Page:A general history of the pyrates, from their first rise and settlement in the Island of Providence, to the present time (1724).djvu/30

22 Thus, while Rome was Mitres of the World, he uffered Inults and Affronts, almot at her Gates, from thee powerful Robbers; but what for a while made Faction ceae, and roued the Genius of that People, never ued to uffer Wrongs from a fair Enemy, was an exceive Scarcity of Proviions in Rome, occaioned by all the Ships loaden with Corn and Proviions from Sicily, Corica, and other Places, being intercepted and taken by thee Pyrates, inomuch that they were almot reduced to a Famine: Upon this, Pompey the Great was immediately appointed General to manage this War; five hundered Ships were immediately fitted out, he had fourteen Senators, Men of Experience in the War, for his Vice-Admirals; and o coniderable an Enemy, were thee Ruffians become, that no les than an Army of a hundred thouand Foot, and five thouand Hore was appointed to invade them by Land; but it happened very luckily for Rome, that Pompey ail’d out before the Pyrate had Intelligence of a Deign againt them, o that their Ships were cattered all over the Mediterranean, like Bees gone out from a Hive, ome one Way, ome another, to bring Home their Lading; Pompey divided his Fleet into thirteen Squadrons, to whom he appointed their everal Stations, o that great Numbers of the Pyrates fell into their Hands, Ship by Ship, without any Los; forty Days he paed in couring the Mediterranean, ome of the Fleet cruizing along the Coat of Africk, ome about the Ilands, and ome upon the Italian Coats, o that often thoe Pyrates who were flying from one Squadron, fell in with another; however, ome of them ecaped, and thee making directly to Cilicia, and acquainting their Confederates on Shore with what had happened, they appointed a Rendezvous of all the Ships that had ecaped at the Port of Coraceium, in the ame Country. Pompey finding the Mediterranean Rh