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THE

METHOD

OF

TEACHING and STUDYING

THE

BELLES LETTRES,

OR

An Introduction to LANGUAGES, POETRY,
RHETORIC, HISTORY, MORAL
PHILOSOPHY, PHYSICKS, &c.

WITH

Reflections on TASTE; and Inftructions with
regard to the ELOQUENCE of the PULPIT,
the BA R, and the STAGE.

The whole illustrated with Paffages from the most
famous POETS and OR A TORS, antient and mo-
dern, with Critical Remarks on them.

Defigned more particularly for STUDENTS in
the UNIVERSITIES.

By Mr. ROLLIN, late Principal of the University of
Paris, now Profeffor of Eloquence in the Royal College,
and Member of the Royal Academy of Inscriptions and
Belles Lettres.

Tranflated from the French.

VOL. IV.

LONDON:

Printed for A. BETTESWORTH and C. HITCH, at the Red-
Lyon in Pater nofter Row. MDCCXXXIV.

LIBRARY

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

DAVIS

1

(1)

PART the THIRD.

Of Profane Hiftory.

The Continuation of the History of the Romans.

The third Piece of Roman History.

The Space of three and fifty years, from the beginning of the fecond Punick war to the defeat of Per feus.

F

OR the third portion of Roman history I take that term, which Polybius chose for the fubject of his performance; I mean, the three and fifty years, which paffed from the beginning of the fecond Punick war to the end of the Macedonian, which concluded with the overthrow and captivity of Perfeus, and the destruction of his kingdom.

Polybius looks upon this interval as the moft flourishing age of the Roman republick, an age which fent abroad the greatest men, and difplayed the most fhining virtues, which took in the most confiderable events, and in a word, wherein the Romans began to enter upon the poffeffion of that vaft empire, which afterwards comprehended almost every part of the then known world, and by a continual and very swift progress arrived at that degree of grandeur and power, which has made it the admiration of the whole universe.

Now, as the establishment of the Roman empire was according to Polybius the most wonderful work of divine Providence, and could not be regarded as the effect of chance and a blind fortune,

VOL, IV.

Polyb. lib. i.
B

but

but as the confequence of a pre-conceived defign, concerted with weight and measure, and conducted by an infallible wifdom, is it not, as the fame author farther obferves, a very commendable curiofity, and worthy the best understanding, to enquire what was the time, what the preparatives, what the means, and who the inftruments, in carrying on fo glorious and noble an enterprize to its execution?

This Polybius, who is the moft judicious hiftorian we have extant, and was himself a great foldier and a great politician, had fhewn at large in the hiftory he wrote, of which the little remains that are left to us make us extremely lament the lofs of the reft. 'Tis this alfo I am now undertaking to delineate in this piece of Roman hiftory, though very briefly I fhall endeavour, however, to introduce into my difcourfe what I fhall judge most beautiful in Polybius, Livy, and Plutarch, which are the originals from whence I fhall draw the best part of what I have to fay upon this fubject, with reference either to the facts themselves, or the reflections I fhall make upon them.

I

CHAP. I.

A narrative of the facts.

fhall begin with relating the principal events, which fell out in the time I am speaking of, that I may thereby give fuch of my readers, as are unacquainted with this branch of hiftory, fome flight idea of it.

The beginning of the fecond Punick war and the fucceffes of Hannibal

The beginning of the fecond Punick war, if we look only upon the date of time, was the taking of Sa

• Liv. lib. xxi, n. 1—20,

guntúm

guntum by Hannibal, and the irruption he made into the country fituate beyond the Ebro, which was allied to the people of Rome; but the real caufe of it was the indignation of the Carthaginians at feeing Sicily and Sardinia ravifhed from them by treaties, which the fole neceffity of the time and the ill condition of their affairs had extorted from them. The fudden death of Hamilcar hindered him from executing the design he had long been forming of taking revenge for thefe injuries. His fon Hannibal, whom he had obliged to fwear upon the altar, whilft yet but nine years old, that he would declare himfelf an enemy to the Romans as foon as he came to the age of doing it, entered into all his views, and alike inherited his hatred to the Romans, as he did his courage. He made very diftant preparations for this great defign, and when he thought himself in a condition to execute it, he gave birth to it by the fiege of Saguntum. And whether it was thro idleness and negligence, or thro' prudence and wifdom, the Romans spent the time in different embaffies, and left Hannibal an opportunity of taking the town.

And for his part, he well knew how to make the best use of it. After he had fettled all things to his mind, and left his brother Afdrubal in Spain to defend the country, he fet out for Italy with an army of ninety thoufand foot, and ten or twelve thousand horse. There was no obftacle great enough to difcourage him, or put a stop to his proceeding. The Pyrenæan mountains, the croffing of the Rhone, a long march through Gaul, and the very difficult paffage of the Alps, all gave way to his zeal and indefatigable refolution. And thus being the con queror of the Alps, and in a manner of nature it felf, he entered Italy, which he had refolved to make

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