Page images
PDF
EPUB

ша.

ine story of the beautiful young princess, wh was kept in his house with as much care as if sh had been in her father's is known to all the world I have related it in another place, as likewise th beautiful discourse he made to Masinissa upon th same subject.

6. Religion.

I have often quoted the famous discourse of Cam byses king of Persia, to his son Cyrus, which is de servedly looked upon as containing an abridgment the most useful instructions that can be given to a go neral of an army, or a minister of state. This exce lent discourse begins and ends with the subject of re ligion, as if every other branch of advice were usele without this. Cambyses recommends to his son, be fore all, and above all, religiously to discharge ever duty that the Deity requires of men; never to under take any enterprise, great or small, without consultin the gods, to begin all his actions with imploring the assistance, and conclude them with giving the thanks, as all good success arises from their protec tion, which no man can claim, and consequent ought to be referred to them. And this, indeed, wa constantly observed by Cyrus with the utmost exac ness, as we have said already in speaking of th prince; and he owns himself, in the discourse fro whence this is taken, that he entered upon his first cam paign with a full confidence in the goodness of th gods, because he could truly give this testimony himself, that he had never neglected their worship

I know not whether our Scipio had read the Cyr pædia, as it is certain our second Scipio did, wh made it his ordinary study; but it is visible, that h

[ocr errors]

point of religious worship. [h] From the time he took upon him the toga virilis, that is, from his seventeenth year, he never entered upon any business, either public or private, without going first to the Capitol, and imploring the assistance of Jupiter. [i] We have in Livy the solemn prayer he made to the gods, when he set out from Sicily for Africa; and the same historian does not fail to observe, that immediately after the conquest of Carthagena, he publicly returned thanks to the gods for the good success of that enterprise. [k] Postero die militibus navalibusque sociis convocatis, primum diis immortalibus laudesque & grates egit.

It is not our business here to enquire what the religion either of Cyrus or Scipio was. We know very well, that it could be no other than a false one. But the example that is given to all commanders, and in general to all mankind, of beginning and ending all their actions with prayers and thanksgiving, is of no less force. For, what would they not have said and done, if like us, they had been guided by the lights of true religion, and had enjoyed the happiness of knowing the true God? After such examples, how shameful would it be for Christian generals to seem less religious than those ancient commanders among the Pagans?

ARTICLE II.

THE PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS AND VIRTUES OF THE ROMANS WITH RESPECT TO WAR.

THE space of time, whereof I have abridged the history, and which Polybius chose for his subject was, as I have already observed, the flourishing times of the Roman republic, [] which rendere Rome the mistress of the universe, and forced all na tions to own, that a people, so far superior in meri and virtue, deserved also the superiority in powe and authority. It was indeed, after this time, tha [b] Liv. lib. xxvi. n. 19.

[k] Lib. xxvi. n. 48.

[graphic]
[ocr errors]

se.

Sa

git.

eli

very

But

id in

gall

2010

of no

1 and

hts of know

ameess re

ged the

ubject,

irishing

endered

all na in merit a power

2

[ocr errors]

abode; has always presided over ner government, nas ever regulated her conduct, and constantly procured her the most glorious successes in war and peace, by sea and land, against Greeks and Barbarians.

This establishment of the Roman empire, the greatest and most powerful that ever was, [0] Polybius says, was not the effect of chance, but the result of merit and virtue, the consequence of designs wiseEy concerted, valiantly executed, and carried on with invariable attention and ability. It is therefore useful and important, [p] continues he, to enquire what were the principles of the victors conduct before and after the victory, the disposition of the people in regard to them, and what was thought of those who were at the helm of the republic.

We have already seen what the great men were, who during this interval contributed to the aggrandizing of the Roman empire; it now remains to consider what was the genius and character of the Roman people.

We find it excellently described in [9] Sallust. "We must not think, says Cato, that our ancestors

increased the power of Rome, in the manner they "did, by their numerous armies; they had other advantages which made them truly great, and the republic with them; at home a laborious life, abroad a just and wise government, in deliberations a spirit exempt from passion and vice;-in the field, as in

[ocr errors]

[o] Pag. 64.

[p] P. 160.

[9] Nolite existimare majores ostros armis rempublicam ex parà magnam fecisse.... Alia fuere, quæ illos magnos fecere, quæ nois nulla sunt; domi industria, fois justum imperium; animus in

་་་

neque lubidini obnoxius. Sallust.
in Bello Catil.

Domi militiæque boni mores
colebantur... Jus bonumque apud
eos non legibus magis quam naturâ
valebat... Duabas his artibus, au-
daciâ in bello, ubi pax evenerat
æquitate, seque remque publicam

[merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

སཡཔབ ས ཕ་

ported themselves and the republic, by a double means; in war by boldness and valour, in peace by justice and moderation."

We must not conclude from what Sallust says here of this happy period of the republic, or from what we shall hereafter say upon the same subject, that all the Romans, or even the greatest number of them, were such as are here described: but this was the spirit of the republic, the genius of those who governed them, *this small number drew all the rest after them, and produced these wonderful effects.

Neither must we imagine that the virtues we have been commending, were very pure and solid. We set the full value upon them, and represent them as Roman virtues, not as Christian. And yet, imperfect as they were, it pleased God, as St. Austin observes, to crown them with the empire of the world; a recompence worthy of the Romans, who expected no other, and as vain as their virtues. Receperunt mercedem suam, says the Gospel; vani vanam, as we may add, with a father who expresses himself thus concerning these illustrious pagans.

Having taken these precautions, and made use of these preservatives, I shall now proceed to relate the principal virtues wherein the Romans excelled in war. And this I shall do with all the brevity that I can.

1. Equity and wise Caution in undertaking and declaring War.

The Romans never lightly or rashly engaged in a var. Before all things they endeavoured to gain the avour of the gods, expecting success only from their

Ac mihi multa agitanti consta- virtutem cuncta patravisse. Sallust.

« PreviousContinue »