quence of this propofal, were fo violent, that, for five years no fupreme magiftrate was chofen; and Rome was in a state of anarchy. Camillus, being called a fifth time to the dictatorship, compofed the diffentions, and prevailed upon the patricians to admit a Plebeian conful into the fenate.

This was brought about in the following manner. While Camillus was dispatching public affairs, the tribunes ordered that the votes of the people fhould be taken upon their favourite menfure. The dictator oppofing this attempt, they fent a lictor to arrest and conduct him to prifon. Such a mark of indignity offered to a magiftrate, who had been hitherto held facred, raifed a greater commotion than had yet been feen in Rome. The patricians, who stood round the dictator, boldly repulfed the lictors, while the people who stood below, with equal fury cried out, "Down with him, down "with him."

In this univerfal uproar, Camillus was the only person that Leemed unmoved. He intreated that the tribunes would give a moment's paufe to their attempts. He called the fenators round him, and conducting them to a neighbouring temple, he requested them to give peace to the city by their compliance. Then turning his face towards the capitol, as if to take a last farewel of all future endeavours to ferve his country, he vowed to build a temple to Concord, in cafe he faw peace restored to the people. In confequence of his advice, therefore, a law was made, that one of the confuls, for the future, fhould be chofen from the Plebeians. Sextus, who had long been a turbulent tribune of the people, was the first Plebeian conful that was chofen.

From this epocha, all the offices in the ftate became common to both orders. Nobility of birth gave place to dignity of office. The patricians mixed with the people, and the Plebeians belonged to the order of the fenate. This revolution, which brought the Roman republic to its perfect form, was introduced in the 454th year from the building of the city, and the 300th before the Chriftian æra.

The conftitution was now fettled, and the Romans, delivered from internal commotions, proceeded from one conquest to another. The time was approaching when their ambition was to extend its boundaries; and when the fire, ftruck from the collifion of oppofing bodies, and long compreffed within a narrow fphere, was to blaze over the

world.

Camillus, having spent a long life in the fervice of his country, and built a temple to Concord, according to his vow,

died

died of the plague in the 82d year of his age. He is faid ne ver to have fought a battle without gaining a complete victory; never to have befieged a city without taking it; and never to have led an army into the field, which he did not bring back loaded with glory and booty. He was a zealous patriot, and though perfecuted by his ungrateful country, would never liften to his juft refentments. The neceffities of the public no fooner obliged the people to have recourse to him, than, forgetting the affronts he had received, he took upon him the conduct of the most difficult and laborious affairs. Though he was a patrician by defcent, he was not actuated by party zeal, his love for the public being the only rule of his conduct. He favoured the Plebeians, when the intereft of the public required him so to do, but without flattery or felf intereft. He had nothing in view, but to do every one juftice, and put an end to the diffentions which weakened the republic; fo that he left his country in the enjoyment of a perfect tranquillity, by means of the equality he had wifely introduced, and the juft balance he had fettled between all orders of men in the republic *. Rome may be said to have furnished the world with many noble patterns of probity, but none perhaps more perfect than that of the incomparable Camillus.

CHA P. xxx.

The War with the Samnites-Manlius put to death for fighting against Orders-Fabricius is fent to treat with Pyrrhus, and nobly difcovers the intention of his Phyfician to poifon him.

T

HE Romans having now triumphed over the Sabines, the Etrurians, the Latins, the Henrici, the Æqui, and the Volfcians, began to look for greater conquefts. They accordingly turned their arms against the Samnites, a people about an hundred miles eaft from Rome.

The Samnites were a hardy nation, defcended from the Sabines, inhabiting a large tract of fouthern Italy, which at this day makes a confiderable part of the kingdom of Naples. They were equally powerful in numbers and difcipline with the Romans, and had, like them, confederated states to affift them. Two fuch aspiring neighbours, equally fond of arms and living by war, could not long want a pretext for rupture. * Univerfal History.

The

The pretended occafion was that the Samnites had oppreffed the Sidicini, who, being too weak to manage the war alone, called in the Campanians to their affiftance; and they alfo being overthrown, implored the affiftance of the Romans. The confuls Valerius and Cornelius commanded the Roman armies, and gained a fignal victory over the Samnites.

The war with this people and the neighbouring ftates was carried on for fome years, when a peace was concluded which feemed fo offenfive to the Latins and the Campanians, that it induced them to revolt. The former carried their demands fo far as to infift, that one of the confuls, and half the fenate, fhould be chofen out of their body, before they would fubmit to think of peace. The Romans at firft tried by gentle means to turn them from their purpofe; but they infifted upon it ftill more refolutely, afcribing the lenity of Rome to its fears. In order therefore to chaftife them, the two confuls, Manlius Torquatus, and his colleague, Decius Mus, were fent by the fenate to invade their country. The Latins were not remifs in their preparations for a defence; so that the two armies met with equal animofity, and a bloody and obftinate battle enfued. In this battle, the ftrict difcipline of the Romans, and their amazing patriotifm, were difplayed in a manner that has excited rather the wonder, than the admiration of pofterity. As the Latins and Romans were a neighbouring people, and their habits, arms, and language, were the fame, the moft exact difcipline was neceffary, to prevent confufion in the engagement. Orders, therefore, were iffued by Manlius the conful, that no foldier fhould leave his rank upon whatever provocation; and that he fhould be certainly put to heath, who fhould venture to do otherwife. With thefe injunctions both armies were drawn into array, and ready to begin, when Metius, the general of the enemy's cavalry, pufhed forward from his lines, and challenged any knight in the Roman army to fingle combat. For fome time there was a general paufe, no foldier offering to disobey his orders, till Titus Manlius, the conful's fon, burning with fhame to fee the whole body of the Romans intimidated, boldly ftepped forth against Metius. The foldiers on both fides, for fome time, fufpended the general engagement, to be fpectators of this fierce encounter. The two champions drove their horfes against each other with great violence. Metius wounded his adverfary's horfe in the neck; but Manlius, with better fortune, killed that of Metius. The Latin being thus fallen to the ground, for a while attempted to fupport himfelf upon his fhield; but the Roman followed his

blows

blows with so much force, that he laid him dead as he was endeavouring to rife; and then defpoiling him of his armour returned in triumph to the conful, who was preparing for the engagement.

Whatever applaufe he might have had from his fellowfoldiers, being as yet doubtful of the reception he should find from his father, he came, with hefitation, to lay the enemy's fpoils at his feet, and with a modeft air infinuated, that what he did was entirely from a fpirit of hereditary virtue. But he was foon made dreadfully fenfible of his error, when his father, turning away, ordered him to be led publicly forth be fore the army. There being brought forward, the conful, with a stern countenance, and yet with tears, fpoke as follows: Titus Manlius, as thou haft regarded neither the dignity of the confulfhip, nor the commands of thy father; as thou "haft deftroyed military difcipline, and fet a pattern of dif obedience by thy example, thou haft reduced me to the de-, ❝plorable extremity of facrificing my fon, or my country. But let us not hesitate in this dreadful alternative. A thoufand lives were well loft in fuch a caufe; nor do I think "that thou thyself wilt refufe to die, when thy country is to reap the advantage of thy fufferings. Go, lictor, bind him, and let his death be our future example."

The whole army was ftruck with horror at this unnatural mandate. Fear, for a while, kept them in fufpence; but, when they faw their young champion's head ftruck off, and his blood streaming upon the ground, they could no longer contain their execrations and their groans. His dead body was carried forth without the camp, and being adorned with the spoils of the vanquished enemy, was buried with all the pomp of military distress.

The

In the mean time, the battle joined with mutual fury; and as the two armies had often fought under the fame leaders, they combated with all the animofity of a civil war. Latins chiefly depended on their bodily ftrength, the Romans, on their invincible courage and conduct. Forces fo nearly matched, feemed only to require the protection of their deities to turn the scale of victory; and, in fact, the augurs had foretold, that whatever part of the Roman army fhould be diftreffed, the commander of that part fhould devote himfelf for his country, and die as a facrifice to the immortal gods.

Manlius commanded the right wing, and Decius led on the left. Both fides fought, for fome time, with doubtful fuccefs, as their courage was equal; but by degrees, the left

wing

wing of the Roman army began to give ground. It was then that Decius, who commanded there, refolved to devote himfelf for his country, and to offer his own life, as an atonement to fave his army. Thus determined, he called out to Manlius with a loud voice, and demanded his inftructions, as he was chief pontiff, how to devote himfelf, and the form of the words he fhould ufe. By his directions, therefore, being cloathed in a long robe, his head covered, and his arms ftretched forward, ftanding upon a javelin, he devoted himfelf to the celestial and infernal gods, for the fafety of Rome. Then arming himself, and mounting on horfeback, he drove furiously into the midft of the enemies, carrying terror and confternation wherever he came, till he fell covered with wounds.

In the mean time the Roman army confidered his devoting himself in this manner, as an affurance of fuccefs. Nor was the fuperftition of the Latins lefs powerfully influenced by his refolution. A total route began to enfue. The Romans preffed them on every fide; and fo great was the carnage that fcarce a fourth part of the enemy furvived the defeat. This was the laft battle of any confequence, thut the Latins had with the Romans. They were forced to beg a peace, and, obtained it upon hard conditions.

The Samnites, too, were at laft conquered, and the whole country, from Gallia Cifpadana, to Apulia and Lucania, fubmitted to the Roman arms.

The Tarentines commenced hoftilities; but, dreading the Roman power, implored the aid of Pyrrhus, king of Epire. This famous commander was of a generous and ambitious difpofition. He promifed affiftance to the Tarentines, and paffed over into Italy with an army of forty thoufand horfe and foot, and twenty armed elephants. He firft offered to Lævinus, the Roman conful and general, to become mediator between the Romans and Tarentines; but Lævinus made anfwer, "That the Romans neither defired his mediation nor "feared his power." He then conducted, the meffengers through the camp, and bade them tell their mafter what they had feen. The armies met on the plains of Heraclea, where a general engagement took place. Pyrrhus, behaved with great bravery and refolution. The Romans were routed; and, befides a great flaughter, eighteen thousand were taken prifoners. He then directed his march towards Rome, advanced as far as Prænefte, and laid wafte all before him. Pyrrhus treated the Roman prifcners with great civility, but finding that large recruits arrived in the army, he

I

fent