fent Cineas, a powerful rhetorician to the fenate, and offered to make a treaty with the Romans, requesting only for himfelf and the Tarentines, their alliance and friendship. Thefe offers, and ftill more the orator's eloquence, feemed to touch the whole affembly. A general inclination feemed to prevail in favour of the king's propofal, and a peace was confidently talked of in every part of the city. This, however, was ftrongly oppofed by Appius Claudius, an old fenator, and Cineas was difiniffed with an answer, intimating, that when Pyrrhus fhould withdraw his forces from Italy, the senate would treat with him concerning peace.

Cineas being thus fruftrated in his expectations, returned to his mafter, extolling both the virtue and the grandeur of the Romans. "The fenate," he faid, "appeared a reverend "affembly of demi-gods; and the city, a temple for their "reception." Of this Pyrrhus foon after became fenfible, by an embafly from Rome, concerning the ransom and exchange of prisoners. At the head of this venerable deputation was Fabricius, an ancient fenator, who had been a pattern to his countrymen of the most extreme poverty, joined to the most chearful content. This practical philofopher, who had been formerly conful, and was now the ambaffador of Rome, had no other plate furniture in his houfe, than a fmall cup, the bottom even of which was born. His daughters being without fortunes, the fenate generously portioned them from the public treafury. When the Samnites had already offered him large prefents, he refufed them, faying, that he was already rich, as he had learned the art of leffening his wants, by reftraining his appetites.

Pyrrhus received this celebrated old man with great kindnefs, treated him with the highest marks of diftinction, and by the offer of the most valuable prefents, endeavoured to difpofe him to his intereft. After having given a general audience to the ambaffadors, he took Fabricius afide, and addreffed him in the following manner.

am

"As for you, Fabricius, I am fenfible of your merit. I convinced that you are an excellent general, and per"fectly qualified for the command of an army; that justice "and temperance are united in your character, and that you "juftly pafs for a perfon of confummate virtue. But I am no "lefs certain of your poverty, and I must confefs, that fortune, in this particular, has treated you with injuftice, by "mifplacing you in the clafs of indigent fenators. In order, "therefore, to fupply that deficiency, (provided you affift "me to negociate an honourable peace), I am ready to give

"you

"you as much gold and filver as will raife you above the "richeft citizen of Rome; being fully perfuaded, that no exแ pence can be more honourable to a prince, than that which " is employed in the relief of great men, who are compelled "by their poverty to lead a life unworthy of their virtue, and "that this is the nobleft purpose to which a king can poffibly. "devote his treasures."

"

To this Fabricius made the following anfwer: "As to "my poverty, you have, indeed, fir, been rightly informed. My whole eftate confifts in a houfe of but mean appearance, "and a little fpot of ground, from which, by my own labour, "I draw my fupport. But if, by any means, you have been "perfuaded to think, that this poverty makes me lefs con"fidered in my country, or in any degree unhappy, you are "extremely deceived. I have no reafon to complain of for"tune; fhe fupplies me with all that nature requires; and, "if I am without fuperfluities, I am also free from the defire "of them. With thefe, I confefs, I should be more able to: "fuccour the neceffitous, the only advantage for which the, "wealthy are to be envied. But, fmall as my poffeffions are, "I can ftill contribute fomething to the fupport of the ftate,, "and the affiftance of my friends.

"

"With regard to honours, my country places me, poor as "I am, upon a level with the richeft; for, Rome knows" no qualifications for great employments but virtue and abi"lity. She entrufts me with command of her armies, and "confides to my care the most important negotiations. My poverty does not leffen the weight and influence of my "counfels in the fenate. The Roman people honour me for "that very poverty which you confider as a difgrace. They "know the many opportunities I have had in war to enrich "myself without incurring cenfure. They are convinced of " my difinterested zeal for their profperity, and if I have any thing to complain of in the return they make, it is only the "excefs of their applaufe. What value, then, can I fet upon your gold and filver? What king can add any thing to "my fortune? Always attentive to difcharge the duties in"cumbent on me, I have a mind free from felf reproach, and "I have an honeft fame."

Pyrrhus amazed at the greatnefs of his foul, released the prifoners, upon the promife of Fabricius, that, in cafe the fenate were determined to continue the war, he might reclaim them whenever he thought proper. As the fenate, however, would hearken to no accommodation, the prifoners were foon returned, and the war was continued.

The

The armies engaged near Afculum, a city of Apulia, were it is faid that the Romans were worfted. The enemy's army was also so much weakened, that Pyrrhus declared, "that if " he gained fuch another victory, he was undone."

Hiftory relates a remarkable inftance of Roman generofity in the perfon of Fabricius. Whilft this general was on his march againft Pyrrhus, a letter was brought to him from the king's phyfician, importing, that for a proper reward he would take him off by poifon, and thus rid the Romans from a powerful enemy, and a dangerous war. Fabricius felt at this propofal, all the honeft indignation that was confiftent with his former character. He fent the traitor in chains to Pyrrhus, and, in an obliging letter acquainted him, "That the Romans abhorred all treacherous practices, and con< quered their enemies by the fword, not by the treason of "their fubjects."

Pyrrhus received the meffage with as much amazement at his candour, as indignation at his phyfician's treachery. « Admirable Fabricius!" (cried he)," it would be as eafy to "turn the fun from its courfe, as thee from the paths of "honour." Then making the proper enquiry amongst his fervants, and having difcovered the treafon, he ordered his phyfician to be executed. However, not to be outdone in magnanimity, he immediately fent to Rome all his prifoners without ranfom. The Romans, on their fide, alfo returned an equal number of Tarentines and Samnites. This mutual act of kindness did not, however, bring on a peace. Pyrrhus in a future battle near Beneventum, was entirely defeated by the Roman army, with the lofs of thirty-three thousand men. After this defeat, Pyrrhus retired to Epirus, and foon after died at Argos, a principal city of Peloponnefus.

The victory over Pyrrhus had introduced the Roman name into the world, and kindled an ambition for diftant enterprize and foreign conqueft. Their own territory being infufficient for their fubfiftence, the Romans received fupplies of corn from Sicily; and the people began to wifh for the poffeffion of a country which they regarded as the granary of Rome. The greatest part of Sicily was, at that time, poffeffed by the Carthaginians; a people whofe annals form an imporatnt article in ancient hiftory, and merit our attention the more, as they were the rivals of the Romans, and long contended with them for the empire of the world.

CHAP.

CHAP. XXXI.

Carthage. First Naval Engagement of the Romans.-Firft Punic War.

HE Carthaginians were a colony from the Phoenicians, the first commercial people of antiquity. The infelicity of their foil, and their fituation on the fea coaft, induced them to have recourse to commerce and navigation; and they carried thefe arts to a high degree of perfection.

They first extended themfelves along the fouth coaft of the Mediterranean fea; and, at different times, occupied almost the whole of it, from the borders of Egypt to the Straits of Gibraltar. They planted many colonies in that country, before they founded their great eftablishment at Carthage. This, however, engroffed their chief attention, foon equalled, and at laft furpaffed the parent ftate.

Without contending for the commerce of the east with the parent ftate, they extended their navigation chiefly towards the weft and north. They paffed the ftraits of Gades, vifited the coafts of Spain and of Gaul, and penetrated at laft into Britain. They made fettlements in many of the islands of the Mediterranean, efpecially in Sicily, Sardinia, and the Baleares. They made confiderable progrefs by land into the interior provinces of Africa, and failed along the western coaft of that great continent, almoft to the tropic of Cancer. They difcovered the Fortunate Iflands, now known by the name of the Canaries, the utmost boundary of ancient navigation in the western ocean.

They had rifen to fuch profperity at the beginning of the third Punic war, that Carthage contained 700,000 inhabitants. In Africa, they held three hundred cities under their jurifdiction; and they poffeffed a tract of fea coaft near two thousand miles in length, extending from the Syrtis Major to the Pillars of Hercules.

The government of Carthage partook partly of the ariftocratical, and partly of the democratical form. Two annual magiftrates, under the name of Suffetes, prefided in the fenate. All affairs of importance were tranfacted in this affembly; but, if the fenate were not unainmous, the decifion devolved on the people.

As wars were carried on at a distance from Carthage, and the armies compofed of foreign troops, the power of the geneVOL. I.

M

ral

rals might become formidable. As a balance to this authority, the tribunal of the Hundred was inftituted, before which the generals were to give an account of their conduct.

The Prætor at Carthage was invefted with the greatest authority. He difpofed, in fome cafes, of the public revenue, and extended his jurifdiction over the tribunal of the hundred. The Carthaginians had the virtues and vices of a commercial people. Together with the mercantile character, we mark the fiery temper of Africa, and trace the cruel spirit of their Tyrian ancestors.

Syracufe, befieged by the Carthaginians, implored the aid of Pyrrhus, who was then at war with the Romans. This gallant adventurer was at firft fuccefsful; but, meeting at length with a virgorous refiftance, he fet fail for Italy. As he embarked, turning his eyes back to Sicily, "What a noble "field of battle," faid he, " do we leave to the Carthagi "nians and the Romans!"

The first war with Carthage lafted twenty-three years, and taught the Romans the art of fighting on the fea, with which they had been hitherto unacquainted. A Carthaginian veffel was wrecked on their coaft. They ufed it for a model, and, in three months, built one hundred and twenty fhips. Still, however, they wanted failors. The Romans being bred up to husbandry were perfectly ignorant of maritime affairs; and the neighbouring ftates, whom they had lately conquered, were either unwilling to embark, or not to be relied on. In this exigence, they taught their men to row upon land, inftructing them in the naval manner of engaging as well as they could, and leaving it to their native valour to do the reft.

The conful Duilius was the first who ventured to fea in this new constructed armament; but he foon found that the enemy was every way fuperior in point of failing, and bringing on veffels to an engagement. The indefatigable fpirit of the Roman, however, was not to be fubdued. He found out a remedy for the improvement of his operations, by means of a certain inftrument, which, upon an impulfe of two fhips, kept them both grappled together, fo that neither could feparate till the victory was decided. By this method, a naval engagement became more like one on land; fo that when the two rival fleets met, the Romans had the victory, the Carthaginians lofing fifty of their fhips, and the undifturbed fovereignty of the fea, which they valued more. Thefe fucceffes were fo unexpected by the fenate, that Duilius their admiral obtained a fignal triumph, with orders, that whenever