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great a Want and Dearth of Reputation, they have Reafon to feek it at what Price foever; which they ought not to do, who have acquired enough already. There may be fome juft Moderation in this Thirft of Glory, and fome Satiety in this Appetite, as well as in other Things; and there are enow who practise it. He was far from the religious Scruple of the ancient Romans, who would never prevail in their Wars, but by mere Valour; and yet he was more confcientious than we should be in these Days, and did not approve of all forts of Means to obtain a Victory. In the War against Arioviftus, whilst he was`parleying with him, there happened a Tumult between the two Armies, which was occafioned by the Fault of Arioviftus's Cavalry, wherein, though Cæfar saw he had a very great Advantage over his Enemy, he would not lay hold on't, left he fhould be reproached with a treacherous Action. He was always wont to wear a rich Garment, and of a fhining Colour in Battle, that he might be the more remarkable. He always carried a ftricter Hand over his Soldiers, and kept them clofer together when near an Enemy.

When the antient Greeks would accuse any one of extreme Infufficiency, they would fay, in a common Cæfar as Proverb, That he could neither Read nor Swim: a skilful and Cafar alfo was of this Opinion, that Swim- fuccessful ming was of great Ufe in War, and himfelf Swimmer, found it fo, for, being to use Diligence, he commonly fwam over the Rivers in his Way; for he loved to march on Foot, as alfo did Alexander the Great. Being in Egypt forced, for Safety, to go into a little Boat, and fo many People leaping in with him, that it was in Danger of finking, tho' he was of an advanced Age, he chofe rather to commit himself to the Sea, and fwam to his Fleet, which lay two hundred Paces off, holding, in his Lefthand, his Pocket-book above Water, left it should be wet, and drawing his Coat-armour in his Teeth, that it might not fall into the Enemy's Hand.

d

Never had any General fo much Credit with his Soldiers:

N n 4

& Suet, in J. Cæfare, fect. 64,

No General

diers In the Beginning of the Civil Wars, better beloved his Centurions offered to find, every one, a by his Soldiers. Man at Arms at his own Charge, and the Foot Soldiers to ferve him at their own Expence; those who were best able, moreover, undertaking to defray the moft neceffitous. The late Admiral Chaftillion furnished us the like Cafe in our Civil Wars, for the French of his Army laid out Money out of their own Purses to pay the Foreigners that were with them. There are but rarely found Examples of fo ardent and fo ready an Affection amongst the Soldiers of old Times, who kept ftrictly to the ancient Police. Paffion has a more abfolute Command over us than Reafon; and yet it happened, in the War against Hannibal, that, after the generous Example of the People of Rome in the City, the Soldiers and Captains refufed their Pay in the Army; and, in Marcellus's Camp, those who would receive any, were branded with the Name of Mercenaries. Having come by the worst near Dyrrachium, his Soldiers came and offered themfelves to be chaftifed and punished, fo that he was more inclined to comfort than reprove them.

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One fingle Cohort of his withstood four of Pompey's Inftances of Legions above four Hours together, till it their Intrepi was almoft demolished with Arrows, of which dity. there were an hundred and thirty thousand found in the Trenches. A Soldier, called Scava, who commanded at one of the Avenues, invincibly maintained his Ground, having loft an Eye, befides being wounded in one Shoulder, and one Thigh, and his Shield shot in two hundred and thirty Places. It happened, that many of his Soldiers, being taken Prisoners, rather chose to die than promise to take the contrary Side. When Granius Petronius was taken by Scipio, in Africa, Scipio, having put his Comrades to Death, fent him Word, That he gave him his Life, for he was a Man of Quality, and a Queftor;' Petronius fent Anfwer back, That Cafar's Soldiers were wont to give Life to others, and not to : receive Sueton. in Jul. Cæfar. fect. 58. Cefar makes the Number but Thirty thousand. Plutarch in the Life of Cafar, c. 5.

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<receive it, and immediately, with his own Hand, killed • himself.'

Of their Fidelity there are infinite Examples; amongst which, that of thofe who were befieged in Fidelity of the Salona, a City that ftood for Cæfar against Garrison of Pompey, is not, for the Rarity of an Accident Salona.

that there happened, to be forgot. Marcus Octavius kept them close befieged; they within being reduced to the extremeft Neceffity of all Things, fo that, to fupply the want of Men, moft of them being either flain or wounded, they had fet all their Slaves at Liberty, and had been constrained to cut off all the Women's Hair, to twist inftead of Cordage, befides a wonderful Dearth of Victuals, yet they continued refolute never to yield: After having drawn the Siege to a great length, by which Octavius was grown more negligent, and lefs attentive to his Enterprife, they made choice of one Day about Noon, and, having firft placed the Women and Children upon the Walls to make a Shew, they fallied upon the Befiegers with fuch Fury, that, having routed the firft, fecond, and third Corps, and afterwards the fourth, and then the reft, and beaten them all out of their Trenches, they purfued them even to their Ships; and Octavius himself was forced to fly to Dyrrachium, where Pompey lay. I do not, at prefent, remember, that I have met with any other Example, where the Befieged ever gave the Befiegers a total Defeat, and won the Field; nor that a Sally ever was attended with a pure and entire Victory.

CHA P. XXXV.

Of Three good WOMEN.

HEY don't run thirteen to the Dozen, as every one knows, and especially in the Duties of Mar

riage; for that is a Bargain full of fo many nice Circumstances, that 'tis hard for a Woman's Will to keep to it long: Men, tho'

Cæfar. Bell. Civil. lib. i. c. 3.

True Proof of a good Mar

riage.

their

Book II. their Condition be fomething better under that Tie, have yet enough to do: The true Touchftone and Teft of a happy Marriage refpects the Time of their Cohabitation only, whether it has been conftant, mild, loyal, and commodious.

Montaigne's
Opinion of the
Women, who
never declare

their Love for
their Husbands
till they are
dead.

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In our Age, Women commonly referve the Publication of their good Offices, and their vehement Affection for their Hufbands, till they have loft them; or, at least, then it is that they deign to give Proofs of their Good-will: A too flow Teftimony, and that comes too late; by which they rather manifeft, that they never loved them till dead. Their Life is full of Combustion, their Death full of Love and Courtesy: As Fathers conceal their Affections from their Children, Women likewife conceal theirs from their Hufbands to maintain a modeft Refpect. This is a Myftery I do not relish; 'tis to much Purpose that they fcratch themselves, and tear their Hair. I whisper in a Waiting-woman's, or a Secretary's Ear, How were they? How did they live together? I always have that Saying in my Head, Jactantius mærent, que minus dolent: They make the most ado, who are least concerned.' Their Whimpering is offenfive to the Living, and vain to the Dead: We should willingly give them Leave to laugh after we are dead, provided they will fmile upon us whilft we are alive. Is it not enough to make a Man revive in Spite, that fhe who fpit in my Face whilft I was, fhall come to kiss my Feet when I am no more? If there be any Honour in lamenting a Hufband, it only appertains to those who fmiled upon them whilft they had them; let those who wept during their Lives, laugh at their Deaths, as well outwardly as inwardly: Moreover, never regard those blubbered Eyes, and that pitiful Voice; but confider her Deportment, her Complexion, and the Plumpness of her Cheeks under all thofe formal Veils; 'tis there the Discovery is to be made. There are few who do not mend upón't, and Health is a Quality that cannot lye: That ftarched and ceremonious Countenance looks not fo much back as forward, and is rather intended to get a new Husband, than to lament

3

the

6

the old. When I was a Boy, a very beautiful and virtuous Lady, who is yet living, and the Widow of a Prince, had, I know not what, more Ornament in her Drefs than our Laws of Widowhood will well allow; which being reproached withal, as a great Indecency, the made Answer, That it was because fhe was not cultivating more Friendships, and would never marry again.' I have here, not at all diffenting from our Cuftom, made choice of three Women, who have alfo expreffed the utmost of their Goodness and Affections about their Hufbands Deaths; yet are they Examples of another kind than are now in Ufe, and fo fevere, as will hardly be drawn into Imitation.

h

The younger Pliny had, near a House of his in Italy, a Neighbour, who was exceedingly tormented with certain Ulcers in his private Parts: His Wife, seeing him so long to languifh, intreated that he would give her Leave to fee, and at Leifure to confider of the State of his Difeafe; adding, that fhe would freely tell him what fhe thought of it: This Permiffion being obtained, fhe curiously examined the Business, found it impoffible he could ever be cured, and that all he was to expect, was a great while to linger out a painful and miferable Life, and therefore, as the most fure and fovereign Remedy, she refolutely advised him to kill himself: But finding him a little tender and backward in fo rude an Attempt: Do not think, my Dear, faid fhe, that I have not an equal Feeling of the Torments which I fee thou endureft, and that, to deliver myself from them, I will not myself make Ufe of the fame Remedy I have prefcribed to thee; I will accompany thee in the Cure, as I have done in the Disease; fear nothing, but believe that we shall have • Pleasure in this Paffage that is to free us from so many • Miferies, and go off happily together.' Having faid this, and roufed up her Husband's Courage, the refolved that they fhould throw themfelves headlong into the Sea, out of a Window that leaned over it; and that fhe might maintain, to the laft, the loyal and vehement Affection wherewith fhe had embraced him during his Life, fhe would

➤ Ep. 24. lib. 6.

yet

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