theatre of the war in the midst of an enemy's country, and in the very bosom of Italy, where he had no strong places, no magazines, no certainty of succour, nor any hopes of retreat. Add to this, that he attacked the Romans at the time of their greatest vigour, when their troops, quite fresh, and animated with the suc cess of the preceding war, were full of courage and confidence. As for Scipio, he had but a short passage to make from Sicily into Africa. He had a powerful fleet, and was master at sea. He kept up a free communication with Sicily, from whence he was supplied with his ammunition and provision whenever he pleased. He attacked the Carthaginians at the close of a war, wherein they had suffered great losses, at a time. when their power was already upon the decline, and they began to be exhausted of money, men and courage; Spain, Sardinia, and Sicily had been taken from them, and they could no longer make any diversiōn there against the Romans. Asdrubal's army was lately cut to pieces, and Hannibal's was extremely weakened, by several shocks it had received, and an almost general want of necessaries. All these circumstances seem to give Hannibal a great advantage over Scipio,

But there are two difficulties still to be got over; the one drawn from the generals he conquered, and the other from the faults he committed.

May not the victories which have rendered the name of Hannibal so famous, be properly said to be as much owing to the imprudence and rashness of the Roman generals, as to his own valour and wisdom? When they sent a Fabius against him, and then a Scipio, they first put a stop to his progress, and the other overcame him.

The two faults which Hannibal committed, in not marching immediately to Rome after the battle of Cannæ, and suffering his soldiers to be corrupted and enervated at Capua, are likewise supposed to take off very much from his reputation. For these faults may be reckoned essential, decisive, and irreparable; and both of them contrary to the principal quality of a

general,

general, which is capacity and judgment. As for Scipio, I do not know that during the whole time he com manded the Roman army, he was chargeable with any thing like this.

I do not therefore wonder, that Hannibal, in the judgment he gave of the most accomplished generals, after having assigned the third place to himself after Alexander and Pyrrhus, and Scipio asking him what would he say then if he had conquered him? I do not wonder that he should reply, "I would then have "taken the place of Alexander and Pyrrhus, and of "all the generals that have ever been." [o] A fine flattering encomium in favour of Scipio, whom he distinguished from every other commander, as being su perior to them all, and not proper to be brought into comparison with any.

II. MORAL AND CIVIL VIRTUES.

Here Scipio triumphs, whose goodness, mildness, moderation, generosity, justice, chastity, and religion, are justly boasted of. Here, I say, we have his triumph, or rather the triumph of virtue, which is by far preferable to all the victories, conquests, and dignities in the world. It is a beautiful expression of Livy, when speaking of the deliberation of the senate, that was assembled to determine which of the Romans was the man of the greatest probity. [p Haud parce rei judicium senatum tenebat, qui vir optimus in civitate esset. Veram certè victoriam ejus rei sibi quisque mallet quàm ulla imperia, honoresve suffragio seu patrum seu plebis delatos.

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The determin

ing which of all the citizens was the most worthy man, was a subject of no small import. Certainly every man would have chosen a victory given to "himself in this respect, rather than any empires or "honours either senate or people could confer.”

[o] Et perplexum Punico astu responsum, & improvisum assentationis genus Scipionem movit, quòd è grege se imperatorum velut inæs

timabilem secrevisset.

XXXV. n. 14.

[p] Lib. xxix. n. 14.

Liv. lib.

The

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The reader will not so much hesitate here, in whose favour he ought to declare, especially if he consults the frightful description which [q] Livy has left us of Hannibal." His great virtues," says this historian, after he had given an encomium of him, were "equalled by most enormous vices; inhuman cruelty, a more than Carthaginian perfidy, no regard "for truth, nor any reverence for what was most sa"cred. He had no fear of the gods, no respect for "oaths, nor any religion." Has tantas viri virtutes ingentia vitia æquabant; inhumana crudelitas, perfidia plusquam Punica, nihil veri, nihil sancti; nullus deum metus, nullum jusjurandum, nulla religio.

We have here a strange portrait, but I question whether truly copied after nature, and whether prejudice has not in some measure drawn it in too black colours. For the Romans in general may be suspected of not doing the justice to Hannibal that was due to him, and of saying a great many ill things of him, because he did a great many to them. Neither Polybius nor Plutarch, who have frequent occasion to speak of Hannibal, charge him with the horrid vices that Livy imputes to him. The very facts related by Livy contradict the character he has given of him. To take notice only of one single imputation, nullus deûm metus, nulla religio; there is a proof to the contrary. Before he set out for Spain, he took a journey to Cadiz, to discharge the vows he had made to Hercules, and made new ones to him, in case that god would favour his enterprise. [r] Annibal Gades profectus Herculi vota exsolvit, novisque se obligat votis, si cetera prosperè evenissent. Is this step like the proceedings of a man without religion or the fear of the gods? What could oblige him to leave his army to undertake so tedious a pilgrimage? If it was hypocrisy to impose upon a superstitious people, it would have been more advantageous to him to have put on this mask of religion in the sight of all his troops assembled together, as the Romans did in the lustrations of their armies. [s] Presently after Hannibal [9] Lib. xxi. n. 4. [r] Ibid. n. 21. [s] Ibid. n. 22.

t

has

has a vision, which he believes is sent from the gods, to declare to him what was to happen, and the event of his enterprize. He lay several years near the rich temple of Juno Lacinia, and not only took nothing from it in the most pressing necessities of his army, but was also so careful of it, though it stood without the town, that none of the soldiers ever stole any thing from it; and even left there a magnificent monument before his departure out of Italy. He paid the same respect to all other temples; and we no where read, [t] as I remember, that his troops ever plundered any in the confusion of a war diversified by so many events. [u] He evidently acknowledged the power of the Deity, when he declared that the gods sometimes took from him the inclination, and sometimes the power of taking Rome. [r] In the treaty he made with Philip, having first appealed to the gods as witnesses, he plainly declares that he expected all the success of his arms from their protection; [y] and lastly, when he comes to die, he invokes all the gods, who are revengers of the breach of hospitality. All these facts, and several others of a like nature, absolutely overthrow the crime of irreligion, which Livy lays to his charge. And the same may be said of his perjuries, and unfaithfulness in keeping of treaties. I do not know that he ever broke one, though the Carthaginians did, but without his being concerned in it. However, I shall not here draw a parallel between these two generals with reference to their civil and moral virtues. I shall satisfy myself with relating some of those which were most eminent in Scipio.

1. Generosity and Liberality.

This is the virtue of great minds, as the love of money is the vice of the base and dishonourable. Scipio understood the true value of money, which is to [t] Liv. lib. xxviii. n, 46. cumstance is mentioned by Poly[u] Lib, xxvi. n. 11.

[x] Lib. xxiii. n. 33. This cit

bius.

[y] Lib, xxxix. n. 51.

gain friends and buy mankind. The contributions which he made in a proper season; the ransoms he generously restored to those who came to redeem their children or relations, gained him almost as many hearts as his victories. By this means he entered into the views and character of the Roman people, who chose rather, as he expresses it himself, to oblige mankind by civility, than fear; [z] qui beneficio quàm metu obligare homines malit.

2. Goodness, Gentleness.

All men cannot be partakers of our benefits, but we may express our good inclination towards all. It is a sort of coin that several are satisfied with, and does not exhaust the treasury of the general.

Scipio had a wonderful talent in conciliating the inclinations and gaining the hearts of others, by a civil and engaging behaviour.

He was very obliging to the officers, set a just value upon their services, extolled their bravery, rewarded them with presents or commendations, and behaved thus even towards those who might have given him some jealousy had he been capable of it. He always honourably treated that famous officer Marcius, and kept him near his person, who, after the death of his father and uncle, had supported the affairs of Spain; thereby shewing, says the historian, how remote he was from any apprehensions of fear and distrust. [a] Ut facilè appareret nihil minùs quam vereri ne quis obstaret gloriæ suæ.

He knew how to temper even reprimands with such an air of kindness and cordiality, as rendered them amiable. [b] The rebuke he was obliged to give Ma. sinissa, for giving way to a blind passion, in marrying Sophonisba, the declared enemy of the Roman people, is a perfect model of the manner of behaving and speaking upon such delicate conjunctures. We find in it all the refinements of eloquence, all the precau[a] Ib. n. 20. [6] Lib. xxx. n. 14,

[z] Liv. lib. xxvi. n. 50.