O faintly joined friends with ambition blind, Why join you force share the world betwixt you? While th' earth the sea, and air the earth sustains; While Titan strives against the world's swift course; Or Cynthia, night's Queen, waits upon the day; Shall never faith be found in fellow kings. Dominion cannot suffer partnership; This need no foreign proof, nor far fet story: Rome's infant walls were steeped in brothers' blood; Nor then land, or sea, breed such hate, A town with one poor church set them at odds.
Caesar's, and Pompey's jarring love soon ended, 'Twas peace against their wills; betwixt them both Stepped Crassus in: even as the slender Isthmus, Betwixt the Aegean and the Ionian sea, Keeps each from other, but being worn away They both burst out, and each encounter other: So whenas Crassus' wretched death, who stayed them, Had filled Assyrian Carrha's walls with blood, His loss made way for Roman outrages.
Parthians y' afflict more than ye suppose, Being conquered, we are plagued with civil war. Swords share our empire; Fortune, that made Rome Govern the earth, the sea, the world itself Would not admit lords: for Julia Snatched hence by cruel fates with ominous howls, Bare down to hell her son, the pledge of peace, And all bands of that death-presaging alliance.
Julia, had heaven given thee longer life Thou hadst restrained thy headstrong husband's rage, Yea, and thy father too, and swords thrown down, Made all shake hands, as once the Sabines did; Thy death broke amity and trained to war These captains emulous of each other's glory.
Thou feared'st (great Pompey) that late deeds would dim Old triumphs, and that Caesar's conquering France Would dash the wreath thou wear'st for pirate's wrack. Thee war's use stirred, and thoughts that always scorned A second place; Pompey could bide no equal, Nor Caesar no superior, which of both Had justest cause unlawful 'tis to judge: Each side had great partakers; Caesar's cause The gods abetted; Cato liked the other. Both differed much, Pompey was strook in years, And by long rest forgot to manage arms, And being popular sought by liberal gifts, To gain the light unstable commons' love, And joyed hear his Theatre's applause; He lived secure, boasting his former deeds, And thought his name sufficient uphold him, Like a tall oak in a fruitful field, Bearing old spoils and conquerors' monuments Who though his root be weak, and his own weight Keep him within the ground, his arms all bare, His body (not his boughs) send forth a shade; Though every blast it nod, and seem fall, When all the woods about stand bolt upright, Yet he alone is held in reverence.
Caesar's renown for war less, he restless, Shaming to strive but where he did subdue, When ire, or hope provoked, heady, and bold, At all times charging home, and making havoc; Urging his fortune, trusting in the gods, Destroying what withstood his proud desires, And glad when blood, and ruin made him : So thunder which the wind tears from the clouds, With crack of riven air and hideous sound Filling the world, leaps out and throws forth fire, Affrights poor fearful men, and blasts their eyes With overthwarting flames, and raging shoots Alongst the air and nought resisting it Falls, and returns, and shivers where it lights. Such humours stirred them up; but this war's seed Was even the same that wracks all great dominions.
When Fortune made lords of all, wealth flowed, And then we grew licentious and rude, The soldier's prey, and rapine brought in riot, Men took delight in jewels, houses, plate, And scorned old sparing diet, and ware robes Too light for women; poverty (who hatched Rome's greatest wits) was loathed, and all the world Ransacked for gold, which breeds the world decay; And then large limits had their butting lands, The ground which Curius and Camillus tilled, Was stretched unto the fields of hinds unknown; Again, this people could not brook calm peace, Them freedom without war might not suffice, Quarrels were rife, greedy desire still poor Did vilde deeds, then 'twas worth the price of blood And deemed renown to spoil their native town, Force mastered right, the strongest governed all. Hence came it that th' edicts were overruled, That laws were broke, tribunes with consuls strove, Sale made of offices, and people's voices Bought by themselves and sold, and every year Frauds and corruption in the field of Mars; Hence interest and devouring usury sprang, Faith's breach, and hence came war to most men welcome. Now Caesar overpassed the snowy Alps. His mind was troubled, and he aimed at war, And coming the ford of Rubicon, At night in dreadful vision fearful Rome, Mourning appeared, whose hoary hairs were torn, And on her turret-bearing head dispersed, And arms all naked, who with broken sighs, And staring, thus bespoke: What mean'st thou Caesar? Whether goes my standard? Romans if ye be, And bear true hearts, stay here.