bounded, the works of nature must needs be finite, and many of them resemble one the other. Now in those actions that seem to have their whole dependance upon the will of man, we are less to wonder, if we find less variety, since it is no great portion of things which is obnoxious unto human power, and since they are the same affections, by which the wills of sundry men are overruled in managing the affairs of our daily life. It may be observed in the change of empires, before those times whereof we now write, how the Assyrians or Chaldæans invaded the kingdom of the Medes, with two hundred thousand foot and threescore thousand horse; but failing in their intended conquest, they became subject within a while themselves unto the Medes and Persians. In like manner Darius, and after him Xerxes, fell upon the Greeks with such numbers of men as might have seemed resistless. But after that the Persians were beaten home, their empire was never secure of the Greeks, who at all times of leisure from intestine war devised upon that conquest thereof, which finally they made under the great Alexander. If Nabuchodonosor with his rough old soldiers had undertaken the Medes, or Cyrus with his well trained army had made the attempt upon Greece, the issue might, in human reason, have been far different: yet would it then have been expedient for them to employ the travel and virtue of their men, rather than the greatness of their names, against those people that were no less valiant, though less renowned than their own. For the menacing words used by Cyrus, and some small displeasures done to the Greeks, (in which kind it may be that Nabuchodonosor likewise offended the Medes and Persians,) were not so available to victory, as to draw on revenge in the future. Great kingdoms, when they decay in strength, suffer as did the old lion for the oppression done in his youth, being pinched by the wolf, gored by the bull, yea, and kicked by the ass. But princes are often carried away from reason, by misunderstanding the language of fame; and, despising the virtue that makes little noise, adventure to provoke it against themselves, as if it were not possible that their own

glory should be foiled by any of less noted excellence. Against the same stone whereat Xerxes, and before him (as I take it) Evilmerodach, had stumbled, Pyrrhus the Epirot hath dashed his foot. He was not indeed the king of all Greece, though most of mark, and a better soldier than any other Greekish king, when he entered into war against the Romans. This war he undertook as it were for his mind's sake; having received no injury, but hoping by the glory of his name, and of the Greeks that served under him, to prevail so easily against the barbarous Romans, that they should only serve as a step to his further intended conquests of Sicily and Afric. But when the Romans, by their victory against Pyrrhus, had found their own virtue to be of richer metal, than was the more shining valour of the Greeks; then did all the bravery of the Epirot (his elephants, and whatsoever else had served to make him terrible) serve only to make the Romans, in time following, to think more highly of themselves. b For since they had overcome the best warrior in Greece, even him, that, being thus beaten by them, could in a year after make himself lord of Greece and Macedon; what should hinder them from the conquest of all those unwarlike provinces, which in compass of twelve years a Macedonian king of late memory had won? Certainly there was hereunto requisite no more, than to bring to their own devotion, by some good means, the whole country of Greece; all the rest, this done, would follow of itself. How to deal with the Greeks, Philip and Alexander had shewed a way, which, or perhaps a better, they might learn by getting more acquaintance with the nation.

When therefore the first Punic war was ended, which followed soon after the wars of Pyrrhus and of the Tarentines, then were the Romans at good leisure to hearken after news in Greece, and to entertain any good occasion that should be on that side presented. They had also then

The king of Spain's pretended invincible navy, being beaten out of the British seas, invited us to those of Spain; and having broken the

greatest fleet that ever the Spaniards gathered together, we never made account of any of his preparations after that time.

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a strong fleet, and were become, though not otherwise very skilful mariners, yet good fighters at sea. So it fell out as happily as could be wished, that the Illyrian queen Teuta made at the same time cruel war upon the Greeks, wasting their country and sacking their towns, only because they were unable to resist, though they had done her none offence. Into this quarrel if the Romans were desirous to enter, the queen was not slow to give them cause. And their happy accomplishing of that war which they made with her, was, in their own opinion, a matter not unworthy to make their patronage to be desired by the Greeks. But no such thing happened, though they sent ambassadors, as it were, to offer themselves, by signifying, that for the love of Greece they had undertaken this Illyrian war. Thus began the first acquaintance betwixt the Greeks and Romans, which afterwards increased very hastily, through the indiscretion of king Philip the Macedonian; whose business with them being now the subject of our story, it is meet that we should relate (though somewhat briefly) the beginning of his reign, and his first actions.

It was like to prove a busy time in the world, when, within the space of four years, new kings began to reign in the most of all countries known, and three of them young boys, in three of the greatest kingdoms. This happened from the third year of the hundred thirty-ninth Olympiad, unto the third of the Olympiad following. For in this time died Seleucus Ceraunus, king of Asia and Syria, in whose room succeeded his brother Antiochus, afterwards called the Great. Ptolomy Philopater succeeded in the kingdom of Egypt unto his father Euergetes. And Philip the son of Demetrius, being sixteen or seventeen years old, received the kingdom of Macedon, together with the patronage of the Achæans and most of the Greeks, by the decease of his uncle Antigonus Doson, that was called the tutor, or protector. About the same time also was the like change in Cappadocia, Lacedæmon, and the countries about mount Taurus. For Ariarathes then began his reign in Cappa

Lib. 5. ch. 2. §. 7.

docia. Lycurgus found means to make himself king over the Lacedæmonians, whose commonweal, since the flight of Cleomenes, had continued in a manner headless, and Achæus, a kinsman of Antiochus, but a rebel unto him, occupied the regions near unto mount Taurus, and kept a while the state of a mighty king. Lastly, in the second and third years of the hundred and fortieth Olympiad it was, that open war brake out between Rome and Carthage, and that Hannibal began his great invasion upon Italy. Those troubles of the western world, which were indeed the greatest, we have already followed unto an end: of Antiochus, Ptolomy, and the rest, we shall speak hereafter, when the Romans find them out.

Philip, soon after the beginning of his reign, came into Peloponnesus, greatly desired of the Achæans, and many others his dependants. That country having freed itself by the help of Antigonus from the danger (accounted great) of an easy subjection unto Cleomenes, was now become no less obnoxious to the Macedonian, than it should have been to the Spartan, and therewithal it lay open unto the violence of the Ætolians, who despised even the Macedonian kings, that were patrons thereof. These Etolians were no men to be idle, nor were much addicted to any other art than war; therefore, wanting employment, they fell upon the Messenians that were their own clients, and (excepting the Eleans, that were anciently of their consanguinity) the only good friends which they had at the present in Peloponnesus. Their invasion was no less unexpected than it was unjust, whereby with greater ease they made spoil of the country, finding none prepared to make resistance. The Achæans were called by the Messenians to help, which they did the more willingly, because the Ætolians, passing without leave through their territory, had (as it was their manner) done what harm they listed. Old Aratus could ill abide these Ætolians, as both knowing well their nature, and remembering the injuries wherewith most ungratefully they had requited no small benefits done to them by the Achæans. He was therefore so hasty to fall upon this their army, that

his

he could hardly endure to stay a few days until the time of his own office came, being chosen pretor of the Achæans for the year following. But his anger was greater than courage, and he shewed himself a man fitter (as hath been already noted of him) for any other service, than leading of an army. He suffered them to pass quietly along with their booty, through a great part of the country, wherein he might easily have distressed them; and afterwards pressed them so near, when they had recovered ground of advantage, that they easily defeated all his army. So they departed home rich, and well animated to return again. As for the Achæans, they got hereby only the friendship of the Messenians, with whom, by license of king Philip, they made confederacy. Shortly after, the Etolians invaded Peloponnesus again, having no more to do than to pass over the narrow straits of the Corinthian bay, called now the Gulf of Lepanto, where they might land in the country of the Eleans. There joined with them in this their second invasion a great number of the Illyrians; who, neglecting that condition imposed upon them by the Romans of setting out no ships of war unto the coast of Greece, made bold to seek adventures again, and did great mischief. Demetrius Pharius, a creature of the Romans, commanded a part of these Illyrians, who shortly repented him of this his voyage, which caused him to lose his kingdom, as is shewed before. But this Demetrius went another way, and fell upon the islands of the Cyclades in the Ægean sea; whence returning, he did some good offices for king Philip, or his friends. The rest of the Illyrians under Scerdilaidas, or Scerdiletus, having gotten what they could elsewhere by roving at sea, accompanied the Ætolians into Peloponnesus, who made greater havoc in the country now, than in their former expedition, and returned home without finding any resistance.

e

Of these things great complaint was made unto Philip, when he came to Corinth. And because men were desirous to satisfy themselves with some speedy revenge, there were • Ch. 3. §. 1.

a Lib. 5. ch. 2. §. 6. ibid.