whilst Martius was making an oration to his soldiers, a flame of fire shone about his head, Livy reporteth as a common tale, not giving thereto any credit; and temperately concludeth, that this captain Martius got a great name; which he might well do, if with so small forces, and in such distress, he could clearly get off from the enemies, and give them any parting blow, though it were far less than that which is here set down.

Of these occurrents L. Martius sent word to Rome, not forgetting his own good service, whatsoever it was, but setting it out in such wise, as the senate might judge him worthy to hold the place of their vicegerent in Spain ; which the better to intimate unto them, he styled himself propretor. The fathers were no less moved with the tidings than the case required; and therefore took such careful order for supplying their forces in Spain, that although Hannibal came to the gates of Rome ere the companies levied to serve in that province could be sent away; yet would they not stay a tide for defence of the city itself, but shipped them in all haste for Spain. As for that title of propretor, which Martius had assumed, they thought it too great for him, and were offended at his presumption in usurping it; foreseeing well, that it was a matter of ill consequence to have the soldiers abroad make choice, among themselves, of those that should command armies and provinces. Therefore C. Claudius Nero was despatched away, with all convenient haste, into Spain; carrying with him about six thousand of the Roman foot, and as many of the Latins, with three hundred Roman horse, and of the Latins eight hundred.

It happened well, that about these times the affairs of Rome began to prosper in Italy, and afforded means of sending abroad such a strong supply; otherwise the victories of Martius would ill have served, either to keep footing in Spain, or to stop the Carthaginian armies from marching towards the Alps. For when Claudius, landing with his new forces, took charge of that remainder of the army which was under Martius and Fonteius, he found surer tokens of the overthrows received, than of those miraculous

victories whereof Martius had made his vaunts unto the senate. The Roman party was forsaken by most of the Spanish friends; whom how to reclaim, it could not easily be devised. Yet Claudius advanced boldly towards Asdrubal, the brother of Hannibal, whom he found among the Ausetani, near enough at hand, encamped in a place called Lapides Atri; out of which there was no issue, but only through a strait, whereon the Roman seized at his first coming. What should have tempted any man of understanding to encamp in such a place, I do not find; and as little reason can I find in that which followed. For it is said that Asdrubal, seeing himself thus locked up, made offer to depart forthwith out of Spain, and quit the province to the Romans, upon condition that he and his army might be thence dismissed; that he spent many days in entertaining parley with Claudius about this business; that night by night he conveyed his footmen (a few at a time) through very difficult passages, out of the danger; and that finally taking advantage of a misty day, he stole away with all his horse and elephants, leaving his camp empty. If we consider that there were at the same time, besides this Asdrubal, two other Carthaginian generals in Spain, we shall find no less cause to wonder at the simplicity of Claudius, who hoped to conclude a bargain for so great a country with one of these three chieftains, than at the strange nature of those passages, through which the footmen could hardly creep out by night; the horse and elephants easily following them in a dark misty day. Wherefore in giving belief to such a tale, it is needful that we suppose, both the danger wherein the Carthaginians were, and the conditions offered for their safe departure, to have been of far less value. Howsoever it was, neither this, nor ought else that the Romans could do, served to purchase any new friends in Spain, or to recover the old which they had lost. Like enough it is, that the old soldiers, which had chosen Martius their propretor, took it not well, that the senate, regardless of their good deserts, had repealed their election, and sent a propretor whom they fancied not so well. Some such occa

sion may have moved them to desire a proconsul, and, perhaps, young Scipio by name: as if a title of greater dignity were needful to work regard in the Barbarians; and the beloved memory of Cn. and Publius likely to do good, were it revived in one of the same family. Whether upon these or upon other reasons, C. Claudius was recalled out of the province, and Publius, the son of P. Scipio, sent proconsul into Spain.

This is that P. Scipio who afterward transferred the war into Afric; where he happily ended it, to the great honour and benefit of his country. He was a man of goodly presence, and singularly well conditioned; especially he excelled in temperance, continency, bounty, and other virtues that purchase love; of which qualities what great use he made shall appear in the tenor of his actions following. As for those things that are reported of him, savouring a little too much of the great Alexander's vanity; how he used to walk alone in the Capitol, as one that had some secret conference with Jupiter; how a dragon (which must have been one of the gods; and, in likelihood, Jupiter himself) was thought to have conversed with his mother, entering her chamber often, and vanishing away at the coming in of any man, and how of these matters he nourished the rumour by doubtful answers; I hold them no better than mere fables, devised by historians, who sought thereby to add unto the glory of Rome; that this noble city might seem, not only to have surpassed other nations in virtue of the generality, but also in great worth of one single man. To this end nothing is left out, that might serve to adorn this Roman champion. For it is confidently written, as a matter of unquestionable truth, that, when a proconsul was to be chosen for Spain, there durst not any captain of the principal citizens offer himself as petitioner for that honourable, but dangerous charge; that the people of Rome were much astonished thereat; that when the day of election came, all the princes of the city stood looking one another in the face, not one of them having the heart to adventure himself in such a desperate service; and, finally, that this P. Cornelius Scipio,

being then about four and twenty years of age, getting up on an high place where he might be seen of all the multitude, requested, and obtained, that the office might be conferred upon him. If this were true, then were all the victories of L. Martius no better than dreams; and either very unreasonable was the fear of all the Roman captains, who durst not follow Claudius Nero, that not long before was gone into Spain propretor; or very bad intelligence they had out of the province, which Asdrubal the Carthaginian, as we heard even now, was ready to abandon. But upon these incoherences, which I find in the too partial Roman historians, I do not willingly insist.

P. Scipio was sent proconsul into Spain; and with him was joined M. Junius Syllanus, as propretor, and his coadjutor. They carried with them ten thousand foot and a thousand horse in thirty quinquereme galleys. With these they landed at Emporiæ, and marched from thence to Tarracon along the sea-coast. At the fame of Scipio's arrival, it is said, that embassages came to him apace from all quarters of the province; which he entertained with such a majesty, as bred a wonderful opinion of him. As for the enemies, they were greatly afraid of him; and so much the greater was their fear, by how much the less they could give any reason of it. If we must believe this, then must we needs believe that their fear was even as great as could be; for very little cause there was to be terrified with the fame of so young a man, which had as yet performed nothing. All the winter following (or, as some think, all the next year) he did nothing; but spent the time, perhaps, as his foregoers had done, in treating with the Spaniards. His first enterprise was against New Carthage; upon which he came unexpected, with five and twenty thousand foot and two thousand five hundred horse, his sea-forces coasting him, and moderating their course in such wise, that they arrived there together with him. He assailed the town by land and sea, and won it by assault the first day. The Carthaginians lost it by their too much confidence upon the strength of it; which caused them to man it more slen

derly than was requisite. Yet it might have been well enough defended, if some fishermen of Tarracon had not discovered unto Scipio a secret passage unto the walls; whereof the townsmen themselves were either ignorant, or thought (at least) that their enemies could have no notice. This city of New Carthage resembled the old and great Carthage in situation; standing upon a demi-island, between an haven and a great lake. All the western side of the walls, and somewhat of the north, was fenced with this lake, which the fishermen of Tarracon had sounded; and finding in some part thereof a shelf, whereon at low water men might pass knee-deep, or (at most) wading up to the navel, Scipio thrust thereinto some companies of his men, who recovered the top of the walls without resistance; the place being left without guard, as able to defend itself by the natural strength. These falling suddenly upon the backs of the Carthaginians within the city, easily forced a gate, and gave free entrance to the Roman army. What booty was found within the town, Livy himself cannot certainly affirm; but is fain to say, that some Roman historians told lies without measure, in way of amplification. By that small proportion of riches which was afterward carried by Scipio into the Roman treasury, we may easily perceive how great a vanity it was to say, that all the wealth of Afric and Spain was heaped up in that one town. But therein were bestowed all the Spanish hostages, (or at least of the adjoining provinces,) whom Scipio entreated with singular courtesy; restoring them unto their kindred and friends in such gracious manner, as doubled the thanks due to so great a benefit. Hereupon a prince of the Celtibe rians, and two petty kings of the Illergetes and Lacetani, nearest neighbours to Tarracon, and dwelling on the north side of Iberus, forsook the Carthaginian party, and joined with the Romans. The speech of Indibilis, king of the Illergetes, is much commended; for that he did not vaunt himself, as commonly fugitives use, of the pleasure which he did unto the Romans in revolting from their enemies; but rather excused this his changing side, as being thereto