IN this present cronycle or hystory of Rome : is written the batayle / whiche the Romayns had with Iugurth / vsurper of the kyngdome of Numydy . The lande of Numydy is parte of the countrey of Affryke . In whiche raygned somtyme a kynge named Massinissa : felowe and frende to the empyre of Rhome . This Massinissa had thre sonnes thus named : Micipsa / Manastabal / and Galussa . But after the deth of Manastabal and Galussa : the first brother named Micipsa / obtayned the kyngdome of Numydy alone / without partyner . For after the custome of Numydy / heritages are wont to be deuided among brethern by equal porcions / after dyscease of theyr parentes / of whome suche heritage issueth . This Micipsa so crowned kynge of hole Numydy had two sonnes / the first called Adherbal / the seconde Hiempsall . But his brother Manastabal whiche was departed before / left behynde hym one bastarde sonne named Iugurth : to whom his grandfather Massinissa bequethed none heritage / but left hym priuate without lande or lyuelodde / for asmoche as he was vnlaufully borne . The kynge Micipsa was moued with pyte & compassyon agaynst this Iugurth : and consideryng that he was his brothers sonne / & without conforte / receyued hym into his house / and cherisshed hym in all thynges / as he dyde his owne sonnes . This Iugurth as he grewe in stature / so grewe he in all gyftes belongynge to nature / and became a right strong & hardy knyght / and also more excellent in wysdome / than in courage or myght / and was moche elder than the two sonnes of Micispa : named Adher ball & Hiempsall . What tyme Micipsa consydered the ●●ouryng age manlynes / & wysdome of Iugurth . And on the other parte / whan he remembred the feble yongth & vnexpert of his owne two sonnes in this aduisement his mynde was sore troubled with drede : ●est after his dethe / the same Iugurth myght inuade and vsurpe vnto hymselfe the kyngdome of Numydy his owne two sonnes beyng nat of power to defende themselve . Micipsa after these thynges consydred : determined to obiect this Iugurth vnto paryll of warre / and by such meanes to assay if it might fortune hym to be slayne in batell . Therfore what tyme the romains hauyng Scipio for their capitaine / beseged the cyte of Numance : this Micipsa sent vnto the romains to the same batayle great socours both of horsmen and of fotemen . And made Iugurthe captayn ouer them . This dyde he trustynge that it was possible and lykely ynough that this Iugurth a knyght yonge / lusty / and desirous of honour / myght by some chaunce of fortune be slayne in batayle / as I sayd before . But at conclusion it fortuned moche contrary . For the boldnesse and strength of Iugurthe in that warre was well proued and knowen . For many noble and valiant actes of chyualry dyd he : wherby he wanne moche laude and glory / with great loue & fauour / nat onely of Scipio the captaine / but also of all the noblest men of the Romayne army . Insomoche that after this warre was fynisshed : and the cyte of Numance distroyed the captaine Scipio assembled his hole army : and before them all with magnificent and fauorable wordes commended Iugurth with merueylous laudes . This done he rewarded hym with many & riche gyftes of chyualry . And sent hym agayne to the kynge Micipsa with letters / wherin also he commended this Iugurth with great laude and praysyng . By instigacion of whiche thynges it so befell : that where as the kyng Micipsa / nat long before desyred nothyng more than the deth of Iugurth : nowe he coueted nought somoche as conseruacion of his lyfe & helth . So that nat long after he adopted hym as his sonne / and ordayned in his testament hym to be one of his heyres & partiner of his kyngdome with his two other naturall sonnes . Whiche ordinaunce he neuer chaunged / but at his departyng increased his fauour and benefites agaynst the same Iugurth / leauynge hym nat onely partiner of his kyngdome / but also of all his treasours . And besyde this decryed hym to be protectour of his two naturall sonnes / and of theyr porcions of the kyngdome . Sone after this ordinaunce the kyng Micipsa departed from lyfe . But whan the thre princes Adherball / Hiempsall / and Iugurth determined amonge them the tyme whan the treasoure shulde be deuided and the boundes of the kyngdome lymited to them eche one his parte . At this assemble grewe a dissencion betwene Hiempsall & Iugurth / by occasyon wherof Iugurth shortely after slewe Hiempsall by treason and gyle . After this Hiempsall was slayne Iugurthe fixed his mynde to possesse the hole kyngdome of Numidy . Wherfore he prepared a great & strong army agaynst the other brother Adherball / and at last whan bothe mette in batayle the army of Adherball was ouerthrowen / and hymselfe put to flyght . Adherball thus ouercome and spoyled of his kyngdome fledd vnto Rome / and there before the senatours declared the tyrannous cruelte of Iugurth agaynst hym committed / and agaynst his brother Hiempsall cruelly murdred : desiryng socours of the same senatours / with pytefull wordes and lamentable complayntes . At conclusion it was decreed of the senatours / that .x. noble men of Rome shulde be sent embassadours to Numydy / to deuyde the kyngdome betwene Adherball and Iugurth indifferently . The same embassadours hasted them to Numydy / and dyde the commaundement of the senate to them inioyned : but more to the fauour of Iugurth / than Adherball . Whan the kyngdome was departed and deuided / and the sayd embassadours were also departed from Affr●ke towarde Rome : Iugurth sette his mynde yet ones agayn to inuade and vsurpe the part of the kyngdome which belonged to Ad / herball / by assignement of the embassadours . Wherfore he assembled a newe army / and with the same īnuaded his kyngdome : Adherball compelled by necessite assembled also an other army for his part / and proceded forthe and mette with Iugurth . But anone after they ioyned batayle / Iugurth ouerthrewe the hoost of Adherball & put hym to ●●yght / constrainyng hym to fle with a fewe horsmen about hym into a walled towne nere by / named Cyrtha . Iugurth anone beseged the towne on all partes . In the meane tyme Adherball by letters certified the senatours of Rome in what state Iugurth had brought hym . How he was bereft of his kyngdome by crueltie & ambicion of Iugurthe : how he was brought to extremite by hunger and force of armes / nat able to abyde the besegynge any lenger : how it appered euidently that Iugurth set lytell by the decrees & ordinaunce of the senatours / And at conclusion of the same letters he humbly besought the senate of ayde and socours in this his extremite . Whan these letters were redde before the senatours assembled : many of them were : which iuged it thynge expedient and conuenient : to socour Adherball . And anone to sende an army into Affrike agaynst Iugurthe . But his frendes whome he hadde bought for money at Rome : made suche resistence that no suche ordinaunce coude come to effect / nor passe forthe agaynst hym . Neuerthelesse newe embassadours were sent ones agayne to Iugurth / and that men auncient and of great authorite : to compell and commaunde hym in name of the senatours to desyst from his entreprise and crueltie in payne of theyr hye displeasure . Iugurth blynded these imbassadours with fayre wordes and rewardes / tyll they were departed agayn from Numidy to Rome / without any thing brought to ende . Whan this was knowen at Cirtha ● where Adherball lay beseged : they whiche were with Adherball within the towne counselled hym to yelde vp the towne to Iugurth / vpon condicion onely to haue his lyfe pardoned vnto hym . Adherball constrained by famine and other necessities condiscended to this counsell . But anone after the towne was yelded / Iugurth contrary to his fayth & promes which he had made to Adherbal : slewe hym with greuous & horrible tourment . Whan this dede was knowen at Rome : the senatours were sore moued agaynst hym . And toke his demeanoure and dedes inhumayne greuously . Wherfore by commen assent of the senatours and commens of Rome : one named Licius Calphurnius that tyme consull of Rome / was sent with a strong army into Numidy agaynst Iugurth . But with in shorte season this Calphurnius corrupted and accloyed with money by Iugurth made a foule bonde of peace with hym to great dishonoure and shame bothe of hymselfe ● and of all the empire of Rome : for which dede the senatours and commens of Rome were greuously displeased . Wherfore Calphurnius was called home agayne to Rome with great dishonoure and rebuke . After this Calphurnius / an other romayn named Albinus was elect consull and dyrect with newe supplement of warriours into Numidy agaynst Iugurth . But this Iugurth droue hym forth vnder hope and coloure as if he wolde yelde hymselfe to the sayd Al●inus : so longe tyll at last the tyme approched of election of newe consuls . Wherfore Albinus of necessite constrayned : and as decrees of the romayns commaunded : retourned agayne to Rome to be at the sayd election ( as he was bounde ) without any dede laudably done in Numidy . And at his departinge left behynde hym in Numidy his brother named Aulus : to be captayn in his stede / & ruler of his army / and also of the prouince where the same army soiourned tyll the wynter were ouer passed . What tyme Albinus was departed towarde Rome : this Aulus blynded by rasshenes and foly / behaued hymselfe ryght vndiscretly in his rowme . In somoche that he called the army vnto viage / and warfare forth of theyr tentes in the moneth of Ianuary : in coldest and sharpest season of wynter This dyde he : other bycause he trusted to ende the batayle in his tyme : and so therby to wynne thanke and worshyppe : or els to th entent to gete money of Iugurh by grauntyng vnto hym peace & rest for his tyme . And so to constrayne hym to bye his peace . Whan Iugurth perceyued this vnexpertnes and rasshe foly of Aulus : he sent vnto hym embassadours as if he were a ferde : by dissimulacion to requyre of hym peace . And in the meane tyme the same Iugurth ledde his army among hylles & wodes fainyng as if he fledde from Aulus for drede . Aulus vnderstandyng this / persued & folowed hym more egarly & hastely / without aduisment / ord●r / or ꝓuision . Whan Iugurth sawe that he had attised & drawen the Romains into a place to fyght for his auauntage : anone he assayled them & embatayled with them fyersly / in which batayle he ouercame the romains & putte them to flyght . On the next morne after / Iugurth and Aulus came togyder in communicacion . And at last trewes was stryken bytwene bothe parties / in this maner & by such condicions : that all the romains shuld passe vnder a spere in signe of subieccion / and that they were ouercome without more hurt . And afterwarde within ten dayes all shulde depart out of Numidy / & so was it done . Whan tydyngis herof were brought to rome : all the citie was troubled with drede & displeasure . After this shamefull trewes of Aulus and disconfiture & flyght of the romayne army / a noble man named Metellus was creat consul of Rome / & by commen assent sende vnto Numidi agaynst Iugurth . This Metellus behaued hymselfe as a noble captaine and valiaunt warriour : and perceyuynge that the residue of the army which was escaped / was disolute and out of order / by ouer moch libertie . And by faute of the captains / which were before / he first of all reduced the sowdiours to good rule and order / acordynge to the auncient ordinaunces of chyualry : and than in tyme conuenient after his army was brought to order / he assailed Iugurth fyersly . And after certayne sharpe and greuous batayles / he diminished his riches / his myght & power & brought hym almost to extremite . After this Metellus : one named Marius last of all was creat consul / and the prouince & warre of Numidy decreed and committed to hym . This Marius anone pursued Iugurthe in batayle moost sharply & fiersly of all other / insomoche / that finally he vtterly brought hym to extremite : his frendes / his riches and power / brought all to nought . And at conclusion by treason / & betrayeng of one Bocchus / kyng of the Mauriens : Iugurthe was deliuerd to the same Marius as prisoner : whome he ledde bounde to Rome with great glory & triumphe . At last this Iugurth was throwen into prison / where at conclusion he ended his miserable lyfe / in dolors & captiuite . This is the argument and processe of all this hystory and cronicle : in whiche the redar / of whatso euer condicion and degre he be : shall fynde both profite and pleasure : if he redde it attentyfly and with good aduertens . And moost namely gentylmen apt to attayne to glorious fame & honour by fayt of chyualry : shall fynde both pleasaunt and profitable pastime / in redyng this hystory : vnto whose example / profite / and pleasure I chefely haue translated the same .