Choice above all, of Ptolemy she makes,
With his Embaffador her journy takes;
Antigonus Lieutenant ftayes her ftill,
Untill he further know his Mafters will:
Antigonus now had a Wolf by th' Ears,
To hold her ftill, or let her go he fears.
Refolves at last the Princess fhould be flain,
So hinders him of her, he could not gain;
Her women are appointed for this deed,
They for their great reward no better speed:
For by command, they ftreight were put to death,
As vile Confpirators that stopt her breath.

And now he hopes," he's order'd all fo well,
The world muft needs believe what he doth tell;
Thus Philips houfe was quite extinguished,
Except Caffanders wife who yet not dead.

And by their means who thought of nothing lefs,

i

Then vengeance juft, against them to exprefs; Now blood was paid with blood for what was done By cruel Father, Mother, cruel Son:/

& took.

h thinks.

¿ the fame.

j After this the first edition has,

Who did erect their cruelty in guilt,

And wronging innocents whose blood they spilt,

Philip and Olympias both were flain,

Aridæus and his Queen by flaughters ta'ne;

Two other children by Olympias kill'd,

And Cleopatra's blood, now likewife fpill'd,

If Alexander was not poyfoned,

Yet in the flower of's age, he must lie dead.

His wife and fons then flain by this Caffander,
And's kingdomes rent away by each Commander:

Thus may we hear, and fear, and ever say,
That hand is righteous ftill which doth repay.

Thefe Captains now the ftile of Kings do take, [178]
For to their Crowns their's none can Title make;'

k

Demetrius firft the royal ftile affum'd,

By his Example all the reft prefum'd.
Antigonus himself to ingratiate,

Doth promife liberty to Athens State;

With Arms and with provision stores them well,
The better 'gainst Caffander to rebel.
Demetrius thether goes, is entertain'd

Not like a King, but like fome God they feign'd;
Moft grofly bafe was their" great Adulation,
Who Incense burnt, and offered oblation:
These Kings afresh fall to their wars again,
Demetrius of Ptolemy doth gain.
'Twould be an endlefs Story to relate

Their feveral Battels and their feveral fate,"
Their fights by Sea, their victories by Land,
How fome when down, ftraight got the upper hand
Antigonus and Seleucus then fight

Near Ephefus, each bringing all his might,

And he that Conquerour shall now remain,
The Lordship of all Asia shall retain;

k there's.

Instead of the next seven lines, the first edition has,
Demetrius is firft, that fo affumes,

" this.

⚫ their.

To do as he, the reft full foon prefumes,

To Athens then he goes, is entertain'd,

"The next two lines are not in the first edition. Of Afia the Lordship.

This day 'twixt these two Kings ends all the ftrife, For here Antigonus loft rule and life:

Nor to his Son, did e're one foot remain

Of those vaft Kingdomes,' he did fometimes gain.
Demetrius with his Troops to Athens flyes,

Hopes to find fuccours in his miferies; '

But they adoring in profperity,

Now fhut their gates in his adverfity:

t

He forely griev'd at this his defperate State
Tryes Foes, fith" friends will not compaffionate.
His peace he then with old Seleucus makes,
Who his fair daughter Stratonica takes,
Antiochus, Seleucus, dear lov'd Son,

[179]

Is for this fresh young Lady quite undone;
Falls fo extreamly sick, all fear'd his life,
Yet durft not fay, he lov'd his Fathers wife,
When his disease the skill'd" Phyfitian found,
His Fathers mind he wittily did found,
Who did no fooner understand the fame,
But willingly refign'd the beautious Dame:
Caffander now muft dye his race is run,
And leaves the ill got Kingdomes he had won.
Two Sons he left, born of King Philips daughter,
Who had an end put to their dayes by flaughter;
Which should fucceed at variance they fell,

The eld❜ft inrag'd did play the Vipers part,

And with his Sword did run her through the heart:" Rather then Philips race fhould longer live,

a

He whom she gave his life her death fhall give.
This by Lyfimacus was' after flain,

Whose daughter he not long before had ta'ne;"
Demetrius is call'd in by th' youngest Son,
Against Lyfimachus who from him won.
But he a Kingdome more then's friend did eye,
Seaz'd upon that, and flew him traitroufly.d
Thus Philips and Caffander's race both gone,
And fo falls out to be extinct in one;
And though Caffander died in his bed,
His Seed to be extirpt, was destined;

For blood, which was decre'd that he should spill,
Yet muft his Children pay for Fathers ill;
Jehu in killing Ahab's houfe did well,
Yet be aveng'd must blood of Jezerel.
Demetrius thus Caffander's Kingdoms gains,
And now in Macedon as King he reigns; g
Though men and mony both he hath at will,
In neither finds content if he fits ftill:

That Seleucus holds Afia grievs him fore,

Those Countryes large his Father got before.

y did pierce his mothers heart,

b foon.

child muft.

a must.

[180]

cunto wife, he'd newly ta'n.

d Instead of this and the three preceding lines, the first edition has,

The youngest by Demetrius kill'd in fight,

Who took away his now pretended right:

e is.

f Yea.

The next two lines are not in the first edition.

These to recover, mufters all his might,

And with his Son in Law will needs go fight;"

A mighty Navy rig'd, an Army stout,

With these he hopes to turn the world about:
Leaving Antigonus his eldeft Son,

In his long abfence to rule Macedon.

Demetrius with fo many troubles met,

h

As Heaven and Earth against him had been set;
Difafter on difafter him purfue,

His fstory seems a Fable more then true.

At laft he's taken and imprisoned

Within an Ifle that was with pleafures fed,

Injoy'd what ere befeem'd his Royalty,

Only restrained of his liberty:

After three years he died, left what he'd won,

In Greece unto Antigonus his Son.

For his Pofterity unto this day,

Did ne're regain one foot in Afia;'

His Body Seleucus fends to his Son,

Whofe obfequies with wondrous pomp was done.

Next di'd the brave and noble Ptolemp,

[181]

Renown'd for bounty, valour, clemency,

Rich Egypt left, and what else he had won,

To Philadelphus his more worthy Son.
Of the old Heroes, now but two remain,
Seleucus and Lyfimachus thefe twain,

The next eight lines are not in the first edition.
The next two lines are not in the first edition.

i There was he.