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which emboldened the Carthagi- | nians to break the truce with us, and to lay aside all thoughts of a peace when it was just upon the point of being concluded; and your present proposal is à proof of it. You retrench from their concessions every thing but what we are, and have been long possessed of. But as it is your care that your fellow-citizens should have the obligations to you of being eased from a great part of their burden, so it ought to be mine that they draw no advantage from their perfidiousness. Nobody is Nobody is more sensible than I am of the weakness of man, and the power of fortune, and that whatever we enterprize is subject to a thousand chances. If, before the Romans passed into Africa, you had of your own accord quitted Italy, and made the offers you now make, I believe they would not have been rejected. But as you have been forced out of Italy, and we are masters here of the open country, the situation of things is much altered. And what is chiefly to be considered, the Carthaginians, by the late treaty which we entered into at their request, were, over and above what you offer, to have restored to us our prisoners without ransom, delivered up their ships of war, paid us five thousand talents, and to have given hostages for the performance of all. The senate accepted these conditions, but Carthage failed on her part; Carthage deceived us. What, then, is to be done? Are the Carthaginians to be released from the most important articles of the treaty as a reward of their breach of faith? No, certainly. If, to the conditions before agreed upon, you had added some new articles to our advantage,

YOL. I.

there would have been matter of reference to the Roman people; but when, instead of adding, you retrench, there is no room for deliberation. The Carthaginians, therefore, must submit to us at discretion, or must vanquish us in battle.

Hooke.

The Character of Pompey.

Pompey had early acquired the surname of the Great, by that sort of merit, which, from the constitution of the republic, necessarily made him great; a fame and success in war superior to what Rome had ever known in the most celebrated of her generals. He had triumphed at three several times over the three different parts of the known world, Europe, Asia, Africa, and by his victories had almost doubled the extent, as well as the revenues of the Roman dominion; for, as he declared to the people on his return from the Mithridatic war, he had found the lesser Asia the boundary, but left it in the middle of their empire. He was about six years older than Cæsar; and while Cæsar, immersed in pleasures, oppressed with debts, and suspected by all honest men, was hardly able to show his head, Pompey was flourishing in the height of power and glory; and, by the consent of all parties, placed at the head of the republic. This was the post that his ambi tion seemed to aim at, to be the first man in Rome; the leader, not the tyrant of his country; for he more than once had it in his power to have made himself the master of it without any risk, 3 Y

if his virtue, or his phlegm at | he had not always the art to conleast, had not restrained him. But ceal his real sentiments. As he he lived in a perpetual expectation of receiving from the gift of the people what he did not care to seize by force; and, by fomenting the disorders of the city, hoped to drive them to the necessity of creating him dictator. It is an observation of all the historians, that, while Cæsar made no difference of power, whether it was conferred or usurped, whether over those who loved, or those who feared him, Pompey seemed to value none but what was offered; nor to have any desire to govern, but with the good-will of the governed. What leisure he found from his wars he employed in the study of polite letters, and especially of eloquence, in which he would have acquired great fame, if his genius had not drawn him to the more dazzling glory of arms; yet he pleaded several causes with applause, in the defence of his friends and clients, and some of them in conjunction with Cicero. His language was copious and elevated, his sentiments just, his voice sweet, his action noble, and full of dignity. But his talents were better formed for arms than the gown: for, though in both he observed the same discipline, a perpetual modesty, temperance, and gravity of outward behaviour; yet, in the licence of camps, the example was more rare and striking. His person was extremely graceful, and imprinting respect; yet with an air of reserved haughtiness, which became the general better than the citizen. His parts were plausible, rather than great; specious, rather than penetrating; and his views of politics but narrow; for his chief instrument of governing was dissimulation; yet

was a better soldier than a statesman, so what he gained in the camp he usually lost in the city; and, though adored when abroad, was often affronted and mortified at home, till the imprudent opposition of the senate drove him to the alliance with Crassus and Casar, which proved fatal both to himself and the republic. He took in these two, not as the partners, but the ministers rather of his power: that, by giving them some share with him, he might make his own authority uncontroulable. He had no reason to apprehend that they could ever prove his rivals; since neither of them had any credit or character of that kind, which alone could raise them above the laws; a superior fame, and experience in war, with the militia of the empire at their devotion. All this was purely his own; till, by cherishing Cæsar, and throwing into his hands the only thing which he wanted, arms and military command, he made him at last too strong for himself, and never began to fear him till it was too late. Cicero warmly dissuaded both his union and his breach with Cæsar; and after the rupture as warmly still, the thought of giving him battle. If any of these counsels had been followed, Pompey had preserved his life and honour, and the republic its liberty, But he was urged to his fate by a natural superstition and attention to those vain auguries with which he was flattered by all the haruspices: he had seen the same temper in Marius and Sylla, and observed the happy effects of it: but they assumed it only out of policy, he out of principle: they used it to animate

says, had scarce been sufficient for his victories, could not find a spot upon it at last for a grave. His body was burnt on the shore by one of his freed men, with the planks of an old fishing-boat; and his ashes, being conveyed to Rome, were deposited privately by his wife Cornelia, in a vault by his Alban villa. The Egyptians, however, raised a monument to him on the place, and adorned it with figures of brass, which, being defaced afterwards by time, and buried almost in sand and rubbish, was sought out, and restored by the emperor Hadrian.

Middleton.

The Character of Julius Cæsar:

their soldiers, when they had found a probable opportunity of fighting; but he, against all prudence and probability, was encouraged by it to fight to his own ruin. He saw his mistakes at last, when it was out of his power to correct them; and, in his wretched flight from Pharsalia, was forced to confess that he had trusted too much to his hopes, and that Cicero had judged better and seen farther into things than he. The resolution of seeking refuge in Egypt finished the sad catastrophe of this great man: the father of the reigning prince had been highly obliged to him for his protection at Rome, and restoration to his kingdom; and the son had sent a considerable flect to his assistance in the present war: but in this ruin of his fortunes, what gratitude was there to be expected from a court governed by cunuchs and mercenary Greeks? all whose politics turned, not on the honour of the king, but the establishment of their own power, which was likely to be eclipsed by the admission of Pompey. How happy had it been for him to have died in that sickness, when all Italy was putting up vows and prayers for his safety! or if he had fallen by the chance of war on the plains of Pharsalia, in the defence of his country's li-orations were admired for two quaberty, he had died still glorious, litics, which are seldom found tothough unfortunate; but, as if he gether, strength and elegance; Cihad been reserved for an example cero ranks him among the greatest of the instability of human great- orators that Rome ever bred; and ness, he, who a few days before Quintilian says, that he spoke with commanded kings and consuls, the same force with which he and all the noblest of Rome, was fought; and, if he had devoted sentenced to die by a counsel of himself to the bar, would have slaves; murdered by a base de- been the only man capable of riserter; cast out naked and head-valling Cicero. Nor was he a less on the Egyptian strand; and when the whole earth, as Vellelius

Cæsar was endowed with every great and noble quality that could exalt human nature, and give a man the ascendant in society; formed to excel in peace, as well as war; provident in counsel; fearless in action; and executing what he had resolved with an amazing celerity; generous beyond measure to his friends; placable to his enemies; and for parts, learning, and eloquence, scarce inferior to any man.

His

master only of the politer arts; but conversant also with the most

were known to possess any share of treasure. His great abilities would necesarily have made him one of the first citizens of Rome; but disdaining the condition of a subject, he could never rest, till he had made himself a monarch. In acting this last part, his usual prudence seemed to fail him; as if the height to which he was mounted, had turned his head and made him giddy: for, by a vain ostentation of his power, he destroyed the stability of it: and as men shorten life by living too fast, so by an intemperance of reigning he brought his reign to a violent end.

Middleton.

The Character of Cato.

If we consider the character of Cato, without prejudice, he was certainly a great and worthy man; a friend to

abstruse and critical parts of learn' ing; and among other works which he published, addressed two books to Cicero, on the analogy of language, or the art of speaking and writing correctly. He was a most liberal patron of wit and learning, wheresoever they were found; and out of his love of those talents, would really pardon those who had employed them against himself; rightly judging, that by making such men his friends, he should draw praises from the same fountain, from which he had been aspersed. His capital passions were ambition, and love of pleasure; which he indulged in their turns to the greatest excess: yet the first was always predominant, to which he could easily sacrifice all the charms of the second, and draw pleasure even from toils and dangers, when they ministered to his glory. For he thought tyranny, as Cicero says, the greatest of goddes-truth, virtue, liberty, yet falsely meases; and had frequently in his mouth a verse of Euripides, which expressed the image of his soul, that if right and justice were ever to be violated, they were to be violated for the sake of reigning. This was the chief end and purpose of his life; the scheme that he had formed from his early youth; so that as Cato truly declared of him, he came with sobriety and meditation to the sub-mency, and compassion: in public version of the republic. He used affairs he was the same; had but to say, that there were two things one rule of policy; to adhere to necessary to acquire and to sup- what was right; without regard to port power; soldiers and money; time or circumstances, or even to a which yet depended mutually on force that could controul him; for each other; with money therefore instead of managing the power of he provided soldiers, and with sol- the great, so as to mitigate the ill, diers extorted money, and was of or extract any good from it, he was all men, the most rapacious in plun- urging it always to acts of violence dering both friends and foes; spar- by a perpetual defiance; so that, ing neither prince nor state, nor tem-with the best intentions in the world, ple, nor even private persons, who he often did great harm to the re

suring all duty by the absurd rigour of the stoical rule; he was generally disappointed of the end which he sought by it, the happiness both of his private and public life. In his private conduct, he was severe, morose, inexorable; banishing all the softer affections, as natural enemies to justice, and as suggesting false motives of acting, from favour, cle

liant, I honour him; but, as he was ambitious, I slew him. There are tears for his love, joy for his fortune, honour for his valour, and death for his ambition. Who's here so base, that would be a bondman? If any, speak; for him have I offended. Who's here so rude, that would not be a Roman? If any, speak; for him have I offended. Who's here so vile, that would not love his country? If any, speak; for him have I offended.-I pause for a reply.

public. This was his general be- | than that Cæsar were dead, to live haviour; yet, from some particular all freemen ?-As Cæsar loved me, facts, it appears that his strength I weep for him; as he was fortuof mind was not always impregna-nate, I rejoice at it; as he was vable, but had its weak places of pride, ambition, and party zeal; which when managed, and flattered to a certain point, would betray him sometimes into measures, contrary to his ordinary rule of right and truth. The last act of his life was agreeable to his nature and philosophy: when he could no longer be what he had been; or when the ills of life over-balanced the good, which, by the principles of his sect, was a just cause for dying; he put an end to his life, with a spirit and resolution which would make one imagine, that he was glad to have found an occasion of dying in his proper character. On the whole, his life was rather admirable than amiable; fit to be praised, rather than imitated.

Middleton.

None? Then none have I offended. I have done no more to Cæsar, than you should do to Brutus. The question of his death is enrolled in the capitol: his glory not extenuated, wherein he was worthy; nor his offences enforced, for which he suffered death.

Here comes his body, mourned by Mark Antony; who, though he had no hand in his death, shall receive the benefit of his dying, a

Brutus's Speech in Vindication of place in the commonwealth: as,

Cæsar's Murder.

Romans, countrymen, and lovers! Hear me, for my cause; and be silent, that you may hear. Believe me, for mine honour; and have respect to mine honour, that you may believe. Censure me in your wisdom; and awake your senses, that you may the better judge.

which of you shall not? With this I depart that as I slew my best lover for the good of Rome, I have the same dagger for myself when it shall please my country to need my death.

Shakspeare.

If there be any in this assembly, A Comparison of Casar with Cato. any dear friend of Cæsar's; to him I say, that Brutus's love to Cæsar was no less than his. If, then, that friend demand why Brutus rose against Cæsar? this is my answer. Not that I loved Cæsar less, but that I loved Rome more. Had you rather Cæsar were living, and die all slaves;

As to their extraction, years, and eloquence, they were pretty nigh equal. Both of them had the same greatness of mind, both the same degree of glory, but in different ways: Cæsar was celebrated for his great bounty and generosity; Ca'o

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