ર gasp, and, in some sort, beyond it: he might have "wasted his enemy, who was indiscreetly advanced "into his dominions, without striking a blow; and "it was very grievous to his heart, that, for want of cc a little life, or somebody to substitute in the con"duct of this war,* and of the affairs of a troubled "state, he found himself compelled to seek a doubt"ful and bloody victory, when he had another, bet❝ter and surer, already in his power: yet he won"derfully managed the continuance of his sickness, "in wasting the enemy, and in drawing them from "the naval army, and the sea-ports in the coast of ઃઃ He Africa, even till the last day of his life, which he "designedly reserved for this great battle. "formed the main battle in a circle, environing the Portugal army on every side; which circle, coming to draw up close together, did not only hinder "them in the conflict (which was very sharp, through the valour of the young invading king), con"sidering they were every way to make a front; but "also prevented their flight, after the defeat; so that, finding all passages possessed and shut up, they were "constrained to close up together again; coacervan"turque non solem cæde, sed etiam fuga; and there they who stood, and they who fled, were slain in heaps upon one another, leaving to the conqueror "a very bloody and entire victory. As he was dy ઃઃ ing, he caused himself to be carried and hur"ried from place to place, where most need was; "and, passing through the files, encouraged the cap"tains and soldiers one after another. But, a cor"ner of his main battle being broke, he was not to "be restrained from mounting on horseback, sword "in hand. He did his utmost to break from those "about him, and to rush into the thickest of the battle, they all the while stopping him, some by "the bridle, some by his robe, and others by his "stirrups. This last effort totally deprived him of * Thuanus, Hist. lib. lxv. p. 248, the Geneva edition, in 1720. VOL. II. 2 C "the little life he had left; they again laid him upon his "couch, but, coming to himself again, he started, as it "were, out of his swoon, all other faculties failing, to give his people notice, that they were to conceal his "death (the most necessary command he had then to "give, that his soldiers might not be discouraged with "the news), he expired with his finger upon his "mouth, the ordinary signal for keeping silence."* Who ever lived so long and so far in death? Who ever died more like a man? The most natural degree of entertaining death, is to look upon it, not only without astonishment, but without care, continuing the wonted course of life even into it; as Cato did, who entertained himself in study, and went to sleep, having a violent and bloody design úpon himself in his heart, and the weapon in his hand to execute it. CHAPTER XIII. Of Posts. I HAVE been none of the least able in this exercise, which is proper for men of my pitch, well set and short; but I give it over, it shakes us too much Post horses to continue long. I was just now reading, "That first set up by Cyrus. king Cyrus, the better to have news brought him "from all parts of the empire, which was of a vast "extent, caused it to be tried, how far a horse could go in a day, before he baited; and at that distance "appointed men whose business it was to have "horses always in readiness to accommodate those who were dispatched away to him." And some say, that this swift way of travelling is equal to the flight of cranes. Thuanus, lib. v., p. 248, observes, that it was said Charles of Bourbon gave the same signal when he was expiring at the foot of the walls of Rome, which his troops took by storm, just after his death. ↑ Xenophon's Cyropædia, lib. viii, cap. 6, sect. 9. used by the Cæsar says, "That Lucius Vibulus Rufus,* being They were "in great haste to carry intelligence to Pompey, Romans. rid day and night, often taking fresh horses for the greater speed;" and " Himself," as Suetonius reports," travelled a hundred miles a day in a hired coach; but he was a furious courier, for, where "rivers stopped his way, he always passed them by "swimming, without turning out of his way to look "for either bridge or ford." Tiberius Nero, going to see his brother Drusus,‡ who was sick in Germany, travelled two hundred miles in four and twenty hours, having three coaches. In the war ofthe Romans against king Antiochus, T. Sempronius Gracchus, says Livy, Per dispositos equos propè incredibilii celeritato ab Amphissa tertio die Pellam pervenit :§ "By horses purposely laid on the road, he rode with almost in"credible speed, in three days, from Amphissa to "Pella." And it appears there, that they were established posts, and not just ordered for this occasion. carry let Cecinna's invention, to send back news to his fami- Swallows and pily, was performed with much more speed, for "He geons "took swallows along with him from home, and taught to "turned them out towards their nests, when he ters. "would send back any news; setting a mark of "some colour upon them to signify his meaning, "according to what he and his people had before "agreed upon." At the theatre at Rome, masters of families carried pigeons in their bosoms, to which they tied letters, when they had a mind to send any orders to their people at home; and the pigeons were trained up to bring back an answer. D. Brutus¶ made use of the same device, when besieged in Multina; and others elsewhere have done the same. travelled In Peru, they rode post upon men's shoulders, who How they took them up in a kind of litter, and ran with full post at Peru. . speed, the first bearers throwing their load to the second, without making any stop; and so on. I understand, that the Walachians, who are the grand scignior's couriers, perform wonderful journies, by reason they have liberty to dismount the first horseman they meet on the road, giving him their own tired horse: to keep themselves alert, they gird themselves tight about the middle with a broad belt, as many others do; but I could never find any advantge by it. Political CHAPTER XIV. Of ill Means employed to a good End. THERE is a wonderful relation and corresponstates sub dence in this universal system of the works of nasame acci- ture, which makes it plainly appear, that it is neident as the ther accidental,, nor carried on by diverse masters. ject to the human body. . The diseases and conditions of our bodies are also manifest in states, and governments of the world: kingdoms and republics rise, flourish, and decay with age, as we do. We are subject to a repletion of humours that are useless and dangerous, either of those that are good, for even those the physicians are afraid of: and since we have nothing in us that is stable, they say, "That a true brisk and vigorous perfection "of health must be lowered and abated by art, lest, as our nature cannot rest in any certain situation, "and has not whither to rise to mend itself, it should "make too sudden and too disorderly a retreat;" and therefore they prescribe to wrestlers to purge and bleed, to take down that superabundant health; "Or "else a repletion of evil humours, which is the ordinary cause of maladies." States are very often *Plin. Nat. Hist. sick of the like repletion, and therefore diverse sorts The Romans, by this means, erected their colonies; for, perceiving the city to increase beyond measure, they eased it of the most unnecessary people, and sent them to inhabit and cultivate the land which they had conquered. Romans Sometimes also they purposely fomented wars with Why t some of their enemies, not only to keep their men in chose to action, lest idleness, the mother of corruption, should make bring some worse inconvenience upon them, Et patimur longæ pacis mala, sævior armis but also to serve for a blood-letting to their republic, wars. Edward III. king In the treaty with Brittany, Edward the third, Politics of king of England, would not, in the general peace he then made with our king, comprehend the contro- of Engversy about the duchy of Brittany,t that he might have a place wherein to discharge himself of his sol *Juv. sat. vi. ver. 192. +Froissart, vol. i. cap. 213 land. |