came back from Ostia, to be present when their demands were to be heard. Then was audience given them in the temple of Bellona, that stood in the suburbs. The errand of these ambassadors was peace; but the meaning of them and of their city was only to win time, and get respite from war, until Hannibal and Mago should come out of Italy, either to chase the Romans out of Afric, or to obtain peace for Carthage, by terror of their great names and armies, upon more easy conditions. Wherefore they made an idle discourse of the league that was concluded between them and Luctatius Catulus at the end of the former war: this league, they said, all things well considered, did still remain in force; neither had there since been any war at all between the people of Rome and the Carthaginians. For it was only Hannibal, that, without any leave from Carthage, had of his own head besieged and razed the town of Saguntum; and after that adventured in like sort, without commission, to pass the Alps, and trouble (as he had done) the quiet of Italy. This being so; their message was none other, than to desire that the league before spoken of, made in the time of Catulus, might hereafter stand in force, as indeed it hitherto did, and ought to do. The senators had cause to wonder at this tale, hearing these ambassadors make (as it were) a jest of a war that had been so terrible. Wherefore they asked them a great many questions conćerning that peace made by Luctatius, and other passages following between the two cities. But they excused themselves by their age, (for they were all young men,) and said, that those things were beyond their knowledge and remembrance. Forthwith it appeared that all was but collusion, and that they sought no other than to gain time, until they might repair the war. Wherefore they were sent home in company of Lælius, without any conclusion at all of peace, and, in effect, without answer. This notwithstanding, we find in Polybius, that the senate, receiving advertisement from Scipio of that which had passed between him and the Carthaginians in this treaty of peace, approved the condi

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Excerpt. e Polyb. 1. 15.

tions by him propounded, and gave him license thereupon to proceed unto conclusion. This may with good reason be believed; since it was not unknown, that if the war continued, all these goodly hopes must rest upon the most uncertain issue of one battle between Hannibal and Scipio; wherein if fortune should be averse to them, their forces in Afric were no better than quite lost.

Matters thus hanging in suspense, before the Carthaginian ambassadors came back from Rome, a fleet out of Sicily, wherein were two hundred ships of burden and thirty galleys, being bound for Afric, to victual the Roman camp, was overtaken by foul weather at sea; and hardly escaping wreck, was dispersed, and driven aground in divers parts of the bay of Carthage, even in view and under command of the city. There was at that time, as we find in Appians, and may gather out of Polybius, a great dearth of victuals in Carthage; which caused the people to cry out upon their magistrates, that they should not let such a booty escape them; saying, that the danger of famine was greater and worse than of breaking truce. Whether it were so that hunger urged them, or that they yielded to their own greedy desires, the multitude in Carthage understood (as it seems) that all this discourse of peace in hand was no better than mere mockery; and therefore cared not for observation of particular points, when they meant deceit in the whole. It was the manner in Carthage, as likewise in Alexandria, for all the rascality, together with women and boys, to be meddling in uproars; the clamours of the boys being in such tumults no less violent than of the men. Wherefore it is no marvel, if little regard were had of reason or of honour in any such commotion. A fleet was sent out under Asdrubal, to gather up the dispersed Roman ships of burden, (for the galleys, by force of oars, recovered the station whereto their camp adjoined,) and bring them into Carthage; which was done. Scipio was hereat much offended; not only for the loss, and for that the town was thereby relieved; but for that, by this breach of truce, he Excerpt. e Polyb. 1. 15.

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Appian. de Bello Punico.

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foresaw the intention of the Carthaginians to renew the war, and put him to more trouble. Wherefore he sent ambassadors unto them; both to require satisfaction for the injury done, and to deter them from entertaining any other hope than in the peace which they had so much desired. These gave the Carthaginians to understand, that letters were come from Rome unto Scipio, with allowance to conclude the peace, upon those conditions which he had propounded. But, said they, "we hold it strange, that ye, who so lately have cast yourselves to the ground before us, and "kissed our feet, after an unusual manner of humility, confessing yourselves to have perfidiously broken the league that was between us, and thereby to have de"served such punishment as is due unto rebels, should so "soon forget what ye then uttered, and run headlong again ❝into the same crimes, for which ye acknowledged your"selves worthy to be destroyed, having only recourse unto "our mercy. We are not ignorant, that it is the confidence "which ye repose in Hannibal that thus emboldens you. "Yet were it not amiss that ye should consider how long " he hath been pent up in a corner of Italy among the Bru"tians, where he is in a manner besieged, and unable to "stir; so that ye are like to find his help wanting in your greatest need. Or let it be supposed, that he were "now in Afric, and ready to give us battle; yet should it "well agree with your wisdom, to doubt what might befall, "remembering that he is a man, and not invincible. Now "if it should happen that he were overcome, what refuge "have ye left unto yourselves against hereafter? What gods will ye either swear by, to be believed, or call upon "in your misery? What words and lamentable gesture ❝ will ye henceforth use, to move compassion? Surely ye "have already wasted all your forces of persuasion, and "shall not again deceive us, if ye refuse the grace whereof "at the present ye are capable." It is no marvel though the Carthaginians were angry, when they heard themselves upbraided with the base demeanour of their ambassadors. For it was not the general opinion of the city, that the

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truce was broken by themselves, though it had pleased Hanno, or such as were of his faction, to gratify the Romans with all manner of submission; and to renounce, only their hope of the future, but all justification of matters past. And indeed it seems, that the Roman ambassadors were very much delighted in the rehearsal of that point which was yielded unto them; as knowing that thereon depended the justice of the quarrel. But the Carthaginians took this in so ill part, that hardly they could refrain from doing violence unto the men who had used unto them such insolent speeches. Yet the fury of the multitude was in some sort appeased, either by Hanno, whom Appian (I · know not why) calls Hanno the Great, or by the very reverence due unto the place of those that had uttered such liberal words. So they were dismissed in friendly sort, though it were without answer to their proposition. There were also two galleys appointed for their safe convoy home, though with little intent of good unto their persons. Asdrubal was then in the midway, as men sailed from Carthage towards Utica. He, whether only desirous to please the multitude, of whose disposition he was informed, or whether directed by public order to cut off these ambassadors in their way homeward, lay waiting for them behind a cape, that was a little beyond the mouth of the river Bagradas. Their convoy having brought them on the way, as far as to the mouth of Bagradas, wished them a good voyage; and so took leave of them, as if they had been then in safety, since the Roman camp was even in sight. The ambassadors took this in ill part; not as fearing any danger toward, but thinking themselves too much neglected, forasmuch as their attendants did so abruptly leave them. But no sooner had they doubled the cape, than Asdrubal fell upon them in such manner, as they might well discern his purpose, which was, to have stemmed them. They rowed hard therefore; and being in a quinquereme, that had more banks of oars than had any galley of Asdrubal, they slipt away, and made him overshoot himself. Yet he gave them chase; and had well near surprised them:

but they discovered some Roman companies on the shore over against them, and therefore adventured to run their vessel aground, whereby they saved their own lives; though a great part of their company were slain or hurt. This practice of the Carthaginians was inexcusable; and for the same cause perhaps were the citizens heartened in such a dishonourable attempt by those that were desirous to continue the war, that thereby they might be driven to study nothing else than how to get the victory, as having none other hope remaining. Yet likely it is, that the same fear, which had caused them to make such earnest suit for peace, would also have caused them to be better advised, than thus to abandon all hope of treaty, had they not been given to understand, that Hannibal was already landed in Afric, in whom they reposed no small confidence; but verily persuaded themselves, that he would change their fortune, and teach the Romans to hold themselves contented with more easy conditions than were those that Scipio, in the pride of his fortune, had of late propounded.

SECT. XX.

In what sort Hannibal spent the time after the battle of Metaurus. The doings of Mago in Italy. Hannibal and Mago called out of Italy. How the Romans were diversely affected by Hannibal's departure.

EVER since the loss of that battle at Metaurus, Hannibal remained in the country of the Brutians, waiting for another supply from Carthage. The Roman consuls that succeeded unto Claudius and Livius, by whom Asdrubal was overcome and slain, were contented to be quiet all their year. Neither did Licinius, the colleague of Scipio, ought worthy of remembrance against Hannibal, being hindered by the pestilence that was in his army. Sempronius, the consul, who followed Licinius, and Cn. Servilius Cæpio, who followed Sempronius, were earnestly bent to have done somewhat; but their diligence was in a manner fruitless. In some skirmishes with Hannibal, they had the better; in some the worse; and a few poor towns they got from him,