Holland than prove the force of the Carthaginians; and therefore 1600 were willing to do his commandment, and be at his devotion: requesting him to take at their hand victuals and guides for their journey, yea, and hostages also for better assurance of promises to be performed. Anniball neither overhastily and rashly believing them, nor yet churlishly distrusting and refusing their offer, lest being rejected and cast off, they might become open and professed enemies, gave them good language, and a courteous answer, received the hostages whom they gave, accepted victuals which they had brought with them to maintain his army by the way, and followed their guides, but so, as his army was not disarrayed in their march, as if he had been amongst his friends, and in a peaceable country.

First went in the vauntguard the elephants and the horsemen; himself marched after with the flower and strength of his footmen, looking all about him with an heedful eye. So soon as he was entered a narrow passage, which of the one side lay under a steep hill that commanded them aloft, the barbarous people rose out of their ambush from all parts at once, both before and behind, and charged upon him both afar off and near at hand; yea and rolled down mighty huge stones upon them as they marched. But the greatest number came behind upon their backs: against whom he turned and made head with the power of his footmen, and without all peradventure (if the tail both of his army had not been strong and well fortified) they must need have received in that lane and straits an exceeding great overthrow. And even then, as it was, they came to an extremity of danger, and in manner fell into a present mischief. For whiles Anniball made long stay, and doubted whether he should engage the regiment of footmen within the straits, for that he had not left any succours in the rear-guard to back the footmen, like as himself was a defence to the horsemen ; the mountaineers came overthwart and flanked them; and breaking through

1600

the files of the battle, beset the way, and crossed upon him. Holland So that Anniball took up his lodging for one night, without his carriages and horsemen. The morrow after, whenas the barbarous people ran between them more coldly than before, he joined his forces together, and passed the strait, not without great damage and loss; but with more hurt of the sumpter horses than of men. After this, the mountaineers (fewer in number, and in robbing wise rather than in warlike sort) ran in heaps, one while upon the vaward, other while upon the rearward, as any one of them could either get the vantage of ground, or by going one while afore, and by staying another while behind, win and catch any occasion and opportunity.

The elephants, as they were driven with great leisure, because through these narrow straits they were ready ever and anon to run on their noses: so what way soever they went, they kept the army safe and sure from the enemies; who being not used unto them, durst not once come near. The ninth day he won the very tops of Alps, through by-lanes and blind cranks: after he had wandered many times out of the way, either through the deceitfulness of their guides, or for that, when they durst not trust them, they adventured rashly themselves upon the valleys, and guessed the way at adventure, and went by aim. Two days abode he encamped upon the tops thereof, and the soldiers wearied with travel and fight rested that time; certain also of the sumpter horses (which had slipt aside from the rocks) by following the tracks of the army as it marched, came to the camp. When they were thus overtoiled and wearied with these tedious travails, the snow that fell (for now the star Vergilie was set and gone the horizon) increased their fear exceedingly. as at the break of day the ensigns were set the army marched slowly through the thick and deep snow; and that their appeared in the countenance of them all slothfulness and desperation: Anniball advanced before the

down out of Now whenforward, and

Holland standards and commanded his soldiers to stay upon a certain 1600 high hill (from whence they had a goodly prospect and might see a great way all about them), and there shewed unto them Italy, and the goodly champain fields about the Po, which lie hard under the foot of the Alpine mountains: saying, that even then they mounted the walls, not only of Italy, but also of the City of Rome; as for all besides (saith he) will be plain and easy to be travelled: and after one or two battles at the most, ye shall have at your command the very Castle and head City of all Italy.

Then began the army to march forward; and as yet the enemies verily themselves adventured nothing at all but some petty robberies by stealth, as opportunity and occasion served. Howbeit they had much more difficult travelling down the hill than in the climbing and getting up; for that most of the avenues to the Alps from Italy side, as they be shorter, so they are more upright: for all the way in a manner was steep, narrow, and slippery, so as neither they could hold themselves from sliding, nor if any tripped and stumbled never so little, could they possibly (they staggered so) recover themselves and keep sure footing, but one fell upon another, as well horse as After this they came to a much narrower rock, with crags and rags so steep downright, that hardly a nimble soldier without his armour and baggage (do what he could to take hold with hands upon the twigs and plants that thereabout grew forth) was able to creep down. This place being before naturally of itself steep and pendant with a downfall, now was choked and dammed up with a new fall of earth, which left a bank behind it of a wonderful and monstrous height. There the horsemen stood still as if they had been come to their way's end; and when Anniball marvelled much what the matter might be that stayed them so as they marched not on, word was brought him that the rock was unaccessible and unpassable.

man.

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Whereupon he went himself in person to view the Holland place, and then he saw indeed without all doubt that although he had fetched a compass about, yet he had gained nought thereby, but conducted his army to pass through wilds, and such places as before had never been beaten and trodden. And verily, that (of all other) was such, as it was impossible to pass through. For whereas there lay old snow untouched and not trodden on, and over it other snow newly fallen, of a small depth; in this soft and tender snow, and the same not very deep, their feet as they went easily took hold; but that snow, being once with the gait of so many people and beasts upon it fretted and thawed, they were fain to go upon the bare ice underneath, and in the slabbery snow-broth, as it relented and melted about their heels. There they had foul ado and much struggling, for that they could not tread sure upon the slippery ice; and again, going as they did (down hill), their feet sooner failed them; and when they had helped themselves once in getting up, either with hands or knees, if they chanced to fall again, when those their props and stays deceived them, there were no twigs nor roots about whereon a man might take hold and rest or stay himself, either by hand or foot. And, therefore, all that the poor garrons1 and beasts could do was to tumble and wallow only upon the slippery and glassy ice, and the molten, slabbie snow. Otherwhiles, also, they perished as they went in the deep snow, whilst it was yet soft and tender; for when they were once slidden and fallen, with flinging out their heels, and beating with their hoofs more forcibly for to take hold, they brake the ice through, so as most of them, as if they had been caught fast and fettered, stuck still in the deep, hard-frozen, and congealed ice.

At last, whenas both man and beast were wearied and overtoiled, and all to no purpose, they encamped upon the top of a hill, having with very much ado cleansed the place

1 Geldings.

Holland aforehand for that purpose: such a deal of snow there was to 1600 be digged, fayed,1 and thrown out. This done, the soldiers

were brought to break that rock, through which was their only way; and against the time that it was to be hewed through, they felled and overthrew many huge trees that grew thereabout, and made a mighty heap and pile of wood: the wind served fitly for the time to kindle a fire, and then they set all a-burning. Now, when the rock was on fire and red-hot, they poured thereon strong vinegar for to calcine for to dissolve it. Whenas the rock was thus baked (as it were) with fire, they digged into it, and opened it with pickaxes, and made the descent gentle and easy by means of moderate windings and turnings: so as not only the horses and other beasts, but even the elephants, also, might be able to go down. Four days he spent about the levelling of this rock and the beasts were almost pined and lost for hunger. For the hill tops for the most are bare of grass, and look what fog2 and forage there was, the snow overhilled it. The dales and lower grounds have some little banks lying to the sun, and rivers withal near unto the woods, yea, and places more meet and beseeming for men to inhabit. There were labouring beasts put out to grass and pasture, and the soldiers that were wearied with making the ways had three days allowed to rest in.

Philemon Holland.

Danett 1601

A

THE MOST CHRISTIAN KING

MONG men famous for devotion, he sent into Calabria for one Friar Robert, whom he called the Holy Man, because of his holy life, and in whose honour the King that now is caused a church to be built at Plessis du Parc, in place Green fodder.

1 Cleaned out.