nce elsewhere,
while their affairs at home were in such great distress also. When
matters were in this condition, the king persuaded the commanders by
his words, and tried to raise their spirits, which were quite sunk; and
first he endeavored to encourage and embolden some of the better sort
beforehand, and then ventured to make a speech to the multitude, which
he had before avoided to do, lest he should find them uneasy thereat,
because of the misfortunes which had happened; so he made a consolatory
speech to the multitude, in the manner following:

3. "You are not unacquainted, my fellow soldiers, that we have had, not
long since, many accidents that have put a stop to what we are about,
and it is probable that even those that are most distinguished above
others for their courage can hardly keep up their spirits in such
circumstances; but since we cannot avoid fighting, and nothing that hath
happened is of such a nature but it may by ourselves be recovered into
a good state, and this by one brave action only well performed, I have
proposed to myself both to give you some encouragement, and, at the same
time, some information; both which parts of my design will tend to this
point; that you may still continue in your own proper fortitude. I will
then, in the first place, demonstrate to you that this war is a just
one on our side, and that on this account it is a war of necessity,
and occasioned by the injustice of our adversaries; for if you be once
satisfied of this, it will be a real cause of alacrity to you; after
which I will further demonstrate, that the misfortunes we are under are
of no great consequence, and that we have the greatest reason to hope
for victory. I shall begin with the first, and appeal to yourselves as
witnesses to what I shall say. You are not ignorant certainly of
the wickedness of the Arabians, which is to that degree as to appear
incredible to all other men, and to include somewhat that shows the
grossest barbarity and ignorance of God. The chief things wherein they
have affronted us have arisen from covetousness and envy; and they have
attacked us in an insidious manner, and on the sudden. And what occasion
is there for me to mention many instances of such their procedure? When
they were in danger of losing their own government of themselves, and
of being slaves to Cleopatra, what others were they that freed them from
that fear? for it was the friendship. I had with Antony, and the kind
disp