Page images
PDF
EPUB

Being endow'd with a singular beauty, and so excessive, that the chastest eyes could not chastly behold its raies; not contenting herself with leaving so much flame and fever as she every where kindled, without relief, enter'd into a furious spite against herself, and those great endowments nature had so liberally conferr'd upon her; as if a maid were responsible to herself for the faults of others and purposely slash'd and disfigur'd, with many wounds and scars, the perfect simmetry and proportion that nature had so curiously imprinted in her face. To give my free opinion, I more admire than honour such actions. Such excesses are enemies to my rules. The design was conscientious and good, but certainly a little defective in prudence. What! if her deformity serv'd afterwards to make others guilty of the sin of hatred or contempt, or of envy, at the glory of so commendable an action, or of calumny, interpreting this humour a mad ambition! Is there any form from whence vice cannot, if it will, extract occasion to exercise it self one way or another? It had been more just, and also more noble, to have made of these gifts of God a subject of regularity and exemplary vertue. They who retire themselves from the common offices, from that infinite number of vice, and manifest rules that fetter a man of exact honesty in the civil life, are, in my opinion, very discreet; what peculiar sharpness of constraint soever they impose upon themselves in so doing. 'Tis in some sort a kind of dying to avoid the pain of living well. They may have another reward, but the reward of the difficulty I fancy they can never have, nor that in uneasiness there can be any thing beyond keeping himself upright in the waves of the world, truly and exactly performing all parts of his duty. And a man may more incuriously slip into want than abundance duly dispens❜d. Custom, carried on according to reason, has in it more of sharpness than abstinence. Moderation is a vertue that has more work than sufferance. The well living of Scipio has a thousand fashions, that of Diogenes but one. This as much excells the ordinary lives in innocency, as the most accomplish'd excells them in utility and force.

CHAP. XCI.-OBSERVATIONS OF THE MEANS TO CARRY ON A WAR ACCORDING TO JULIUS Cæsar.

'TIS said of many great leaders, that they have had certain books in particular esteem, as Alexander the great, Homer, Scipio Africanus, Xenophon, Marcus Brutus, Polybius, Charles the Fifth, Philip de Comines, and 'tis said, that in our times Machiavil is elsewhere in repute; but the late Mareschal Strossy, who took Cæsar for his man,

614 SOME RARE PASSAGES IN THE WARS OF JULIUS CÆSAR.

doubtless made the best choice, being that that book in truth ought to be the breviary of every great soldier, as being the true and most excellent pattern of all military art. And moreover, God knows with what grace and beauty he has embellish'd that rich matter, with so pure, delicate, and perfect expression, that, in my opinion, there are no writings in the world comparable to his, as to that, I will set down some rare and particular passages of his wars that remain in my memory.

His army, being in some consternation upon the rumour that was spread of the great forces that king Juba was leading against him ; instead of abating the apprehension which his soldiers had conceived at the news, and of lessening the forces of the enemy, having call'd them all together to encourage and reassure them, he took a quite contrary way to what we are us'd to do, for he told them that they needed no more to trouble themselves with enquiring after the enemies forces, for that he was certainly inform'd thereof, and then told them of a number much surpassing both the truth and the report that was rumour'd in his army; following the advice of Cyrus in Xenophon; forasmuch as the imposture is not of so great importance to find an enemy weaker than we expected, than to find him really very strong, after having been made to believe that he was weak. It was always his use to accustom his soldiers simply to obey, without taking upon them to controul, or so much as to speak of their captains designs; which he never communicated to them but upon the point of execution, and took a delight, if they discover'd any thing of what he intended, immediately to change his orders to deceive them; and to that purpose would often, when he had assign'd his quarters in a place, pass forward and lengthen his days march, especially if it was foul weather. The Swisse, in the bebeginning of his wars in Gaul, having sent to him to demand a free passage over the Roman territories; though resolv'd to hinder them by force, he nevertheless spoke kindly to the messengers, and took some respite to return an answer, to make use of that time for the calling his army together. These silly people did not know how good a husband he was of his time: for he does often repeat, that it is the best part of a captain to know how to make use of occasions, and his diligence in his exploits are in truth unheard of and incredible. If he was not very conscientious in taking advantage of an enemy under colour of a treaty of agreement, he was as little in this, that he requir'd no other vertue in a soldier, but valour only, and seldom punish'd any other faults but mutiny and disobedience. He would oft after his victories turn them loose to all sorts of licence, dispensing them for some time from the rules of military discipline, saying withal, that he had soldiers so well train'd up, that powder'd and perfum'd, they would run furiously to the fight. In truth he lov'd to have them richly arm'd, and made them wear engraved, gilded and damask'd arms, to the end that

the care of saving their arms might engage them to a more obstinate defence. Speaking to them, he call'd them by the name of fellowsoldiers, which we yet use; which his successor Augustus reform'd, supposing he had only done it upon necessity, and to cajole those who only follow'd him as volunteers;

Rheni mihi Cæsar in undis

Dux erat, hic focius, facinus quos inquinat æquat.—Luc. 1. 5.

Great Cæsar, who my gen'ral did appear
Upon the banks of Rhine's my fellow here;
For wickedness, where it once hold does take,
All men whom it defiles does equal make.

but that this carriage was too mean and low for the dignity of an emperour and general of an army; and therefore brought up the custom of calling them soldiers only. With this courtesie Cæsar mixt great severity to keep them in awe. The ninth Legion having mutin'd near to Placentia, he ignominiously casheer'd them, though Pompey was then yet on foot, and receiv'd them not again to grace till after many supplications. He quieted them more by authority and boldness than by gentle ways. In that place where he speaks of his passage over the Rhine towards Germany, he says, that thinking it unworthy of the honour of Roman people to waft over his army in vessels, he built a bridge that they might pass over dry foot. There it was that he built that wonderful bridge, of which he gives so particular a description : for he no where so willing insists upon his own actions, as in representing to us the subtlety of his inventions in such kinds of things. I have also observ'd this, that he set a great value upon his exhortations to the soldiers before the fight; for where he would shew that he was either surpriz'd or reduc'd to a necessity of fighting, he always brings in this that he had not so much as leisure to harangue his army. Before that great battel with those of Tourney, "Cæsar," says he, "having given order for every thing else, presently ran where Fortune carried him to encourage his people, and meeting with the tenth Legion, had no more time to say any thing to them but this, that they should remember their wonted valour, not be astonish'd, but bravely sustain the enemies encounter; and being the enemy was already approach'd within a darts cast, he gave the signal of battle; and going suddenly thence elsewhere to encourage others, he found that they were already engag'd." His tongue has indeed done him notable service upon several occasions, and his military eloquence was in his own time so highly reputed, that many of his army writ down his harangues as he spoke them, by which means there were volumes of them collected that continued a long time after him. He had so particular a grace in speaking, that they who were particularly acquainted with him, and Augustus,

616 CESAR MOST VALU'D A VICTORY OBTAINED BY COUNSEL.

amongst others, hearings those operations read, could distinguish even to the phrases and words that were none of his. The first time that he went out of Rome with any publick command, he arriv'd in eight days at the river Rhine, having with him in his coach a secretary or two before him who were continually writing, and him that carried his sword behind him. And certainly, though a man did nothing but intend his way, he could hardly have perform'd that journey so soon. With which promptness having been everywhere victorious in Gaul, he left it, and following Pompey to Brundusium, in eighteen days time he subdued all Italy, return'd from Brundusium to Rome, and from Rome went into the very heart of Spain, where he underwent extream difficulties in the war against Afranius and Petreius, and in the long siege of Marcelles, from thence he return'd into Macedonia, beat the Roman army at Pharsalia: passed from thence in pursuit of Pompey into Ægypt, which he also subdu'd; from Ægypt he went into Syria, and the territories of Pontus, where he fought Pharnaces; from thence into Africk, where he defeated Scipio and Juba; again returned through Italy into Spain, where he defeated Pompey's sons.

Ocyor et cæli flammis, et tigride fœta.—Lucan. lib. 5.

Ac veluti montis saxum de vertice præceps

Cum ruit avulsum vento, seu turbidus imber
Proluit, aut annis solvit sublapsa vetustas,

Fertur in abruptum magno mons improbus actu,
Exultatque solo, silvas, armenta, virosque,
Involvens secum.—Virg. Æn. lib. 12.

Swifter than lightning, or the furious course

Of the fell tigress when she is a nurse;

And as a stone torn from the mountains crown

By some rough wind thence tumbles headlong down
Whether wash'd off by torrents of a shower,

Or loos'd by age's all-subduing power,

The pondrous mass falls with a mighty force,
And grazing here and there, does in its course
Sweep all before it, men and flocks and droves,
And levels with the earth opposing groves.

Speaking of the seige of Avaricum, he says, that it was his custom to be night and day with the pioneers. In all enterprises of consequence he still discover'd in person, and never brought his army into quarters till he had first view'd the place. And if we may believe Suetonius, when he resolv'd to pass over into England, he was the first man that sounded the passage. He was wont to say, that he more valu'd a victory obtain❜d by counsel than force. And in the war against Petreius and Afranius, fortune presenting him with an occasion of

manifest advantage, he declin'd it, saying, that he hop'd with a little more time and less hazard to overthrow his enemies. He there also play'd a notable part, in commanding his whole army to pass the river by swimming, without any manner of necessity.

rapuitque ruens in prælia miles

Quod fugiens timuisset iter, mox uda receptis
Membra fovent armis, gelidosque à gurgite, cursu
Restituunt artus.--Lucan. l. 4.

The soldiers rush through a pass to fight
They would have been afraid t'ave tane in flight,
Then with their arms their wet limbs cover ore,
And their numb'd joynts by running do restore.

I find him a little more temperate and considerate in his enterprizes than Alexander, for this seems to seek and run headlong upon dangers, like an impetuous torrent attacks and rushes against every thing it meets without choice or discretion.

Sic tauriformis volvitur Aufidus,
Dum sævit, horrendamque cultis

Qui regna Dauni perfluit Appuli
Diluviem meditatur agris,
Horat. 1. 4. Ode. 14.

So the biforked Aufidus amain

Runs bellowing forth along th' Apulian plain,

When he with rage, and swelling floods abounds

Threatning a deluge to the tilled grounds.--Hawkins.

And indeed he was a general in the flower and first heat of his youth, whereas Cæsar took up the trade at a ripe and well-advanc'd age. To which may moreover be added, that Alexander was of a more sanguine, hot and cholerick constitution, apt to push him on to extravagancies, which he also inflam'd with wine, from which Cæsar was very abstinent; but where necessary occasion requir'd, never did any man venture his person more than he so much that for my part, methinks, I read in many of his exploits a determinate resolution to throw himself away, to avoid the shame of being overcome. In his great battle with those of Tournay, he charg'd up to the head of the enemies without a shield, as he was surpris'd, seeing the van of his own army to begin to give ground, which had also several times befall'n him. Hearing that his people were beseig'd, he pass'd through the enemies army in disguise to go encourage them with his presence. Having cross'd over to Dyrrachim with very slender forces, and seeing the remainder of his army, which he left to Antonius his conduct, slow in following him, he attempted alone to repass the sea in a very great storm; and privately stole away to fetch the rest of his forces, the ports on the other side being seized by Pompey, and the whole sea being in

« PreviousContinue »