who&s;e returne he defaceth Rome and leaueth it vtterly de&s;olate.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<PB REF="155">
<P>AFter this he called the Romaines before him and greatlye reproued their vnthankefullne&s;&s;e &amp; mi&s;de|meanour.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The talke of Totilas to the Romaynes.</NOTE> In as much as they being in &s;ubiection vnder Odoacer, &amp; delyuered from his tiranny by meanes of Theo|derich &amp; the Gothes, at who&s;e handes they had receiued &s;o great benefites as they theyin &s;elues coulde &s;carce haue wy&s;hed, through the whyche they had bene greatly enriched &amp; had lyued ma|ny yeares in great tranquillitle, ryghte happys yf they coulde haue &s;ene when they were well, now in the ende wyth|out arm wronge or di&s;plea&s;ure offered to them, had contrarye to their othe &amp; allegeans reuolted to the Grekes, men of all other mo&s;t vaine &amp; withoute ey|ther manhood or prowe&s;&s;e. Who im|mediatly vpon their arriuall being be|&s;ieged by Vitigis, dur&s;t neuer &s;hewe their heades in the open field, but lur|king within walls and there &s;taruing them&s;elues for hunger, aboode all the di&s;honour that might be. Who after
<PB N="138" REF="155">the tyme they were made lordes of the Cities, not through their owne man hoode, but through trea&s;on &amp; deceyte, fylled all places wyth tollgatherers, Pollers, and Promooters: who wyth maruelous crueltye compelled the Ci|tyes &amp; people of Italye to the payment of tho&s;e tributes, whiche had bene for|geuen them &amp; clearely relea&s;ed manye yeres before by Theoderich &amp; thother Kynges of the Gothes. Who to &s;ati&s;|fie the in&s;atiable couetou&s;ne&s;&s;e of the Emperour their Ma&s;ter, called as well the people as the magi&s;trates, to a &s;traight accompt of &s;Uch thynges, as they had taken charge of vnder the &s;aid kings. Tell me therfore ye Romaines (&abquod; he) whether ye euer &s;uffered anye harme by the Gothi&s;he Kinges? And tell me againe if euer the&s;e Greklings dyd you anye good? And not rather more di&s;plea&s;ure to you beynge theyr frends, then to vs their enemies? A vi|cious &amp; wicked kinde of people, able to &s;erue to no purpo&s;e, but to forginge of
<PB REF="156">lea&s;inges? whereas on the contrarye part the Gothes were borne &amp; brought vp amonge you in Italye, and yet you haue &s;et more by &s;traungers &amp; aliens then by your owne countryemen &amp; ac|quaintance, &s;o much are ye degenera|ted out of kind, hating whom ye ought to loue, de&s;yring new thyngs &amp; lothing your owne quietne&s;&s;e, like re&s;tie iades which through ouer long &s;tandinge in &amp; to much pampering become colti&s;he &amp; full of euil touches. Wherfore &s;eing you haue done the&s;e thinges both con|trarye to your dutye &amp; allegeance, and contrarye to your owne profyte, looke as you haue hytherto bene worthelye punni&s;hed, &s;o &s;hall you al&s;o be hereaf|ter. Wyth the&s;e wordes he di&s;mi&s;&s;ed the Romaynes voyde of all good hope.<NOTE PLACE="marg">A noble wo|man accu&s;ed for defacing the kynges ymages.</NOTE> About the &s;ame tyme was pleaded the ca&s;e of a noble woman called Iu&s;tini|ana. It was laid to her charg y^e &s;he had cau&s;ed y^t images of kinge Theoderich to be broken &amp; defaced in reuengeme~t of her hu&s;band Boetius and of her fa|ther
<PB N="139" REF="156">father Symmachus whom Theode|rich had put to death. The enditement for defacing of y^t Images was &s;uppo|&s;ed to be true. Howebeit &s;he was thought to be to be helde excu&s;ed, in a&s;|much as her Iu&s;t &s;orrow prouoked her therunto, for bicau&s;e it was manife&s;t lye knowe~ that tho&s;e worthy per&s;ona|ges, were wrongfully put to death. In con&s;ideration whereof. Totilas acqui|ted the woman, &amp; preferued her from the violence of the Gothes. Afterward he purpo&s;ed to &s;ende an. Amba&s;&s;ade to Iu&s;tinian.<NOTE PLACE="marg">An Amba&s;&s;ad &s;ent from ro|tilas to them perour.</NOTE> The Amba&s;&s;adours were the forenamed Pelagius, &amp; one Theo|dore an Orator of Rome. The&s;e men dyd Totilas bynde wyth a great othe, to doe hys me&s;&s;ege faithfullye, and to retourne to hym into Italye wyth as muche fpede as myghte be. The effect of their comi&s;&s;ion was, to declare vnto themperour y^t if he wold admit hym &amp; the gothes into the rather of his frends he wold &s;aue the citie of Rome, &amp; wold moreouer aid him w^t a &s;tro~g power like
<PB REF="157">a faithfull frend in all his voyages and warres. But yf he would rather con|tinue warres again&s;t them, he would make Rome euen wyth the grounde. For be mynded not to trouble him&s;elf wyth the k&eacute;eping of it whyle he &s;hould be occupied aboute other warres, nor yet to leaue it vppe to hys enemyes.</P>
<P>Furthermore he wrate a letter to Iu|&s;tinian,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The tenour of Totilas let+ter to them|perour.</NOTE> the tenour whereof was thys. What hathe bene doone aboute the Citye of Rome I thynke you knowe well ynoughe. The acca&s;ion why we &s;end Amba&s;&s;adours vnto you is thys. We couet to be at attonement wyth you, and you wyth vs, lyke as were oure noble predece&s;&s;ours Ana&s;ta&s;ius the Emperour of Rome and Theode|rich Kinge of the Gothes. Who&s;e mu|tuall concorde &amp; agr&eacute;ement both cau|&s;ed great tranquillitye and quietne&s;&s;e of tho&s;e tymes, and al&s;o greatlye be|ne&s;ited them&s;elues. If therefore you can fynde in your harte to dooe as they dyd, I wyll worthelye accepte you for
<PB N="140" REF="157">my parent, and you &s;hall haue me and my Gothes at commaundement to helpe you in all your warres. But yf you be otherwy&s;e mynded, you &s;hall vnder&s;tande by oure Amba&s;&s;adours what &s;hall be the &s;equele. Wyth thys me&s;&s;age the Amba&s;&s;adours &s;ayled in|to Grece, durynge who&s;e goyng and commynge Totilas aboode &s;tyll at Rome. Beli&s;arius laye all the whyle at Portua, broughte to deathes doore wyth &s;ycke ne&s;&s;e and &s;orrowe. In the meane tyme Iohn per&s;i&s;ted in hys do|inges, &amp; altered many thyngs among the Lucanes and Brutians. By mea|nes whereof Totilas al&s;o was com|pelled to &s;ende amonge the Lucanes and to renewe the warre. It was not long after but that he was certifyed of the Emperours an&s;were.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Themperours aun&s;were to the demands of Totilas,</NOTE> For at &s;uche tyme as the Amba&s;&s;adours commyng before Iu&s;tinian had fyr&s;te delyuered the kynges letters, and afterwarde declared their Commi&s;&s;ion, makynge interce&s;&s;ion and &s;upplicatio~ for &s;auing
<PB REF="158">the Citie of Rome then &s;tanding in &s;o great ieoperdie, they coulde gette none other aun&s;were at themperours hand but that Beli&s;arius was in Italy, to who&s;e will and di&s;cretion he had com|mytted the affayres of that countrye. When Totilas heard that perceiuing it was don for none other purpo&s;e then to di&s;appoynt him of his de&s;yre, &amp; more ouer takinge di&s;plea&s;ure at Iohns de|inges whiche had made warre vppon him &s;ytting &s;till in quiet &amp; abyding for the returne of his Amba&s;&s;adours &s;ent to entreate for peace,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The vtter &s;ac+king and de|&s;olation of Rome.</NOTE> he toke coun&s;ell to ra&s;e the Citie of Rome. Wherevp|on ri&s;ing vp with maruelous crueltye in &s;undrye places he beate the walles downe to the grounde, to the mounte|nance of the third part of the Circuit of the whole Citie. That done he &s;et the Capitoll on fire. All was on a lyghte fire about the market, about Subura, &amp; about y^e holy &s;trete. The hil Quirnia+lis &s;moked, the hill Auentiue gli&s;tered with flames &amp; the noy&s;e of the fallinge
<PB N="141" REF="158">of the hou&s;es was heard euery where. While the Citie was thus burninge, thin habitantes wyth their wyues and children, were throwen out of their na+tiue &s;oyle, hauing not &s;o much libertie as to bewaile their owne mi&s;eries. All the people and the common &s;ort he di&s;|per&s;ed throughe the townes of Cam|panie. But he kepte &s;till aboute hym the Senatours and noble men for ho&s;|tages. After this he departed oute of Rome with all hys whole ar|mie, leauing it vtterly di&s;olate, in &s;o muche that there re|mayned not anye man or woman in it. &dtristar;</P>
<P>&para; Thus endeth the thytde Booke.</P>
</DIV2>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="4" TYPE="book">
<PB REF="159">
<HEAD><HI>The fourth booke</HI> of Leonard Aretine, concer|nyng the warres in Italy again&s;t the Gothes.</HEAD>
<DIV2 N="1" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>&leaf; The fir&s;t Chapter,</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>&para; Totilas cha&s;eth Iohn Vitalian from place to place, Beli&s;arius repaireth Rome and geueth notable and blody repul&s;es to the Gothes attemptyng to let him of hys pur|po&s;e and pronideth for the &s;aufe keping of the &s;ame.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>_WHen Totilas departed fro~ rome, he &s;et a crew of &s;ouldiers again&s;t the citie Portua in a place called Algidone, to the ente~t that Beli&s;arius &s;ouldiers &s;huld not worke any thing in his ab&s;ence,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The &s;hamful flight of iohn Vitalian.</NOTE> &amp; with the re&s;te of his armie he went a|gain&s;te Iohn into Calabre. As &s;one as Iohn heard of his comminge, he a|bandoned vppe al vnto him and tanne hys waye lyke a coward, not &s;tayinge
<PB N="142" REF="159">in any place vntill he had recouered to Hydrunt whiche is the furthe&s;t towne of all Calabrie. By meanes whereof when Totilas came in tho&s;e quarters, he quickelye recouered the Lucanes, Brutians, and Calabrians whollye &s;auynge Hydrunt. The &s;ame &s;ca&s;on Spolet reuolted from the Gothes.</P>
<P>There was nothynge keept of it but onelye the Ca&s;tle, for Totilas had be+fore tyme ouerthrowen the walles of the Towne. The authour of thys re|nolting was one Martian of Con&s;tan|tinople, who beyng one of the kepers, con&s;pyred wyth eyghtene of the &s;oul|dyers, and hauynge &s;layne the Cap|tayne of the piece, yelded it vppe to Be|li&s;arius.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The repai|ring of tarent</NOTE> Aboute the &s;ame tyme al|mo&s;te was Tarent repayred, whereas before, it had beene for&s;aken and lefte de&s;olate. It was repayred by the Ca|labrians and other people that were driuen out of theyr owne dwellynges by the warres. They were not able to build it of like bignes as it had bene
<PB REF="160">in tymes pa&s;te. But takynge one piece of it buttynge vppon the hauen enclo|&s;ed on bothe &s;ydes wyth the &s;ea, they ea&s;ely fortified the acce&s;&s;e vnto it from the mayne lande. Totilas hauynge brought vnder hys &s;ubiection all the townes of Lucanye and Calabrie &s;a|nynge Hydrunt, determyned to de|parte thence, and therevppon lea|nynge a garry&s;on of &s;ouldyers at the Cytye Atheru&s;e, wyth the re&s;te of hys armye marched towarde Rauenna, In the meane whyle Beli&s;arius be|ynge recouered of hys longe conty|newed Agew, tooke in hande a bolde aduenture, and (as manye a manne woulde haue thought) a ra&s;he, the whyche notwyth&s;tandynge in the ende proued a couragious and laudable en|terpry&s;e. He determyned to take vppon the &s;odayne and to fortifye the Cytye of Rome lyinge at that tyme wa&s;te and de&s;olate.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The repai<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">g of Rome by Beli&s;arius.</NOTE> Whervppon ke|pyng thys purpo&s;e &s;ecrete to hym&s;elf, he lefte a fewe Souldyers at Portua
<PB N="143" REF="160">for defence of the towne, &amp; wyth al the power he could make be&s;yde, (no man eyther of hys owne or of hys enemies mi&s;tru&s;tinge whereaboutes he went) tooke the Cytye of Rome and wyth a wonderfull celeritie wente in hand wyth repayringe and fortifyinge it a|gayne. And bycau&s;e the walles in di|uers places were beaten downe to the hard grounde, he fylled vppe parte of theym wyth roughe worke, and cut d&eacute;epe dyches before the walles, and ca&s;te vppe a Rampyre the whyche he fen&s;ed wyth Trunkes of tr&eacute;es fa&s;te|ned in the ground by the rootes wound one wyth in another, wyth the &s;harps endes vpwarde. And for the more &s;trengthe of the wall newelye repay|red he buylded towers and bulwarks of timber. The whych things through the earne&s;t labour and willyngnes of hys &s;ouldyers, he furny&s;hed it in thr&eacute;e and twentye dayes. And &s;hyppes came contynuallye from Portua loden with corne and other victualles.</P>
<PB REF="161">
<P>The Citizens of Rome whereof there &s;tayed a greate number in the townes nere aboutes, hearynge that their Ci|tye was repayred, were wonderfull de&s;yrous to retourne into theyr natiue Countrye, and that ine&s;peciallye by|cau&s;e there was plentye of corne there, wyth &s;carcetie whereof they were pin|ched in other places. As &s;oneas To|tilas had worde of thys, forthwyth all other matters &s;ette a parte, he made ha&s;te towarde Rome. Beli&s;arius was notable to hange vppe the gates of the Citye before hys enemyes were come. For he had not &s;o good &s;tore of Carpenters to repaire them in &s;o &s;hort tyme. The Gothes the fyr&s;te daye of theyr commynge encamped them&s;el|ues not farre from the Citye agayn&s;te the gate Salaria, The nexte mornyng by the ry&s;ing of the &s;unne, wyth great noy&s;e and hurly burlye they marched to the a&s;&s;aulte.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Gothes a&s;&s;ault Rome and are re|pul&s;ed.</NOTE> Beli&s;arius placed all hys talle&s;t and hardye&s;t men at y^e gate the re&s;t he &s;et vpon the walles &amp; in the
<PB N="144" REF="161">bulwarkes, commaundynge them to beate theyr enemyes downe. The en|counter was behement and whote on bothe partes. For the Gothes came thyther of &s;ette purpo&s;e to haue wonne the Towne at the fyr&s;te pu&s;he. But when they &s;awe better defence made then they looked for, they were in &s;uch a furye and &s;uche a rage, that they ranne de&s;peratly vppon theyr enemies lyke madde men, and &s;tryuinge vnad|ui&s;edlye to gette vppe, were beaten downe and kylled wythoute merrye. It was wonder to &s;ee howe earne&s;tlye and de&s;peratlye it was foughte on bothe &s;ydes that daye. For the a&s;&s;ault beganne in the mornynge and ended not vntyll nyghte. After that it wax|ed darcke the Gothes retyred into theyr Tentes. But the &s;ouldyers of Beli&s;arius partelye kepte theyr &s;tan|dynge vppon the walles and bulwar|kes as they had beene placed by hym, and partelye warded at the Gates.
<PB REF="162">And to the entent the enemye &s;hould not &s;odaynely comme vppon theym in the night and take theym vnwares, he cau&s;ed a greate &s;orte of Bu&s;&s;hes and Brambles to be layde before the Gates. The nexte daye the Gothes approched to the Cytye in lyke &s;orte as they had doone before, and Be|li&s;arius and hys men made lyke re|&s;i&s;tens. But when the a&s;&s;aulte wax|ed to longe, the &s;ouldyers that kepte theyr &s;tandynge at the Gate, y&s;&s;ued oute boldelye and encounteryng wyth the Gothes hand to hand, at length putte theym to flyghte on that fyde and wyth manye woundes draue theym farre from the Gate. And &s;o was that a&s;&s;aulte ended. After|warde when they hadde be&s;towed manye dayes in healinge theyr woun|des and repayrynge theyr armour, the Gothes aduaunced agayne to the af|fanlte of the Cytye.</P>
<PB N="145" REF="162">
<P>Beli&s;arius hauyng before well harted and encouraged hys &s;ouldiers,<NOTE PLACE="marg">A notable re|pul&s;e geuen to the Gothes by Beli&s;arius.</NOTE> leauing neuerthele&s;&s;e a co~uenient number vp|pon the walles and in the Towers, led the~ out at the gate. There was a what and an eager battell fought hard at the gate, in the which when as Totilas his &s;tanderdbearer was &s;tricke~ &s;tarke dead from hys hor&s;e with a &s;peare, and the &s;tanderd ouerthrowe~, there was much prea&s;yng aboute it fro~ both &s;ydes. The Gothes &s;triuyng to &s;aue their &s;tanderd lea&s;te they &s;houlde be dy&s;honored, and y^e &s;ouldiers of Beli&s;arius endeuoring to obtayne the honour of wynnyng the &s;ame. At la&s;te the &s;kyrmi&s;he grewe to thys i&s;&s;ue, that the Gothes recouered their &s;tandard, &amp; the &s;ouldiers of Beli|&s;arius had the bodye of the &s;tandard|bearer, &s;auyng his lyft hand which the Gothes dyd cut of for &s;pyght that their enemyes &s;houlde not haue it, bycau&s;e there was a ring of golde vpon it. This done, Totilas perceauyng that his at|tempt was in vayne, blewe to y^t retreit
<PB REF="163">and the nexte daye after wente hys waye vnto Tybur. For as I tolde you before he helde that Citye, and hauing maruelou&s;ly fortified the ca&s;tle thereof v&s;ed it as a Camp agayn&s;te the Romaynes. The Romaynes to the entent they woulde not bee mole&s;ted by their &s;odayne inuations from that &s;yde, brake all the brydges on the ry|uer Anio. Thys ryuer Anio &s;pryngeth amonge the Heruices, and ronnyng downe from the hylles cutteth the playne betwene Tybur and Rome. It hath verye &s;tepe bakes, and the chanell is &s;o deepe of water that it can|not be pa&s;&s;ed. And therefore there were brydges made vppon it from all the pryncipall wayes, as from the gates Salaria, Nomentana, and Ti|burtyne. The&s;e brydges beyng at that tyme cut of, there coulde no rodes be made agayn&s;t the Citie of Rome on that &s;yde.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="2" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="146" REF="163">
<HEAD>the .ii. Chapter.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>&para; After the departure of the Gothes from Rome. Totilas in the nexte &s;pring goeth to the &s;yege of Peru&s;e, duryng vvho&s;e beyng there, Iohn Vitalian attempteth many thin+ges in Ca~pane to the great preiudice of the Goth<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">, vvherevvith Totilas being di&s;plea|&s;ed goeth vvith &s;uche &s;peede agayn&s;t hym that he ouercame hym before he heard of hys commyng. The Emperour &s;endeth an|other bande of men into Italye at vvhol&s;e commyng. Beli&s;arius &s;ayling tovvarde Ta|rent is driuen by tempe&s;te to land at Cro|ton vvhere for vvante of forage compelled to &s;ende hys hor&s;emen into the Coun|trye, through the negligence of the Cap|taynes loo&s;eth them. By meanes vvhere|of he is fayneto &s;ayle avvaye into Sicill, du|ring the vvhich his ab&s;ence Totilas be&s;ie|geth Ru&s;cie.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>AFTER the departure of the Gothes Beli&s;arius cau&s;ed the gates and the yron worke of them to be framed quietly, and when he had done, as thoughe he had conquered the Citye agayne by force, he &s;ente
<PB REF="164">the keyes of it into Grece to the Em|peroure Iu&s;tinian. And thus ended the twelueth yeare of thys warre. The nexte yeare following a&s;&s;one as the &s;pryng came, Totilas &s;et out of Ti|bur &amp; marched towarde Peru&s;e. The &s;ame Towne was euen then alreadye be&s;ieged by another companye of the Gothes. And when corne beganne to waxe &s;carce &amp; other victualles to &s;ayle, Totilas went thyther to the entent to kepe the towne &s;trayghter, &amp; to take a|waye al hope of &s;uccour from the be&s;te|ged. Whyle Totilas was occupyed a|bout the &s;iege of Peru&s;e,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The doyngs of Iohn in Cmapane.</NOTE> Iohn takyng a vantage of hys beyng there &amp; percea|uyng that the Senators &amp; noble men of Rome which Totilas had led pri&s;o|ners wyth him were left in the townes of Campane vnder the kepyng of hys &s;ouldiers, thought to wynne hym&s;elfe a name by deliuering them out of their enemyes handes. Where uppon he re|moued out of Calabrie with a trope of tho&s;en hor&s;emen, neuer dy&s;continuing
<PB N="147" REF="164">his iournye night nor day vntil he came into Campane. Totilas mi&s;tru&s;ting as much, had appoynted a &s;trong band of the Gothes thither. Whe~ they came vnto Minturne they &s;tayed &amp; &s;ent cer|tayne of their hor&s;emen before to &s;ee what was done in the townes. Now it fortuned that the Gothy&s;he hor&s;emen whiche were fente before, chaunced to lyght vppon Iohn &amp; hys hor&s;emen, be|twene who~ there was a &s;harpe encou~|ter. In the which Iohn gettyng the vp|per hand &s;lewe many of them &amp; woun|ded many, and put the rea&s;te to flyght. Through this di&s;com&s;iture they that a bode behynde at Minturne were &s;o di&s;|couraged, y^e they fled al&s;o. By meanes wherof Iohn had ley&s;ure to lead away whom he ly&s;ted at hys plea&s;ure. For y^e townes of Campaine wer vnwalled the Gothes hauyng lately before beate~ them downe. So that Iohn toke all the Romanye pri&s;oners that he founde in euery towne &amp; deliuered them out of y^e handes of the Gothes, conueying them
<PB REF="165">quyte awaye, all &s;auyng Clementine &amp; Ore&s;tes of the which the one woulde not go away with hym, bycau&s;e he fea|red the Emperour whom he had offen|ded, &amp; the other makyng excu&s;e that he wanted hor&s;es, taried in doubt whither he might go or no. Howbeit there were not Many Senatours founde in Cam|paine, but very many of their wynes &amp; daughters. For the men for the mo&s;te part the &s;ame nyght that the Citie was taken, followed the men of warre and fled with them to Portua. When To|tilas vnder&s;tode of the&s;e thynges that Iohn had done, he was greatly moued, determinyng to be reuenged vpo~ him. And therupo~ leauing part of his army at y^e &s;iege of Peru&s;e,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The great ce+leritie of To|tilas.</NOTE> he him&s;elfe w^t the re&s;idue, made ha&s;te by great iourneyes through y^e cou~tries of y^e Picentes Mar|&s;es, &amp; Peligues, into Appulia, &amp; neuer cea&s;ed, vntill, by cro&s;&s;yng the wayes at length he fou~de Iohnin Calabrie wher &s;odainly &s;etting vpon him, he put him &amp; al his army to flight &amp; toke hys tentes.
<PB N="148" REF="165" MS="y">Notwyth&s;tandyng as it chaunced, the Gothes made no greate &s;laughter, by rea&s;o~ it was nighte whe~ they a&s;&s;ailed y^e camp. By meanes wherof y^e &s;ouldiers did ea&s;ily e&s;cape &amp; hide the~&s;elues in the next mou~taines. Iohn &amp; Arnulphe cap|taine of y^e Erulians who al&s;o &s;erued in y^e warres with Iohn, recouered out of y^e chace vnto Hidrunt, &amp; the &s;ouldiers af|terward &s;ome one way &amp; &s;ome another re&s;orted thither vnto the~. Thys victorie of Totilas dyd greatlye renoune hys name. For it was thought to be a nota|ble matter, for a king to haue come fro~ y^t walles of Peru&s;e into Calabrie, and y^e in &s;o &s;horte &s;pace as a light iournying man could &s;carcely haue done, hym&s;elfe beyng not caryed in a hor&s;elytter or a charyte, but euen wyth as much paine as the common &s;ouldier, on hor&s;e backe laden with hys harne&s;&s;e as other were. Not longe after that battell, another bande of &s;ouldiers &s;ent from Iu&s;tinian beganne to approche vnto Hydrunt.</P>
<PB REF="166">
<P>For the Emperour being moued with often letters from Beli&s;arius,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Themperour &s;e~deth a nevv povver into Italy.</NOTE> decla|ryng y^e &s;tate of the warres &amp; reque&s;ting ayde, determined to &s;end a new power into Italy, &amp; had written to Beli&s;arius that he &s;houlde hye hym into Calabrie to receaue his &s;ouldiers &amp; to make war agayn&s;t hys enemyes there. Captaines of thys new armye were Valerian lea|der of the Armenians, &amp; Vere leader of the Erulians. Beli&s;arius vppon the receipt of the Emperours letters and co~maundement, leauyng the rea&s;te of hys armye at Rome &amp; at Portua vnder y^e charge &amp; gouernement of his Lieue|tennant Conon, with nyne hundred cho&s;en &s;ouldiers, (whereof &s;euen hun|dred were hor&s;emen and two hundred fotemen) toke &s;hippyng &amp; made &s;ayle to ward Calabre. It was hys mynde to haue landed hys armye at Tatent, the which is two daies iourney dy&s;tant fro~ Hydrunt, &amp; in the &s;ame place to haue a&s;|&s;embled al the rea&s;t of his power about hym. But by meanes of co~trary winds
<PB N="149" REF="166" MS="y">he was compelled to land hys men in the hauen of Croton. For the violence of the tempe&s;t was &s;uche, that he could &s;ayle neyther backeward nor forward. Therefore when he had landed hys ar|my at Croton, fora&s;much as there was not plentye of forage in tho&s;e quarters, he was con&s;trayned to &s;eperate hys hor&s;emen from hys fotemen. For he hym&s;elf &amp; his wyfe abode with his forte|me~ at Croton, to the entent to cal Iohn with the rea&s;t of hys power vnto hym, &amp; commaunded hys hor&s;eme~ to go fur|ther into the countrie and to &s;tay them|&s;elues in the borders of the Turnies. For in &s;o doyng they &s;huld ea&s;ely come by al thyngs nece&s;&s;arye for them&s;elues and for their hor&s;es, and &s;hould al&s;o be out of all daunger, fora&s;muche as the mountaynes of Luranie &s;hotyng into the countrye of the Brutians, do make two valleyes, with narrowe enteran|ces into them. And not farre from one of the valleyes &s;tandeth on the &s;ea coa&s;t a Ca&s;tle of the Turnies called Ru&s;cie,
<PB REF="167">a little aboue the whiche is the lowns &s;omwhat further from the water, &s;itu|ate on a high grounde, called Ru&s;cian. the &s;ame towne did Iohn kepe with a &s;trong garry&s;on of &s;ouldiers. Beli&s;ari|us therfore &s;ent his &s;ouldiers into tho&s;e borders, &amp; made Captaynes ouer them one Pha&s;es a Spanyard a noble man of warre, &amp; Barbation a Thracian, co~|maundyng them in any wy&s;e to keepe well the entrances of y^e valleyes.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Skirmi&s;h be|tvvene the im+periall &amp; Go|thi&s;he hor&s;e|men.</NOTE> Whe~ the&s;e hor&s;emen were come into tho&s;e quarters, by chaunce they met with y^e hor&s;eme~ of their enemies, who~ Totilas had &s;ent to attempt y^e towne which (as I tolde you before) was kept by Iohns me~ of warre. After it came to y^e encoun+ter the &s;ouldyers of Beli&s;arius albeit they wer fewer in number, yet they ea|&s;ily uercame their enemyes &amp; &s;tewe a|boue two hundred of the~. Afterwarde tho&s;e y^e abode &s;tyll in that place, fora&s;|much as they wer the victours, and far fro~ the &s;ight of their captaine, kept ney|ther order nor aray. But &s;traying farre
<PB N="150" REF="167">from their &s;tandarde they pa&s;&s;ed not to kepe either watch or ward, or to &s;end a|ny &s;kowtes abrode, or to haue any &s;kow+tes among the~, nor yet to kepe y^e &s;treigh+tes at the entrance of the valley where they might ea&s;ily haue kept out their e|nemie.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Beli&s;arius lo|&s;eth his hor&s;e men through neglegenceof the captaines,</NOTE> Whereof when Totilas had vnder&s;tanding he wente thyther with three thou&s;and hor&s;emen and &s;et vppon the~ ere they my&s;tru&s;ted any &s;uch thing. For he was pa&s;&s;ed tho&s;e narrowe &s;treightes and the entrances of the val|leye, before that Beli&s;arius hor&s;emen heard of hys commyng. Hereuppon beganne a great &s;laughter and di&s;com|fiture to be made of them. Pha&s;es and Barbation were the Captaynes. Of the whiche Pha&s;es wyth hys troope of hor&s;emen &s;ettyng hym&s;elfe agayn&s;te Totilas, dyd maruells in Armes, how|beit at the lengthe he and all hys men were &s;tayne. Barbation wyth no mo out two companions onely e&s;caped by flyghte, the rea&s;t were eyther &s;tayne or taken pri&s;oners.</P>
<PB REF="168">
<P>Some there were that taking them&s;el|ues to flyghte at the fyr&s;t begynnyng, e&s;caped to Beli&s;arius &amp; caryed hym ty|dynges of that great &s;laughter. When Beli&s;arius had lo&s;t hys hor&s;emen, mi&s;|&s;tru&s;tyng that hys enemies wold come agayn&s;t hym, he toke &s;hypping in ha&s;te &amp; greatly di&s;maide with &s;orrowe, aban|donyng him&s;elfe to the windes arriued the &s;ame daye at Me&s;&s;aua in Sicill the which is from Croton about foure&s;core myles.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Totilas be&s;ie+geth Ru&s;cian,</NOTE> Totilas hauyng dy&s;patched the&s;e matters &amp; therby di&s;po&s;ed y^e pow|er of hys enemyes, determyned to be|&s;iege y^e towne of Ru&s;cian. For in that towne wer three hundred hor&s;eme~ pla|ced there by Iohn, &amp; an hundred foteme~ &s;ent lately thither by Beli&s;arius. More ouer there were a great number of I|talians both hor&s;emen &amp; foteme~, which if they &s;houlde be be&s;ieged, it was none other lyke but y^e they &s;hould want vic|tualles ere it were long. In hope wher of Totilas be&s;ieged the towne.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="3" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="151" REF="168">
<HEAD>The .iii. Chapter.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>&para; Conon Captayne of Rome in &s;layne of hys ovvne &s;ouldiers. Fortune afflicteth the Im|perials, Totilas receaueth Ru&s;cie &amp; putteth Cola&s;er Captayne therof to death. Antonia the vvyfe of Beli&s;arius entreateth the Em|perour tht her hou&s;bande is called home out of Italy.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>ABout thys tyme,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Conon Cap|tain of Rome for hys coue|tou&s;ne&s;&s;e is &s;layne of hys ovvn&s;ouldiers</NOTE> the &s;ouldiers that Beli&s;arius lefte at Rome, flewe their Captayne Cono~ in a rage bicau&s;e that by encroching the corne priuely in|to hys hand, he dayly ray&s;ed the pryce of the market. Vpon the which facte they &s;ent their me&s;&s;engers to y^e Emperour for pardo~ of their tre&s;pa&s;&s;e a&s;&s;erteining hym that onel&s;&s;e he would graunt it, &amp; moreouer paye them their wages that was behinde. they wold deliuer Rome vnto Totilas. For feare wherof the Emperour graunted them their whole reque&s;t. They that were be&s;ieged at y^e towne Ru&s;cian, being dy&s;tre&s;&s;ed wyth &s;carcetieof corne, fel to communicatio~
<PB REF="169">with Totilas, &amp; toke a truce for a fewe dayes, promi&s;ing to yelde vp the towne onle&s;&s;e they were re&s;cowed in y^e meane tyme. Hereupon was preparatio~ made by Iohn, to re&s;cowe them, &amp; by Totilas to prohibite hym. In the meane &s;ea&s;on Beli&s;arius was come out of Sicill, vn|to Hydrunt &amp; had receaued Valerian with the &s;ouldiers &s;ent from the Em|perour, by meanes wherof he had a &s;uf|ficient power. Neyther wanted he &s;hip|pes to conuey them into the re&s;cowe of hys complices.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The peruer&s;e &s;entune of the imperialls.</NOTE> Therfore when al thin|ges were in a readine&s;&s;e he embarked hys &s;ouldyers and &s;ayled toward Ru&s;|cie. They that were be&s;yeged &s;eing the nauye a farre of, (for the Citie &s;tandeth vpon a hygh ground &amp; hath a large pro|&s;pent into the &s;ea) were &s;o glad of it that they wholde not render the towne at the daye appoynted. It was not long af|ter but that there ro&s;e &s;uche a tempe&s;te that it de&s;po&s;ed the nauye into &s;undrye places. The whyche afterwarde meryng all at Croton, &s;et out agayne
<PB N="152" REF="169">from thence and made &s;ayle to Ru&s;cie. When the &s;hyppes approched nere the lande, Totilas commaunded hys men to arme them, &amp; &s;et them&s;elues in amy vpon the &s;hore willing them with their dartes &amp; arrowes to prohibite the na|uye from arriuall. When the Grekes &s;awe that, they were &s;o &s;ore afrayed of the daunger, that after they had houe|red a whyle their aboutes making pre|tence to arriue, at length de&s;pairyng to do that they came for, they turned their &s;hyppes &amp; went their wayes. After|warde as they were con&s;ultyng what was to be done for the &s;afegarde of the~ that were be&s;yeged, it was determined that Iohn &amp; Valerian with y^e hor&s;emen &amp; the rea&s;t of the armye &s;houlde go into the countrye of Picene, &amp; there kepe as greate a &s;tyrre as they coulde, to the en|tent that Totilas &s;hould be co~pelled to breake vp his &s;iege to &s;uccour hys own: And that Beli&s;arius &s;houlde wyth hys nauye &s;ayle vnto Rome, to appea&s;e the mutinie amonge the &s;ouldyers
<PB REF="170" MS="y">that we &s;pake of before, &amp; to carry corne thither to victual the towne. According to thys determination, Iohn went by &amp; by through Appulia and the Countrye of the Mar&s;es to the Picentes by land. Valerian cho&s;e rather to goe by water? And &s;o hauing embarked his &s;ouldiers he arriued at Aucona, &amp; ioyned hym&s;elf with Iohn. Yet notiwht&s;tanding for al thys Totilas dy&s;&s;olued not hys &s;yege, but &s;nding two thou&s;and hor&s;emen a|mong the Picentes to defend y^e townes agayn&s;t Iohn and Valerian, he him&s;elf with the rea&s;t of hys armye continued hys &s;yege about Ru&s;cian. The be&s;ye|ged when victualles vtterly fayled the~, &amp; that there remayned ho hope of re&s;|cowe, &s;ent one Deofer an Italian and Godilas a Thracian to Totilas, de&s;y|ryng pardon and &s;afetye of their liues. The&s;e men contrary to their expecta|tion found. Totilas gentle and ea&s;ye to be entreated. For he imputed y^e breach of the truce to no man but one with the punni&s;hment of whom he &s;ayd he wold
<PB N="153" REF="170">be &s;atiffied, &amp; was conte~med to parden all the re&s;idue. If they woulde &s;erue hym they &s;hould kepe &s;till all that euer they had, and yf they had rather goe &s;ome where elles they &s;hould departe euery man wyth one garme~t. By this meanes he receyued the town,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The puni&s;hm|ment of Cola+&s;er for brea|king of pro|my&s;e.</NOTE> and af|ter that he had cau&s;ed Cola&s;er Cap|tayne of the garry&s;on to be whipped &amp; mangled, (who was the occa&s;ion that the towne was not yelded accordinge to counenant), he commaunded hym to be putte to death. Wyth the re&s;t he keept touch accordyng to hys promi&s;e. A great number of the men of warre (to the entent to &s;aue that they had) a|bode &s;till wyth Totilas. Other&s;ome leauing theyr hor&s;e harne&s;&s;e &amp; all that they had be&s;ydes, went wyth one gar|ment vnto Croton. The goodes of the towne&s;men Totilas gaue for a praye to hys &s;ouldyers, commaun|dynge theyr bodyes to goe at lybertye.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The vvyfe of Beli&s;arius go|eth to con|&s;tantinople.</NOTE> About thys tyme Antonia the wyfe of Beli&s;arius went to Co~&s;tantinople
<PB REF="171">to &s;ue to Thoodora the Empre&s;&s;e to entreate that her hu&s;band mighte be called home out of Italy. But when the found that Theodora was decea|&s;ed a lyttle before, &s;he went to them|perour her &s;olfe and with muche &s;ute earne&s;tly entreated hym that her hu&s;|band mighte becalled oute of Italye. The whyche reque&s;t &s;he ea&s;ely ob|tayned, &s;o mu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">he the rather bycau&s;e the Emperour &s;toode in greate feare of warres in Parthia.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Beli&s;arius is called out of Italye.</NOTE> Thus Beli|&s;arius beyng called out of Italy retur|ned into Grece almo&s;t fyue yere after he came thyther la&s;t, not hauing had altogyther &s;o good fortune in thys hys latter viage as he had in hys fyr&s;te.</P>
<P>At his departure from Rome he lefte thr&eacute;e thou&s;ande of cho&s;en &s;ouldyers there in garry&s;on vnder y^t gouernance of his Liuetenant Diogenes a man of much wi&s;dome &amp; knowledge in feates of armes. Anon after his departing y^t Gothes toke by a&s;&s;ault Peru&s;e, which they had &s;o long tyme be&s;eged.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="4" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="154" REF="171">
<HEAD>&leaf; The .iiii. Chapter.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>&para; Totilas be&s;egeth Rome nowe the thv<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">de ti<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">e, great &s;ute is made to them perour for re&s;cowing the Iame, Diogenes captayne therof prouideth pollitiquelly and circum &s;pectly for the &s;aufty of it, neuertheles it is betraied &amp; taken. Diogenes flyeth to cent mucels, Paule another of themperours cap+taines &s;aueth him &s;elfe and his vallantlye, being be<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">eged by the gothes in the Pyle of A<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">ian, Totil<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="5 letters">oreth by all <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> to repaire and frequent Rome againe, and afterward &s;ommentth centmucelles which taketh truce wyth hym to yelde by a certayne day.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>TOtilas hauting &s;et at a &s;lay the affaires of C<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="3 letters">brie and Appu|lia,<NOTE PLACE="marg">totilas be&s;e|geth Rome the thyrde tyme.</NOTE> determined to tourne batke againe and be&s;ege Rome. It made hym the bolder that Beli&s;arius was gone, together with the pro&s;perous &s;us+ce&s;&s;e of the Gothes in all their doyngs through Italye, and the euill fortune of the Gr&eacute;ekes.
<PB REF="172">Wherevppon a&s;&s;emblyng a great po|wer from all partes, when al things were in a readine&s;&s;e, he came to Rome and be&s;yeged it. There were in gar|ry&s;on in the Towne three thou&s;and cho&s;en Souldyers wyth theyr Cap|tayne Diogenes a man of &s;ingular ac|tiuitie, who by watchyng, workyng, and preuentynge in places conuenient defended the Citie &s;toutly. In &s;o much that the &s;yege was prolonged, and the Gothes had none other hope to winne it but by famy&s;hement.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Sute made to the emperour for re&s;cowig the e<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">ye of Rome.</NOTE> Durynge the &s;yege aboute the Citye, Vigilius the By&s;hoppe of Rome beyng as then at Con&s;tantinople, and wyth hym many worthy men of Italy, made ear|ne&s;t &s;ute to Iu&s;tinian that he woulde &s;end. Beli&s;arius agayne into Italy w^e an ine&s;timable power to rai&s;e the &s;iege before Rome, otherwy&s;e they decia|red that all was lyke to fall to vtter ruine. The &s;ame thing al&s;o reque&s;ted Goding one that had bene Confull &amp; w<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> &s;ent thyther from the people of
<PB N="155" REF="172">Rome as an Amba&s;&s;adour. Iu&s;tinian made them an&s;were that he wold pro+uide wel ynough for thaffairrs of Ita|ly. Howbeit through his delaying &amp; dri+uing of fro~ day to day he did nothing in effect. At y^t le~gth whe~ he &s;aw the~ ear+ne&s;tlyin hand w^e him fro~ time to time &amp; y^e he could not be rid of the~, he denou~ced Liberius one of the nobilitie of Rome Captayne generall of the warres in Italy, &amp; at the begynnyng was verye whate in the furniture thereof. But within a while when other cares came in his head he beganne to waxe colde againe. And &s;o with vayne hope &s;ome tyme makinge preparation and &s;ome|tyme making delayes the tyme pa&s;&s;ed awaye. Rome in the meane whyle was &s;trayghtly be&s;yeged. For the Go|thes hanynge wonne the Eytye Por|tua k&eacute;ept them &s;o &s;horte that nothyng coulde be conueyed in by the Tyber vnto them that were be&s;yeged. And to the entent Rome &s;houlde not be re|lened from anye place, they had gotten
<PB REF="173">into theyr handes well nye all the townes aboute it.<NOTE PLACE="marg">the fore&s;ight and proui&s;io~ of Diogenes for the &s;auig of Rome.</NOTE> But the fore&s;yght and proui&s;iou of the Lieutenaunt and hys fouldyers was woulderfull. For they fore&s;eyage the&s;e thynges a good whyle before, had cau&s;ed all the dayde <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">ames witha<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> the Citie (where th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">e &s;tood no buyldinge <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> be &s;owed with come. By <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="3 letters">anes <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> herof it can<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> to pu&s;&s;e that by that tyme their old co<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ne was &s;pent, new came vp within the walles; where through they endured the fyege a long tyme.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rome is be|trayed.</NOTE> Yea and by all likely hood they had faued the Citie had not the trea&s;on of <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> peruerted the~. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> the gate that <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">adeth to O&s;tia, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> ye g<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> to <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> Churche of Sayncte Paule, there was a warde of I&s;a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">rien <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span">. They after longe <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> of the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="3 letters">ge, grudging <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> them&s;elues that they were <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> of many yeres wages, in <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">ps of greate tow<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">des at Totilas hand, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"> hym bargainyng to <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> hym the ga?e. Where they
<PB N="156" REF="173">warded, appoyntyng the tyme and the meane how to doe it. When the night prefired was comme, Totilas deui&s;ed thys cautele. He &s;et two Barges vp|pon the Kyuer Tyber wyth Trum|pe<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">es at them, commaunding them to towe vppe the &s;treame and to gette as ne<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> the wall as they coulde, and when they came there to blowe theyr trumpettes as terrybly as they could. He hym&s;elfe wyth hys armye <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> &s;oftlye wythoute noy&s;e, and &s;tayed a lytele Raye from the gate before <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"> All thyngs happened according to l<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">y<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> de&s;yre. For the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"> when they had rowed to the place ap|ponited, with the teerible and fo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ayne noy&s;e of their trumpeites, &s;tralie the Romayns in &s;uch a feare that they be|leued their enemyes had bene there.</P>
<P>In &s;o muche that they flocked thythes from all partes of the Citie, and they that watched in other places left their &s;tandinges, and came runnynge thy|ther fearfully.</P>
<PB REF="174">
<P>Nowe whyles euery man re&s;orted to that place,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rome is ta|ken.</NOTE> and tooke no h&eacute;ede to the re&s;t, the traytours beyng lefte alone brake open theyr gate and let Totilas wyth hys armye into the Cytye, wher|vppon immediatly en&s;ewed flaughter as well of the Romaynes as of the fouldyers. There was not than any care taken howe to make re&s;i&s;tens, but how to runne awaye. They fled by &s;uche gates as werr furthe&s;t fro the e|nemye. Diogenes the Captayne for as muche as be &s;awe there was <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> other remedye yffued oute of Rome wyth parte of hys &s;ouldyers and tooke hys waye toward Centmucelles. To|tiles pre&s;uppo&s;inge as muche before (for all the re&s;t of the townes were lo&s;t &amp; there was no mo left them to fly vn|to but onely that) laide an ambu&s;he for him by the way, into y^e which Dio|genes falling lo&s;t a great parte of hys &s;ouldiers &amp; him&s;elf beyng &s;ore woun|ded had much a doe to e&s;cape wyth hys life.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The valeant doinges of captain Paule.</NOTE> There was at Rome amo~g other
<PB N="157" REF="174">Captaines one Paule of Silicia, cap|taine of a trope of hor&s;men. He in this mo&s;t trouble&s;ome nyght after he had &s;kirmi&s;hed with his enemis in diuers places of the Citie in the takyng ther|of, at length recouered hym&s;elfe with his hor&s;emen vnto Adrians Tumbe. A&s;&s;one as it was day light the Gothes &s;warming aboute the Citie (at what tyme that the Capitoll E&s;quilie &amp; al y^e re&s;t of y^e city was take~) there was hard feyghting &s;till at Adrians tumbe. For Paule had .CCCC. hor&s;emen wyth the whiche he valiantlye defended the Tumbe and the brydge adioynynge thereto. In &s;o muche that he &s;tew ma|nye of the Gothes in the &s;kyrmi&s;he vp|pon the brydge, &amp; draue the re&s;t a good way of. The whych Totilas behol|ding cau&s;ed his men to retyre, I wyl|not (&abquod; he) bye the de&s;tructio~ of the&s;e me~ with the blood&s;hed of any of my people I will di&s;patch the~ &s;itting &s;till &amp; neuer trouble my &s;elf for the matter, con&s;ide|ring that neither they nor their hor&s;es
<PB REF="175">haue wherw^t to &s;u&s;taine their liues vn+till to morow. Thus hauing called his men fro~ the &s;kirmi&s;he, and &s;et a &s;trong watch again&s;t the tumbe &amp; the bridge, he co~maunded y^e no man &s;huld mole&s;t ordi&s;quiet them y^t were be&s;eged. Paul &amp; his hand of hor&s;men hauyng fa&s;ted al that day &amp; the nyght folowing w^tout meate or drynke, the next day beganne to con&s;ult what was be&s;t to be doone. There were y^e gaue roun&s;el to endure the &s;iege w^t hor&s;fle&s;he. But this deui&s;e &s;emed horrible for the loth&s;omnes of y^e vnacou&s;tomed feding. Hope to e&s;cape by flyght there was none, the Gothes befetting the~ on all &s;ides round about ready at receipt to cut the~ of. So there remained no &s;hift but to yeld, &amp; that &s;e+med both perillous and di&s;honorable,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The wordes of Paule to his &s;ouldiers.</NOTE> And therfore Paule taking vpon hym to &s;peake &s;aid in this wife. My fellows &amp; companions in armes which way &s;o euer we turne vs, ye &s;&eacute;e we are driuen to an vtter exigent. For there is no waye to e&s;cape by flyght, the euemies
<PB N="158" REF="175">enuironing vs round about with their armye, and taking &s;o good hede to vs. And to yeld our &s;elues to them, be&s;ides the di&s;&s;honor &amp; cowardnes of the facte, we are like to be horribly tormemed &amp; renti~ pieces. For y^e cruelty of the&s;e bar barous people is not wont to be co~ten+ted w^t any &s;imple hind of death. As to a bids the fiege &amp; to fede vpon hor&s;e fle&s;h, let the~ doe it that <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">ke to be re&s;cowed. I cannot &s;&eacute;e what rea&s;on ought to per &s;nade vs vnto &s;o great &s;ufferance whi|ch are vtterly de&s;tit<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> of any &s;Uch hope onle&s;&s;e that like a &s;ore of fain thar<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">e<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> boies for feare of death we had rather pine our&s;elues w^t &s;orow than haue our fle&s;he cut w^t a &s;word. And I a&s;&s;ure you eyther to yeld to thene<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">te or to &s;tatue for hunger, I count it the propertie of them that haue neither hart nor broud in the~. But vnto vs which are <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> of our handes, &amp; acquainted w^t feighting, an honorable death is rather to be em+braced then a &s;hamefull lyfe.</P>
<PB REF="176">
<P>And therefore let vs in &s;uch wy&s;e dye, that we may hath our felues in y^e blood of our enemies &amp; not die vnreuenged. Let not our enemye laugh at our de|&s;truction but wepe. Neyther let vs hold vp our throtes to be cut by them, but lette vs with our weapons cut theirs. For what can the re&s;pit of a few yeres profit vs? &s;ytheus that if we &s;hould e&s;|cape aliue nowe, yet are we &s;ure we &s;hall die ere it be longe after. Glorye may lengthen mens li<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">es, but nature cannot. Aduanuee your&s;elues forth w^t me therefore to an honorable death, the whyche oure enemyes a&s;well as our countrymen maye wonder at and extoll wyth eternall pray&s;es to the &s;ky. The hor&s;emen encoraged wyth the&s;e wordes vowed them &s;elues to deathe. And there vppon embracyng and ky&s;|fyng one another they prepared them|&s;elues to the battell full h&eacute;ent and de|termyned to &s;pend theyr lyues man|fully. Their purpo&s;e was to runne
<PB N="159" REF="176">vppon the Gothes that warded next vnto them, and to be&s;towe theyr lyues in the &s;laughter of theyr enemyes.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Fortune faue reth the cou|ragious,</NOTE></P>
<P>When Totilas &s;awe them thus bent to trye the vttermo&s;t, for feare lea&s;t the de&s;perate endouour of them &s;hould doe the Gothes more di&s;plea&s;ure, then otherwy&s;e &s;o &s;mall a number were a|ble to doe, he fent an herault to them offeryng theym choyce whether they would departe wyth theyr lyues lea|nyng theyr Hor&s;e and armour behynd them, or elles retaynyng all &s;tyll &s;erue hym in hys warres in lyke e&s;tate with other of hys Souioyers. When the hor&s;emen heard that they were verye glad, and at the fir&s;te cho&s;e to leaue all that euer they had &amp; to goe to Con&s;tan+tinople. But afterward con&s;idering y^e long iourney, and the daungers that might happen by the waye, they retur|ned their myndes &amp; cho&s;e to abyde all w^t Totilas, &s;auyng their Captayne Paule &amp; Mundus an I&s;aurien. The&s;e t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> as much as they had wife and
<PB REF="177">childre~ at home,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Totilas &s;he|weth him&s;elf earne&s;t in re|paring and peopling of Rome.</NOTE> de&s;ired to depart. And Totilas helping them liberally wyth viand &amp; other nece&s;&s;aries &s;ent them a|gain to Con&s;tantinople: Furthermore be commaunded y^e no man &s;hould be &s;o hardy as to offer any wrong to ani of thother &s;ouldiers in garri&s;on that had taken &s;anctuarie in y^t church. Toward the Citie of Rome he neither extended any crueltie, nor went aboute to make it de&s;olate as he had done before. But made a &s;erch for the Citizens therof in the townes of Campanie &amp; in other pla+ces, &amp; reduced them home again. Fur|thermore he made in Rome tourneies and iu&s;tes &amp; &s;uch other primelye pa&s;|&s;imes as are wont to be done in fortu|nate &amp; quiet Cities with great co&s;t and &s;olemnitie, to the entent the Citizens &s;hould conceiue good hope, &amp; haue a de|&s;ire to the Citie. The hou&s;es al&s;o whi|ch had bene ouerthrowen or con&s;umed w^t fire in the former de&s;olation of the towne, he went about to needifie and
<PB N="160" REF="177">repayre. Finally he &s;hewed nowe as great a defyre of replem&s;hinge Rome as he had doone before of wa&s;ting and leauyng it defolate. Thys &s;o great mu+tabilitie and alteration of hys mynde, fomme beleued to haue ry&s;en vppon a vow that he had made to the Apo&s;tles Peter &amp; Paule, who&s;e te~ples he myght &s;eme to haue de&s;troied whe~ he de&s;troied y^e citie. Other&s;ome imputed it altogi|ther to the profyte and commoditie of the warres. And dyuers doe reporte that when Totilas latelye before de|&s;yred the Frenche Kynges daughter in mariage, aun&s;were was made hym that he was not Kynge of Ita|lye when he had &s;ubuarted the Cytye of Rome. The whych Taunt (men &s;aye) altered hys mynde to the re|payrynge of the Cytye. But what &s;o euer was the cau&s;e of it, he ende|nored to repayre and buylde agayne the Gytye of Rome. After thys he prepared to make a vyage into Sicill.</P>
<PB REF="178" MS="y">
<P>For the furniture whereof he builded him a great flete of Galleyes, &amp; made a greate number of hoyes and hulkes while he was making preparation for y^t &s;ame, he determined to be&s;iege both by water and by lande Centmucelles whiche one Citye was not yet comme vnder hys &s;ubiection. Captayne of that piece was Diogenes who (as to before mencioned) e&s;caped lately from Rome. He had gathered to hym a good &s;tronge companie of men of warre.</P>
<P>Therefore at &s;uche tyme as the Go|thy&s;he armie came thither and had en|camped the~&s;elues nere vnto the walls of the towne.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Totilas &s;om|moneth cent mucelles.</NOTE> Totilas &s;endyng an affi|cer of Armes to hym, &s;ommoned hym eyther to come &amp; feyght it out w^t his po+wer again&s;t y^e gothes, or els to yeld vp y^e town vnto hi~. For it was not for him to loke for any help at Iu&s;timans hand con&s;idering he neuer releued Rome al the while it was be&s;ieged, onles per|chance he thought themperour did &s;et more by Centmucells then by Rome.
<PB N="161" REF="178" MS="y">Diogenes replied therunto &s;aying, that as for to fyghte with hym he was not mynded at that time, and as for to yeld vp the towne &s;auing his honour and fi|delitie he coulde not, before he had &s;ente to knowe the Emperours plea&s;ure, and to de&s;yre helpe. Whereuppon for|a&s;muche as he &s;eemed to &s;peake that which was hone&s;t and rea&s;onable they fel to compo&s;ition, that onle&s;&s;e the Em|perour after warnyng geuen, dyd re&s;|rowe the towne by him&s;elf or by his de|putie, Diogenes &s;hould &s;urrender it at a certayne daye. And Totilas &s;houlde not in the meane &s;ea&s;on by any meanes mole&s;te or dy&s;quiet hym. For the a&s;&s;urance of the&s;e Articles Ho&s;tages were deliuered, and vppon thys agree|ment Totilas brake vp his &s;iege.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="5" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>The .v. Chapter.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>&para; Totilas makyng warre in Sicill be&s;iegeth Siracu&s;e, a new Lieuetennaunt is &s;ent from the Emperour into Italy.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<PB REF="179">
<P>WHen all thynges were nowe in a readine&s;&s;e that were to be prepa|red.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Totilas ma|keth warre in Sicill.</NOTE> Totilas turned hym&s;elfe to the warres in Sicill, commaundyng that his &s;hyppes &s;huld be ready at hand in the narrowe &s;eas of Sicill. He hym|&s;elf went by land vnto Rhegium, pur|po&s;yng to haue wonne the towne by force. Captaynes of the towne were Teremund and Imere placed there by Beli&s;arius not longe before. Who di|uer&s;e &amp; &s;undry tymes repul&s;ed the Go|thes to their great lo&s;&s;e, attemptyng to wynne y^t towne by a&s;&s;ault. By meanes wherof Lotilas de&s;payring to get it by violence, determined with long conti|nuance of hys &s;iege to &s;ubdue them by famy&s;hment. And therefore leauyng a number of the Gothes about it, he con|ueyed all the rea&s;t of hys armye by wa|ter to wynne Tarent, the whiche he ea|&s;ily obteyned. From thence wafting o|uer into Sicil, after y^t he had eyther by force of Armes or ells by compo&s;ition gotten into his hand certayne of y^t le&s;&s;er
<PB N="162" REF="179">townes,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The &s;yege of Siracu&s;e.</NOTE> at length he be&s;ieged Siracu&s;e both by &s;ea &amp; by land. By that tyme the Gothes which (as ye heard before) wer &s;ent among the Picentes again&s;t Iohn &amp; Valerian, hauyng a&s;&s;ociated greate ayde vnto them and gotten the vpper hand in diuer&s;e con&s;lyctes, toke the Ci|tye Arimine. And in another encoun|ter not farre from Rau<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">nna, they &s;lews Vere Captayne of the Elurians wyth all hys ho&s;te. Moreouer Teremund &amp; Imere whiche were be&s;ieged in the towne of Rhegium, for want of victu|alls were fayne to yelde them&s;elues &amp; the towne to the Gothes. All the&s;e thynges being declared to the Empe|rour at one in&s;tant, namely the &s;akyng of Rhegium, Tarent, and Arimine, and the pa&s;&s;yng of Totilas into Sicill, made hym vtterly a&s;tonyed to heare of &s;o many mi&s;fortunes at once. And ther vpo~ he denounced one Germa~ his cou|&s;in Germine by y^t fathers &s;ide captaine of y^t warres in Italy agayn&s;t y^e Gothes commaunding great preparation to be
<PB REF="180">made for y^t &s;ame.<NOTE PLACE="marg">A new Lieue|tennant &s;ente into Italy fro~ them perour,</NOTE> Whe~ y^t fame hereof was blowen into Italy, it greatly aba&s;+&s;hed y^t enemye &amp; reco~forted hys frends. For thys Germa~ was a man of a hualt courage, and of no le&s;&s;e wy&s;edome and pollicye, wonderfull lyberall, and ve|rye welbeloued both wyth the people and wyth the &s;ouldyers. Be&s;ydes thys he had after the death of Vitigis taken to wyfe Matha&s;uta the nece of Kyng Theoderych, the whiche thyng wonne hym the hartes of the Gothes: and therefore as the fame of hym was great, &s;o was he greatly loked &amp; longed for in Italy.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="6" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>The .vi. Chapter.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>&para; Diogenes dalayeth with Totilas in deliue|ryng vp of Centmucelles accordyng to co~|po&s;ition. The newe Lieuetennant of I|taly, dyeth in kys waye who&s;e &s;onnes are commaunded to pro&s;ecute theyr fathers charge.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>WHon German was nowe in Illi|ricke,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Selauines</NOTE> the nation of the Sclauines hauing pa&s;&s;ed y^t riuer of Danow,
<PB N="163" REF="180">inuaded the prouinces of the Empyre of Rome. A kynde of people cruell and outragius beyonde all mea&s;ure, whoe turnyng them&s;elues toward Macedo|nie and Thrace, put Iu&s;tinian in &s;uche a feare, that he commaunded German to &s;tay his iourney into Italy. Through this taryans the Gothes had ley&s;ure to do what they ly&s;te in Italy and Sicill.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The an&s;were of Diogenes to Toulas for Centmucelles</NOTE> In the meane &s;ea&s;on came the daye ap|pointed that Diogenes &s;hould haue de|liuered Centmucelles, wherupon To|tilas &s;endyng vnto hym required hym to performe hys promy&s;e. Diogenes al|ledged that Germane was newly crea|ted Captayne of the warres in Italye. By rea&s;on whereof he &s;ayd the &s;tate of thynges was wholly altered, &s;o that it laye not in his power to yelde y^t towne, &s;eing y^t Lorde &amp; proper owner of it was on hys iourney &amp; would with in two or three daies be in Italy. Totilas was be &s;ieging Siracu&s;e in Sicill, and the Go|thi&s;he men of warre &s;kowring through the whole countrie, made hauocke of al+thynges.
<PB REF="181">In Italy Rauenna, Au|chon, Hydrunt, and Centmucelles wyth certayue other townes remained &s;tyll imperiall. The Gothes helde all the rea&s;t. One only hope &s;tayed them, namely the commyng of German, the whyche al&s;o fayled them. For wher|as he was &s;ore longed for in Italye, he was taken with a di&s;ea&s;e, and to the great &s;orrowe of all y^e were belonging to hym dyed in Illiricke.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The death of Germane.</NOTE> German had two &s;onnes whom he led with hym in|to Italy. Them dyd the Emperour co~|maunde to procede with their fathers enterpri&s;e, ioyuly together with theyr kyn&s;emen Iohn Vitalian the Captain &s;o well knowen in Italy. For Iohn had maryed the daughter of German. Iohn therfore &amp; the &s;onnes of Germa~ taking the charge of the army vpo~ them, came vnto Salons. And fora&s;muche as wyn|ter was at hand they determyned to a|byde that &s;ea&s;on there, &amp; in the begyn|ning of the nexte &s;pring to pa&s;&s;e ouer to Rauenna. About the &s;ame tyme well
<PB N="164" REF="181">nye, Liberius being &s;ente from them|perour wyth a nauye entered into Si|racu&s;e, mawgre the Gothes that kepte their &s;tation in the hauen to prohibyte their arriuall. Howbeit for doubt of &s;carcety of victualls whyche &s;o greate a number was &s;oone lyke to cau&s;e in a Citye be&s;ieged, he purpo&s;ed to goe his way agayne: and therfore wyth in a fewe dayes after hys commyng he tooke &s;hippyng agayne and departyng from Syracu&s;e arryed at Panorme.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="7" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>The, vi. Chapter</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>&para; Nar&s;es is &s;ente agayne Lieuerennant into Italye vvyth a greate povver and greate trea&s;ure, Totilas &s;endeth a nauye into Grece to infe&s;te tho&s;e countryes, and be&s;yegeth Aucon in Italye. The Cap|taynes of Totilas are ouercome on the &s;ea by the Imperialls and Aucon is re&s;|covve. The Gothes receaue another ouer|throvv vpo~ the land, after the vvhich certain Gothi&s;he Captaynes become imperiall.
<PB REF="182">Nar&s;es marcheth vvith an ine&s;timable povv+er to Rauenna and from thence tovvarde Rome in the vvhiche iurney he vanquy|&s;heth a Captayne of the Gothes and killeth hym at Arimine. He encountereth vvith Totilas vvho in the &s;ame conflicte is &s;layne and Teias created kyng of Gothes in hys &s;teade.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>IN the meane whyle the Emperour alteryng hys purpo&s;e,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Nar&s;es is made them|perours Lieue+tennant in I|taly.</NOTE> made hys Eu|nuch Nar&s;es Lieuetennant general of the warres in Italy, makyng hym large promy&s;es of men and mony. Al&s;o he wrote to Iohn that he &s;houlde not pa&s;&s;e into Italy, but tary &s;til at Salons &amp; there abyde the commyng of Nar&s;es. Nar&s;es therfore taking the charge cou|ragiou&s;ly vpon him, endeuored to leuie a great power from all places. To the performance whereof greatly aualyed hys fauour &amp; authoritye. For he was one of the Emperours preuis Coun&s;el and ruled hym in manner as he ly&s;te, &amp; he had greate frend&s;hip and Aliance with the Kinges and the great Princes
<PB N="165" REF="182">of the Barbarous nations.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Nar&s;es is &s;tay|ed by the Hunnes.</NOTE> When hys furniture was in a full readine&s;&s;e, and that he had commaunded hys men of warre to mete hym all in Illiricke, as he was outward on hys iourney, &amp; was come to Philippople in Thrace, he was of nece&s;&s;itye con&s;trayned to &s;taie and a|byde a tyme in the &s;ame place. For the Hunnes enteryng with a great armye into Macedonie &amp; Thrace, made &s;poyle of all thyngs, &amp; had clo&s;ed hys way that he could not pa&s;&s;e. At the length when one parte of the Hunnes was gone to The&s;&s;alonicke &amp; the other to Con&s;tan|tinople, Nar&s;es went from thence and kept on his iourney. By this ting To|tilas (hearyng of the great preparature of his enemies) was returned into Ita|ly. Leauing for Lieuetennantes of the warres in Sicil foure of his captaines, &amp; he hym&s;elf made proui&s;io~ in Italy for all thynges that &s;emed nedeful &amp; requi|&s;ite.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Totilas &s;e~deth a nauye into Grece.</NOTE> And to the entent to vaunt hys power to the Grekes (as whoe &s;houlde &s;ay he was as well ablete inuade them
<PB REF="183">as they had bene to haue inuaded hi~, he &s;ent a great flete into Gexce, co~maun|dyng them to make as muche hauocke &amp; &s;poyle of all thynges as they could ac|cordyng to the &s;ame commaundement thys nauye, &s;poyled fyr&s;t Cor&s;yra &amp; the Iles adioynyng therunto, &amp; afterward aduenturyng vppon the mayne land, wa&s;ted and &s;poyled with fyre &amp; &s;worde all the coa&s;t of Cypous, Acarnauia and Aetolia. And &s;o keping &s;till the &s;eas, did cut of many Greke &s;hippes by y^e waye as they were &s;ayling toward Italy and Illirium, in&s;omuch y^e no &s;hippe coulde &s;tyrre abrode for them.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The bo&s;yegi~g of Aucon.</NOTE> Whyle the&s;e thynges were a doyng in Grece. Toti|las &s;endyng a fre&s;he crewe of &s;ouldiers into the Countrye of the Picentes, co~|maunded that Aucon &s;houlde be be&s;ie|ged both by &s;ea &amp; land. He made three Captaynes of thys enterpri&s;e: Scipu|ar Vdilas &amp; Gothidil, to whom he gaue a flete of &s;euen and fortye Galleyes. Whe~ Aucon was thus be&s;yeged, there
<PB N="166" REF="183">were &s;o whote a&s;&s;aultes geuen both by &s;ea and by land, that it &s;toode in greate perrill. Wherefore Valerian who had the rule of Rauenna, fora&s;muche as he thought hym&s;elfe to weake to re&s;cowe them that were be&s;yeged, he wrote to Iohn Vitalia~ lying at Salons, reque&s;|&s;ting hym to ioyne wyth hym and &s;o to re&s;cowe them together. Iohn Al|beit the Emperoure had geuen hym commaundemente that he &s;houlde not pa&s;&s;e into Italye before the commyng of Nar&s;es, yet notwyth&s;tandyng for|a&s;muche as he thought it agayn&s;te hys honoure to lye &s;tyll and looke on while hys companions were in &s;uche ieoper|dye, he cho&s;e oute the be&s;te men in all hys ho&s;te and embarkyng them in eyghtene &s;hyppes, &s;et out of Salons and &s;ayled towarde Rauenna. As he was in hys waye Valerian met him wyth twelve galleyes well decked and furni&s;hed to fight. When y^e Captaines had commoned betwene them&s;elues,
<PB REF="184">and by the adui&s;e of &s;uch as were about them had determined as &s;emed be&s;te, they &s;ayled with their whole nauye to|get her agayn&s;t their enemyes. And whe~ they came nere vnto Aucon, they drewe to the &s;hore at a place which the inhabiters do call Dua&s;&s;e.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Battell on the &s;ea betvvene the Gothes &amp; the imperialls</NOTE> The whiche thyng a&s;&s;one as the Gothy&s;he Cap|taynes peerceaued, they al&s;o addre&s;&s;yng them&s;elues to the encounter furni&s;hed their nauie with the be&s;te &s;ouldiers y^e they coulde cho&s;e, &amp; when they had put them&s;elues in a readine&s;&s;e, launched forth &amp; &s;et them&s;elues in good order a|gayn&s;t their enemyes. The Gothy&s;he &s;hyppes wer in number &s;euen &amp; fortie, &amp; the Grekes were thirtye, Captaynes whereof were Iohn and Valerian, and Captaines of the Gothi&s;he nauie were Vdilas &amp; Gothidill: for Scipuar abode with the rea&s;t of the armye to keepe the Camp. Therefore after that the Cap\taynes of eyther parte had encouraged their men, and with warlyke orations inflamed theyr myndes wyth hope of
<PB N="197" REF="184">victorie, with eager &s;tomackes they ioy|ned battell. At the very fyr&s;t beginning the encounter was fierce, meting with &s;temme to &s;temme &amp; eche endeuoryng to ouermatche other, and the matter was handled with greate courage on both partes. For there was not any one in all that great companie whiche had not hys handes full. In&s;omuch that the matter was tryed wyth dartes, Iaue|lyngs, pykes, and &s;wordes as if it had bene a battell vpon the land. Howbeit in continuance the Gothy&s;he nauie be|ganne to go by the wor&s;e.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Conning &amp; ex+penence pre|uayleth a+gain&s;t force.</NOTE> For albeit they were good men of their handes &amp; &s;towte warryours, yt fora&s;muche as they wanted experience in &s;ea matters, they troubled them&s;elues. For in &s;ome places they clu&s;tered &s;o together, that one had not come to &s;tyrre by another, and other &s;ome agayne to e&s;chewe that fault, di&s;&s;euered them&s;elues &s;o far fro~ the helpe of their companye, that their enemyes had them alwayes at aduan|tage. Wheras on the contrary part the
<PB REF="185">Grekes wer greatly furthered through their connyng the good order of their Sea men there was no araye broken. A man could not haue &s;ene among them any throngyng, nor &s;catteryng, but y^e they were euer nere at hand to helpe their companye &amp; to be helped of them. And therefore as rea&s;on was, at length they gatte the vpper hand.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Gothes are vanqui|&s;hed and Au|con re&s;covved</NOTE> Some of the Gothy&s;he &s;hyppes were &s;unke y^t their men of warre marriners &amp; al. Many be+ing wonne by fyne force were with in|credible &s;laughter taken. The whiche whe~ the Gothes beheld, by and by they toke them to flight. There were no mo but ten of their &s;hippes that e&s;caped to land vnperi&s;hed. The rea&s;t were either taken or ells drowned, there was made a great &s;laughter of the men in the bat|tell and in the chace. They that e&s;caped to land, dyd forthwith &s;et their &s;hippes on fyre, to the entent their enemyes &s;houlde not obtayne them, &amp; returned into their Camp. Where they were &s;tricken with &s;uch a feare, that they de|termined
<PB N="168" REF="185">to breake vp their &s;iege. Whereupon in all ha&s;te they for&s;ooke their Campe and fled vnto Auximum. Iohn and Valerian enteryng into the hauen of Auco~ with their victorious na|uye to the great comfort and incredible reioycement of the Towne&s;men, made ha&s;t to ryfflyng of the enemyes Camp. The which they findyng for&s;aken, cau|&s;ed all the victualls &amp; artillery that they founde there to be conueyed into the ci|tye.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Fortune tur+neth agayn&s;t he Gothes.</NOTE> They the~&s;elues within fewe daies after departed, Valerian vnto Rauen|na and Iohn vnto Salons. Thys bat|tell dyd &s;ore di&s;courage the hartes of y^e Gothes, &amp; was as it were a preparatiue of a greater ruine y^e was toward them. For Totilas being not a little di&s;qui|etted w^t this lo&s;&s;e pulled backe a greate part of his army out of Sicill. By mea|nes whereof Artaunaes the Empe|rours Captayne &s;ubrogated in y^e rome of Liberius hauyng receaued hys na|uye of hym, beganne to growe y^e &s;tron|ger in Sicill.</P>
<PB REF="186">
<P>In&s;omuche that he not onely deliuered his confederates from y^e be&s;iegemente, but al&s;o be&s;ieged the Gothes in diuer&s;e places in their own townes.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Gothes receaue ano|ther di&s;comfi. ture.</NOTE> Moreouer ere it was long after, an other nauie of Grekes commyng vnloked for to the re&s;cowe of the Crotoniens longe tyme be&s;ieged by the Gothes, ray&s;ed y^e &s;iege &amp; di&s;comfited their enemyes with great bloud&s;hed &amp; &s;aughter. The Gothes be+ing di&s;per&s;ed fled &s;ome to Tarent, and &s;ome withdrewe them&s;elues into the next mountayne called Scyllaum, the which ouerthrowe together with y^t for|mer &s;laughter, dyd muche more di&s;cou|rage the hartes of the Gothes, In e&s;pe|cially fora&s;much as there went a great brute through out all Italy of Nar&s;es co~myng &amp; of his preparatio~ for y^e wars, what great furniture he brought with him, &amp; that ther began already to &s;pring vp certain rebellions again&s;t Totilas. Forone Reguaris a noble ma~ among the Gothes Captaine of Tarent,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Renoltyng to the part of the imperialles.</NOTE> and Morras captayne of Acheru&s;e, reuolted
<PB N="169" REF="186">to the Emperour with theyr townes and &s;ouldiers wherof they had charge.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The povver of Nar&s;es.</NOTE> Furthermore tydinges was brought of another in&s;urrection agayn&s;te the Gothes in Sardinia. Whyle thyn|ges were in thys e&s;tate in Italy, Nar|fes a&s;&s;emblynge hys power in the wynter &s;ea&s;on, addre&s;&s;ed hym&s;elfe to hys Iourney: he had &s;uche an ar|mye of men, as &s;carce all the Cap|taynes beynge putte all togyther, broughte wyth them into Italye du|rynge the whole tyme of thys warre. For the Emperour gaue hym &s;o largs allowaunce of monnye, and he hym|&s;elfe was &s;o bountefull and lyberall in be&s;towing &amp; di&s;tributing of the &s;ame, y^e he leuied a greate power not onely in Thrace &amp; Grace,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Albuine king of Lombar|des.</NOTE> but al&s;o out of diuers other places. For he had entertained a boue fiue M. Lombardes notable me~ of war by y^e con&s;ent of Albuine theyr Kinge, and, MMM. of the Erulians.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Cumades a Per&s;ian,</NOTE> Furthermore there came unto hym a great number of the Hunnes.
<PB REF="187">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="169" REF="187">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page"></P>
<PB REF="188">
<P>Al&s;o there was one Cumades a Per|&s;tan that had bene trayned vppe in the Romaine warres, who with a valiant band of Per&s;ians re&s;orted vnto hym. Moreouer there came to hym a war|lyke yong gentleman called A&s;&s;uades wyth fyue hundred feyghtynge men of the Sepides: and Iohn &s;urnamed Phagas wyth an ho&s;te of the Gr&eacute;ekes and Thracians. Be&s;ydes this, Iohn Vitalian, and the &s;onnes of Germaine &s;erued hym wyth theyr armyes. Nar|&s;es therefore hauyng thys &s;o great an ho&s;te, as &s;oone as the &s;prynge tyme approched, pa&s;&s;ed oute of Illiricum throughe Dalmatia and Liburnia and &s;o coa&s;tynge aboute the elbowe of the Sea came by lande into Italye, not &s;tayinge anye where vntyll he was amonge the Venetians. There were twoo wayes by the whyche he myghte hand&s;omelye pa&s;&s;e from the Venetians. The one by the Adria|ticke Sea, the other throughe the mayne Lande, bothe whyche &s;&eacute;emed
<PB N="170" REF="188">to haue manye lettes. For by the Seas &s;yde the Ryuer Athe&s;is maketh greate Lakes whyche fall into the Sea in manye Chanelles, and the ri|uer Po beynge deuyded into manye &s;treames, dothe in dyuers places in|terrupte the Iourney, wyth manye quamyers and moory&s;he ground as, &s;o that an Armye can not well be led that waye wythoute greate trouble.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Teias after|ward king of the gothes.</NOTE> Agayne in the waye by the mayne Lande one of the Gothes called Te|ias placed at Veron wyth an Armye by Totilas, had intercepted hys pa&s;|&s;age ouer the Ryuers of Athe&s;is and Po. The&s;e twoo &s;treames runnynge downe from the Alpes whych deuyde Italy from Fraunce and Germanye, dooe fall into the Adriatycke &s;ea. And therefore they that wyll pa&s;&s;e from Venice, mu&s;te needes pa&s;&s;e ouer them eyther by the Seas &s;yde where as be Lakes and meres fallynge by dyuers Chancelles into the Sea, and where the mowthes of Po doe ouerthwart
<PB REF="189">them betwene Rauenna &amp; Clodius diches: or ells they mu&s;t pa&s;&s;e the &s;ame riuers in the mayne land, where they be great &amp; vndeuided, and where they may ea&s;ly be &s;topped of their pa&s;&s;age, if there be any body to with&s;tand them. Wherfore &s;eing y^e Teias was at Ve|ron the which is a citie &s;tanding vpon the Riuer Athe&s;is, &amp; had a power &s;uf|ficient to let him of his pa&s;&s;age Nar&s;es left the way through the maine land, &amp; cho&s;e to go by the coa&s;t of the Adria|ticke &s;ea, both bicau&s;e it was w^tout im+peachment of enemyes, &amp; be&s;ides that, was nearer way then thother.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Nar&s;es com|ming to Ra|uenna.</NOTE> And &s;o marchig by Clodius diches &amp; the felds of Adria, and pa&s;&s;ing ouer the Riuers wher&s;oeuer they cro&s;&s;ed his way, &s;ome where with brydges &amp; &s;omewhere w^t botes, at length he came with al his ar+mie vnto Rauenna. There Captaine Valerian and Captaine Iu&s;tine wyth their bandes, ioyned them&s;elues with Nar&s;es. There were in Italye a great number of old &s;ouldiers, who by rea&s;o~
<PB N="171" REF="189">the Emperour was behind hand with their wages for a longe tyme togyther were offended in theyr hartes, and woulde not go forthe to the warres. Nar&s;es payed theym all theyr wages, whereby he healed theyr griefes and gaue theym courage agayne.</P>
<P>Hauynge &s;pent nyne daies in dooinge the&s;e thynges and in refre&s;hing hys armye at Rauenna, he remoued from thens &amp; marched toward Rome.<NOTE PLACE="marg">A conflict at Arimine.</NOTE> The &s;ame time was one V&s;drilas captayne of Arimine as notable a warriour as was among al y^e gothes. Who (a&s;&s;one as the Voward of Nar&s;es ho&s;te was come into the felds of Arimine) went about to &s;toppe them of their pa&s;&s;age. The Ryuer that runneth by Arimine was ry&s;en wyth rayne, vppon the whyche was a brydge &s;o harde vnder neath the Towne that it was an ea|&s;ye matter to &s;toppe the pa&s;&s;age.</P>
<P>V&s;drilas therefore y&s;&s;uynge out of A|rimine before that anye number of
<PB REF="190">hys enemyes had pa&s;&s;ed the Ryuer, &s;ette hym&s;elfe at defence on the fur|ther&s;yde, and encountered wyth hys enemyes euen harde vnder the walls of the towne. In the whych conflycte a certayne man of Armes of the Eru|lians feyghtyng wyth V&s;drilas hande to hand flewe hym, and hys &s;ouldiers di&s;couraged wyth the deathe of theyr Captayne, retyred fearefully into the Towne. The head of V&s;drilas was broughte vnto Nar&s;es, at the why|che Nar&s;es reioycynge and takynge it for a tooken of good lucke, that the chyefe of hys enemyes was &s;layne by hys men at the fyr&s;te conflycte, kepte on hys waye full of good hope and comfort. For albeit he had a good fur|theraunce to the takynge of Arimine at the &s;ame in&s;tant, yet notw^t&s;tanding he wold not tary about it to the entent &s;o great an army &s;huld not beletted a|bout the &s;ege of one towne, &amp; therefore he pa&s;&s;ed by Arimine &amp; continued on his iourny. Totilas hauing intelligns
<PB N="172" REF="190">of tho&s;e things y^e were done amonge y^e Venitians, &amp; vnder&s;tanding of the pa&s;|&s;age of Nar&s;es and of his comming to Raue~na, although almo&s;t al his whole power were at that time w^t Teias,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The death of Totilas.</NOTE> yet notwith&s;tanding he determined to en+counter w^t Nar&s;es, the which he did, &amp; in the battell was &s;tayn for his labour. As many of the Gothes as e&s;caped fro~ the field, fled ouer the riuer Po &amp; a&s;&s;e~|bled togither at Pauie &amp; there abouts. In the whiche place as they con&s;ulted of making a newe gouernour of theyr people,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Teias is crea|ted kinge of the gothes,</NOTE> Teias was preferred by the iudgement of all men &amp; cho&s;en king of the Gothes. After that he was thus in &s;talled in the fiege roial, by &amp; by he toke to his v&s;e the threa&s;ures that Totilas had laid vp at Pauie, diligently going in hand to repaire his power, to rai&s;e a new army, to geue &amp; di&s;tribute hor&s;e &amp; armour, &amp; to doe all other things vigi|lantlye, and moreouer to &s;end to the Frenchmen to allure them to take his part in the warres.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="8" TYPE="chapter">
<PB REF="191">
<HEAD>&leaf; The .viii. Chapter.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>&para; Nar&s;es continuinge his iourney receiueth Narma and Peru&s;e, and winneth Rome by a&s;&s;aulte, wherevppon the gothes extend a maruelous crueltye again&s;t the Romaine pry&s;onners.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>NARSES hearynge therof, com|maunded Valerian to fye as it were in garri&s;on wyth hys band about the Ryuer Po, to the entent the Gothes &s;houlde not &s;traye to farre a|broade at theyr plea&s;ure wythoute feare and he hym&s;elfe wyth the re&s;t of hys armye marched to Rome. In hys waye Narma was yelded vppe to him and he graunted the men of Spolet certayne of hys &s;ouldiers for theyr de|fence vntyll they myght repayre theyr walles whyche Totilas had beaten downe. Al&s;o he &s;ent to Peru&s;e to &s;om|mon that Towne, there were in Pe|ru&s;e two Captaynes Melegidius and Vlithus. Who beynge at variance be|twene theym&s;elues drewe &s;oundrye
<PB N="173" REF="191">wayes. For Melegidius coueted to yelde vppe the Citye.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Melegidius and Vlithus Captaines of the Gothes.</NOTE> But Vlithus beynge gyltye of the trea&s;on and the murther latelye commytted agayn&s;te Cyprian, &s;troue agayn&s;te it, for feare to be punni&s;hed accordynge to hys de|&s;ertes. By meanes where of there ro&s;e contention, in the whyche Vlithus was &s;layne, and Peru&s;e was yelded vppe to Nar&s;es by Melegidius. After thys Nar&s;es proc&eacute;edynge to Rome be|&s;yeged it. The Cytye of Rome at that tyme &s;toode in thys e&s;tate. The Cityzens beynge afflycted wyth the former calamytyes re&s;orted not in any greate number into the Cytye. Ye &s;hould haue &s;eene whole &s;tr&eacute;etes em|tye and neither man nor woman dwel lynge in theym, and the hou&s;es ey|ther fallen downe or elles bourned.</P>
<P>For Totilas not able to repayre it a|gayne &s;peciallye the Cytyzens beynge &s;o &s;ore wa&s;ted and in manner de|&s;troyed.</P>
<PB REF="192">
<P>The Gothes therfore di&s;tru&s;ting their own weaknes that they were not &s;uf|ficient to defend the whole Citie, had cho&s;e~ a piece of ground not very bigge nere vnto Adrians tumbe, the whych they &s;trongly fortified with a diche &amp; a rampyre &amp; ioyned it to the wall of the re&s;t of the Citie. Into the whych place they conueied all their munitions and artillerie v&s;ing it as a fort or a holde. Neuertheles they did not vtterly aban+don vp the citie, but defended it a&s;well as they could. Nar&s;es therefore deter|mining to winne the citie, a&s;&s;aulted it in diuers places at ones, And the Go|thes re&s;orting to the &s;ame places &s;tood at defence from y^t walls. While the&s;e thinges were a doing,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Nar&s;es taketh Rome,</NOTE> another co~pa|nie of the &s;ouldyers of Nar&s;es &s;tealing aboute to the further &s;yde &amp; fyndynge no bodye there, rered vp their ladders and &s;kailed the walles. The noy&s;e that was made therevppon bewraied that the Cytye was taken, and the Go|thes leauing theyr defence, &s;ome fled
<PB N="174" REF="192">to the towne of Portua &amp; &s;ome wyth|drew the~&s;elues to the forte at Adrians tumbe.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The crueltie of the gothes towarde the Romaynes.</NOTE> By thys meanes Nar&s;es gate Rome, &amp; after he had a whyle be&s;ye|ged the hold, he toke it by compo&s;ition. There were in Campanie many Se|natours &amp; Senatours children, whom Totilas for the great aucthoritie &amp; fa|uour that their aunce&s;tours had, wold not &s;uffer to retourne into the Cytye. Be&s;ydes them, there were dyuers of the nobilitie whyche the Gothes had &s;ent thither vpon mi&s;tru&s;t. All the whi+che, wyth their, children and kyn&s;focke the gothes did put to death. Moreouer Totilas had cho&s;en CCC. yongme~ as it had bene to &s;crue him in y^t wars, but in very d&eacute;ede to k&eacute;epe the~ for pledges, and therefore he &s;ent them on a vyage beyond the Riuer Po. The which like wy&s;e after that Rome was come into y^t hands of Nar&s;es, were put in death euery chone by the Gothes.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="9" TYPE="chapter">
<PB REF="193">
<HEAD>&leaf; The ix. Chapter,</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>&para; The fal&s;ehoode and trea&s;on of a gothi&s;he Captayne named Regnaris. Nar&s;es reco|uereth Portua. Teias kinge of the gothes and the &s;ayd Nar&s;es encampe one again&s;te another by a Ryuers &s;yde the warter run|nynge betwyxte them wythoute anye battell vntyll after longe tyme Teias ha|uynge throughe trea&s;on lo&s;te hy<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;hippes and by meanes thereof beynge de&s;titute of victualle and artillerye to keepe that grounde anye lenger remoueth to a hyll not farre from the &s;ame place, where be|ynge in manner be&s;yeged by Nar&s;es, he &s;etteth hys men in battell raye and ge|uynge ferce a&s;&s;aulte vppon hys enemyes after a whole dayes feyghtynge and ma|nye a noble deede of prowe&s;&s;e by hym doone he is at la&s;te &s;laine and the battell cea&s;eth for that nyghte the whyche be|gynueth agayne the nexte mornyng, con|tynewinge all the daye lykewy&s;e vntyll it be darcke nyghte. Wherevppon they &s;ende commi&s;&s;ioners vnto Nar&s;es for peace whyche vppon rea&s;onable condy|tions is graunted and the warres in Italye are broughte to a fynall ende and quiet|ne&s;&s;e.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<PB N="175" REF="193">
<P>ABOUTE the &s;ame tyme Regnaris Captayne of Ta|rent when he hearde that Te|ias was made Kynge and that the Frenchemen woulde comme to hys ayde,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The fal&s;ehou and trea&s;on of Regnaris.</NOTE> repented hym that he hadde reuoulted to the Emperour, and determyned to tourne to the Gothes agayne. Nowe to the en|tente he woulde recouer agayne hys ho&s;tages, he ymagined thys &s;ub|teltye. He &s;ent to Macurius Cap|tayne of Hydrunt, de&s;yrynge hynt of ayde agayn&s;te an armye of the Gothes whyche he fal&s;elye alledged were commynge agayn&s;te hym.</P>
<P>Macurius my&s;tru&s;tynge no deceipts &s;ente hym fyftye of hys Souldyers to Tarent, whome Regnaris im|mediatlye ca&s;te into pry&s;on, and wrat vnto Macurius that yf he woulde
<PB REF="194">haue his &s;ouldiers, he &s;hould delyuer hym the ho&s;tages that he had of hys in k&eacute;eping. Vppon the receit of thys me&s;|&s;age, Macurius was &s;ore troubled in hys mynde, and leauyng a few men behynde hym for the defence of hys piece, went wyth the re&s;t of hys armye agayn&s;te Regnaris. Regnaris ma|kynge no delaye in the matter, put to deathe all the Souldyers that he had receyued, and then y&s;&s;uynge oute of Tarent to encounter wyth Macurius was putte to the wor&s;e, and being dri|uen to flye with the lo&s;&s;e of mo&s;t of his &s;ouldyers when he coulde not reco|uer to Tarent for that the waies were forelayed,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Nar&s;es reco|uereth Por|tua.</NOTE> he gate hym to Acheru&s;e. In the meane &s;ea&s;on Nar&s;es &s;endyng hys armye to Portua, be&s;ieged the towne &amp; at length recouered it. After thys he a&s;&s;ailed Centmucelles and in likewi&s;e brought it in &s;ubiectio~. Teias al&s;o cea&s;ed not to &s;ollicit the Frenche nation and to allure them to take hys parte in the warres, promy&s;inge them
<PB N="176" REF="194">&s;ometyme monnye and &s;ometyme co|pertener&s;hyppe of the kyngdome of I|talye. But the Frenchemen had al|readye determyned not to entermedle them&s;elues in anye &s;uche warres. By meanes whereof the Gothes were di&s;|appoynted of theyr hope. Totilas in the time of hys lyfe had gathered to|gyther a greate Threa&s;ure at Pauye, &amp; had layd vp no &s;mall ma&s;&s;e of monny in the fortre&s;&s;e of Cume, &amp; had made his brother Captaine of the &s;ame for|tre&s;&s;e. When Nar&s;es had vnder&s;tan|ding therof, he &s;ent part of hys armye to be&s;yege Cume, and he hym&s;elfe a|bydynge &s;till at Rome, endeuored to repayre the Cytye and to repleny&s;he it wyth people. And to the entente that the Gothes that were beyonde the Ryuer Po &s;houlde not re&s;cowe Cume or anye other of the places that were be&s;yeged, he commaunded Iohn Vitalian and Philimunt wyth theyr bandes to abyde in Hetruria, to
<PB REF="195">&s;ette <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span"> agayn&s;te the enemys at the fyr&s;te approche and curte them of ere they <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">ye further. For Teias when he perceyued that Cume was be&s;yeged, determyned fullye to goe and re&s;cowe it. Wheroppon &s;er|tynge oute of Pauye, by longe and ouerthwarre iourneyes he ledde hys ho&s;te by the &s;hore of the vpper &s;ea and &s;o throughe the countryes of the Pi|centes and Mar&s;es into Campanye. The whiche when Nar&s;es vnder&s;tood he called Iohn wyth hys band oute of Hetruria. After who&s;e commynge he marched forwarde into Campanye wyth hys whole power fullye purpo|&s;ing to encounter wyth Teias.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The moun|taine Ve&s;u|uius.</NOTE> There is a hill in Campanye called Ve&s;uui|us oute of the tooppe whereof often|tymes ry&s;eth vppe &s;moke and flames of fyre. But in the foote of the &s;ame mountain are &s;prings of &s;wete water the whiche doe make a brooke called Dracon that runneth not farre from the Citye Nuceria.
<PB N="177" REF="195">thys brooke is not very brode, but it is &s;o deepe that neyther hor&s;eman nor foteman can pa&s;&s;e it.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Nar&s;es &amp; Te|ias encamp to+gether parted with a riuer.</NOTE> Aboute thys ryuer bothe armyes encamped Nar|&s;es on the hyther &s;yde and Teias on the further&s;ide, the riuer ronning in the myddes betwent the~ both. There was but one brydge ouer it, &amp; that had the Gothes taken. By meanes wherof it laye in their hande to cho&s;e whyther they would fyght or not fyght. The ar|myes abode in thys forte by the &s;pace of two monethes, &s;o that Nar&s;es &amp; his me~ which were de&s;yrous to come to hande &s;trokes, could not by any meanes come to their enemyes, only they came to the riuers &s;yde from both Campes &amp; &s;hotte arrowes and threw dartes one at ano|ther. Al&s;o there were fought many co~|bates and many chalenges were per|formed on both &s;ydes duryng the &s;ayd tyme, &amp; the Gothy&s;he &s;ouldiers pa&s;&s;ing ouer the brydge dyd fight with the &s;oul|diers of Nar&s;es hand to hand. The &s;ea was well &amp; nere at hand &amp; the Gothes
<PB REF="196">had their &s;hippes vpo~ the water which alwayes brought corne and victualls &amp; &s;et it a land nere vnto them,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Gothes lo&s;e their &s;hip+pes by trea&s;o~.</NOTE> fro~ whence it was &s;til conueyed to the Camp. But after the time that their nauie through trea&s;on was lo&s;te, and that they coulde haue no more victualls and attillerye brought to the~ by the &s;ea, the Gothes were con&s;trayned of nece&s;&s;itye to dy&s;|lodge fro~ that place. Whereupon for|&s;aking the bridge &amp; the grounde by the riuers &s;yde, they departed to the nexte hylt which the inhabitantes of the cou~|trye do cal the mylkie hyll. Nar&s;es pur|&s;uyng them (fora&s;much as he could not a&s;&s;ayle them by rea&s;on of the &s;tepene&s;&s;e of the hyll,) &s;ettled hym&s;elfe about the foote of it. The Gothes beyng to the &s;ame place al&s;o as much oppre&s;&s;ed with &s;carcetye as they were before, determi|ned to put the matter in tryall by the &s;worde.<NOTE PLACE="marg">A cruel battel betwene the Gothes &amp; the imperialls.</NOTE> And thereupon puttyng them|&s;elues in aray vpon the toppe of the hil, they de&s;cended from about &amp; &s;odaynely a&s;&s;ayled their enemyes thynkyng no|thyng
<PB N="178" REF="196">le&s;&s;e, then of any &s;uch matter, in &s;omuch that they had not any ley&s;ure to order their battells or to encourage their &s;ouldiers, but were fayne to &s;ette the~&s;elues again&s;t the enemie according as euery mannes fortune had appoyn|ted hym. And for bicau&s;e the Gothes had left their hor&s;es &amp; fought on foote, Nar&s;es dyd &s;et hys fotemen al&s;o to en|counter with them. The battell was cruell &amp; bloudy in all places. For on the one &s;yde the Gothes fought ob&s;tinately as men in de&s;payre, &amp; on the other &s;ydo the &s;ouldiers of Nar&s;es were a&s;hamed to geue place being &s;o many in number as they were, in e&s;pecially con&s;yderyng that but euen the other daye they had compelled them to for&s;ake their fir&s;te campe, and had well me be&s;teged them now in the hyll which they had fled to for their refuge. Both parties being in|cen&s;ed with the&s;e per&s;ua&s;iens, foughte very valiantly.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The notable prowe&s;&s;e &amp; courage of Te+ias king of the Gothes,</NOTE> I will not pa&s;&s;e ouer with &s;ilence the noble Demeanor of Teias Kyng of the Gothes in hys bat|tell.
<PB REF="197">For he being endued as it were with an heroical prowe&s;&s;e, wolde nedes put him&s;elfe into the forefront of the battel among the forme&s;t fyghters. He was ea&s;ye to be knowen from the rea&s;t by hys goodly armour &amp; hys ryche ap|parrell. In the lyft hand he helde a tar|get &amp; in hys ryght hand he brandi&s;hed a Iauelyng. Many that encountered a|gayn&s;t hym he &s;trake &s;tarke dead, &amp; yet dartes came flying at him fro~ all &s;ides Howbeit he being of an incredible cou|rage and &s;trength dyd marnayles in armes. At the length when hys &s;hylde &s;take full of dartes &s;o that he could not hand&s;omely wield it, &s;tandyng with his face towarde hys enemyes &amp; calling to his harne&s;&s;ebearer by name he co~mau~|ded hym with a loude voyce to bryng hym another target. When it was brought vnto hym, he let &s;lyppe hys old one, to haue taken the new in his hand, in the which chaunge it was his chou~ce to receaue his deathes wou~de by a dart that was &s;ent at hym. By the whyche
<PB N="179" REF="197">albeit he lo&s;t much bloud, yet notwith|&s;tandyng lyke a mo&s;t puy&s;&s;ant champi|on he neuer gaue foote backe nor ne|uer tourned hys face, but &s;tandyng &s;toutly towarde hys enemyes, fought it oute as longe as he was able to &s;tande on hys legges, vntyll at length &s;ebled wyth trauell and lo&s;&s;e of bloude he fell downe flatte vppon hys face. It was almo&s;t &s;yre of the clocke when Teias dyed.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The death of Teias.</NOTE> And yet the Go|thes were nothyng at all dy&s;coura|ged wyth the death of theyr Kyng, but helde oute the battell vntyll it was nyghte neuer geuyng one foote backe. Fynallye when it was &s;o darke that they coulde not &s;ee, the battell cea&s;ed, beyng begonne at the &s;onne ry&s;yng. That nyghte both the armyes wat|ched in theyr harne&s;&s;e, and a&s;&s;oone as the daye pered, they fell to fygh|tyng a fre&s;he, contynuing &s;o &s;tyll vn|to the &s;onne goyng downe to the great &s;laughter of both partes. At length the Gothes &s;ente vnto Nar&s;es offe|ryng
<PB REF="198">to departe oute of Italye &s;o he would &s;uffer them wythout impeache|mente to carrye &s;uche thynges as they had awaye wyth them. But yf he woulde not graunt them thys reque&s;t, they &s;ayd they would neuer leaue figh|tyng, as long as the breathe was in their bodyes. When Nar&s;es had heard their demaundes, by the adui&s;e of hys coun&s;ell he condy&s;cended vnto the~, to the entent he would not to the great preiudyce and lo&s;&s;e of hys men, &s;eeke the aduantage of hys de&s;perate ene|mye. In the meane tyme aboute a thou&s;ande hor&s;emen fled oute of the Camp of the Gothes, and by greate iourneyes came vnto Pauie and other townes beyonde the ryuer Po. The re&s;idue fell to a fynall agreement with Nar&s;es, promi&s;yng to departe oute of Italye, carrying nothyng more then euery man hys owne, and neuer af|ter to make warre vpon the Romayne Empyre, prouyded alwayes that they them&s;elues &s;houlde retayne &s;till their
<PB REF="198">freedome and libertye wythout any bondage or &s;ubiection to the Em|pyre. The whiche being done according to couenant, Nar|&s;es receaued Cume &amp; al other townes that held with the Gothes, and &s;o ended the eygh|ten the yeare of this warre.</P>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>FINIS</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
