produced a deep and formidable confpiracy, which was detected by the vigilance of Cicero, and hurried Catiline to open rebellion and death.

Still we find that internal difcord was often filenced, when intelligence was brought to the city of hoftile defigns and movements. Such an alarm was fufficient to abate the anger of contending factions, and to unite every order in the firmest union for the public fervice. The arrival of Hannibal in Italy, produced an immediate ceffation of all civil diffentions. The storm, which had raged at home fuddenly increafed its violence, but changed its direction, and fell with redoubled fury upon the common enemy.

From the love of their country immediately refulted, in the pureft times of the commonwealth, the facrifice of private interest to the public welfare. The Romans were aware that opulence, by the introduction of luxury, would difqualify them for the toils of war, and deftroy that genuine patriotifm which limits ambition to the fole defire of acting for the general good. They therefore efteemed poverty a virtue; and this, which in the firft inhabitants of Rome was the effect of neceffity, became among their defcendants, for fome ages, an object of choice. They confidered it as the fure guardian of liberty, and oppofed it to the encroachments of corruption. A Roman, during the pureft times of the commonwealth, thought that frugality formed a part of his glory; and at the fame time that he

expofed

expofed his life to every danger, in order to fill the public treafury, he performed military fervice at firft for no ftipend, and afterwards for a finall one. Every one thought himself fufficiently opulent in the riches of the ftate, and would have esteemed it unworthy of his high character to require any compenfation beyond that which was neceffary for his bare fubfiftence, from the fervice with which his country had honoured him, and which he performed to fill her treasures, and not to amafs his own. Thus difinterested he fought for glory, not for plunder; and after the expiration of his campaigns, he was content to engage in the employments and practife the economy of the humbleft of his countrymen. Regulus requested permiffion from the fenate to return from the command of his army to cultivate his little farm; and Paulus Æmilius, who filled Rome with the rich spoils of Macedon, died without fufficient money to defray the expences of his funeral.

* B. C. 256.

B. C. 168.

Ee 3

CHAPTER

CHAPTER IX.

The Subject continued.

THE caufes ftated in the preceding chapter had the greatest influence upon the fentiments and the conduct of the Romans, both at home and abroad, established their military character, and raifed them by flow degrees to the fummit of dominion.

Vain were the efforts of the people of Italy to refift them; and the fucceffive attacks of the fovereigns of Macedon, Syria, and Egypt, were equally fruitlefs. The difgraceful capitulation of the legions in the ftraights of Caudium, the near approach of Coriolanus to Rome at the head of the Volfci, were productive of no permanent advantage to the conquerors. The armies of the republic were often compelled to fly, or to furrender, and were fometimes reduced to the most humiliating diftrefs. But the fevereft repulfes tended only to give a new spring to their exertions. The impetuous fury of the Gauls, and the alacrity of Pyrrhus, made indeed a temporary impreffion; but they could not finally prevail, At one time Terentius Varro was flain at Canna, at another Cneius and Publius Scipio were cut off, in Spain; their forces were routed, and the braveft of their troops were flain; but the cou

rage

rage of the fenate and the people was ftill firm and undaunted; the fpirit of their inftitutions cherished it, and their exertions were too much the refult of calm intrepidity and confirmed habit, to be dif concerted by the fall of a general, the overthrow of an army, or the fufpenfion of a triumph. Victory was fometimes capricious in the diftribution of her favours; the flew to give tranfient fuccefs to other nations, and fwelled their minds with delufive hopes of conqueft. But moft propitious to difcipline, valour, and perfeverance, the failed not finally to encircle with her unfading laurel the brows of her darling Romans.

In the Carthaginians we behold their most formidable enemies. They were the only people, who, by their courage, opulence, territories, and refources, feemed capable of contending with them for empire, with any profpect of fuccefs. Their

tran

b For an accurate account of the conftitution, laws, commerce, and dominions of Carthage, fee Ferguson's Roman Republic, vol. i. p. 88. Into one chapter of moderate length he has compreffed the memorable tranfactions of the fecond Punic war, p. 106. The account of the battle of Cannæ is detailed with fingular precifion and perfpicuity.

Polybius has drawn a concife but striking contrast between the flourishing condition of Rome, and the declining state of Carthage, at the commencement of the first Punic war. Lib. vi. fect. 49. &c. See Ariftot. de Republica, lib. ii. cap. 9. Polybius fupplied Livy with much information relative to the Punic wars. Livy has not only adopted, in many instances, his statement of facts, but even has literally tranflated his

tranfactions and wars form one of the most in: terefting portions of the hiftory we are now con fidering. But unfortunately for their fame, and the wishes of pofterity, the chief accounts of their history are recorded by their enemies. The Roman hiftorians take delight in placing all their tran, factions in the moft unfavourable light, and afperfe their character with fome of the most odious imputations. They ftigmatize their perfidy by the expreffion of Punica fides; and to throw the greatest dishonour upon the character of Hannibal, Livy aferibes to him perfidia plus quam Punica, although the actions which he relates, do not justify the charge. Nor are the Greek writers totally free from an unfavourable bias, and the influence of fimilar prejudices. The moft impartial and full detail of their government, laws, arts, manners, and inftitutions, would have been peculiarly interefting to Britain, as they rofe to dominion and opulence by the power of their navy, and the extent of their colonies and commerce. During the fecond Punic war, the full energy of both nations was drawn forth into action. Hannibal combined in his character all the qualifications of

expreffions. As an acknowledgment for fuch obligations, he has merely mentioned Polybius in fuch terms as thefe: haudquaquam fpernendus auctor," and "non incertum auctorem." Liv. lib. xxx. c. 45. and lib. xxxiii. c. 10. I am inclined however to admit the reasons brought by Drakenborch, tom. iv. p. 506. for fuppofing that thefe expreffions were intended to convey fentiments of refpect.

CB. C. 220.

a con