the toils of ten former campaigns, retired to his tent to memeditate on future victory.

When the army was thus fit for his purpose, Cæfar, at the approach of night, fat down to table chearfully converfing with his friends on subjects of literature and philofophy,' and apparently difengaged from every ambitious concern. However, after fome time, rifing up, he defired the company to make themselves chearful in his abfence, and faid he would be with them in a fhort time. In the mean time having made the neceffary preparations, he immediately fet out, attended by a few friends, for Ariminium, a city upon the confines of Italy, whither he had dispatched a part of his army the preceding morning. This journey by night, which was very fatiguing, he performed with great diligence, fometimes walking, and fometimes on horfeback, till at the break of day he came up with his army, which confifted of about five thousand men, near the Rubicon, a little river which feparates Italy from Gaul, and which terminated the limits of his command. The Romans had been taught to confider this river as the facred boundary of their domeftic empire; the fenate had long before made an edict, which is ftill to be feen engraven in the road near Rimini, by which they folemnly devoted to the infernal gods, and branded with facrilege and parricide, any perfon who should prefume to pass the Rubicon with an army, a legion, or even a fingle cohort. Cæfar, therefore, when he advanced at the head of his army to the fide of the river, ftopped upon the bank, as if impreffed with terror at the greatnefs of his enterprife. The dangers he was to encounter, the flaughters that might enfue, the calamities of his native city, all presented themselves to his imagination in gloomy perspective, and ftruck him with remorfe. He pondered for fome time in fixed melancholy, looking upon the river, and debating with himself, whether he should venture. "If I pafs this river (faid he to one of his generals who "ftood by him) what miferies fhall I bring upon my country! and, if I ftop, I am undone." Thus faying, and refuming all his former alacrity, he plunged in, crying out, that the die was caft, and all was now over. His foldiers followed him with equal promptitude, and quickly arriving at Ariminium, made themselves mafters of the place without refift

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ance.

This unexpected enterprise excited the utmoft terrors in Rome, every one imagining that Cæfar was leading his army to lay the city in ruins. At one time were to be feen the ciVOL. I. tizens

tizens flying into the country for fafety, and the inhabitants of the country flocking for fhelter to Rome. In this univerfal confufion, Pompey felt all that repentance and self-condemnation which muft neceffarily arife from the remembrance of having advanced his rival to his prefent pitch of power. Wherever he appeared, many of his former friends were ready to accufe him of fupinenefs, and farcaftically to raproach his ill-grounded prefumption. "Where is now," faid a fenator of his party, "the army that is to rise at your "command? Let us fee if it will appear by stamping." Cato reminded him of the many warnings he had given him*; to which, however, he could never prevail upon him to attend. Being at length wearied with thefe reproaches which were offered under colour of advice, he did all that lay in his power to encourage and confirm his followers. He told them that they fhould not want an army, and that he would be their leader. He confeffed, indeed, that he had long miftaken Cæfar's aims; judging of them only from what they ought to be; but if his friends were ftill infpired with the love of freedom, they might yet enjoy it in whatever place their neceffity fhould happen to conduct them.

The confuls, with great part of the fenators, followed the fortune of Pompey, who removed from the neighbourhood of Rome to Apulia on the Adriatic fea. In a fhort time after Cæfar made himself mafter of Rome, and feized the public treasure depofited in the temple of Saturn. After this he went into Spain, when Fabius joined him with three legions. In a bloody engagement, he foon after vanquished Petrieus and Afranius, Pompey's generals, and obliged their armies to furrender prifoners of war.

Pompey paffed over into Greece, where he made great preparations to fupport his caufe, and engaged all the Eaft in his intereft. He alfo drew large fums of money out of Afia, and gained great advantages over Dolabella and Caius Antonius, commanders for Cæfar, on the coaft of Illyricum. Crowds of the most diftinguished citizens, and nobles from Rome, came every day to join him. He had at one time above two hundred fenators in his camp, among whom were Cicero and Cato, whofe approbation of his caufe was equivalent to an army.

Notwithstanding fuch preparations against him, Cæfar proceeded with his ufual vigour. He now refolved to face his rival in the Eaft, and led his forces to Brundufium, a seaport town of Italy, in order to transport them into Greece.

But he wanted a fleet numerous enough to carry the whole at once, and it appeared dangerous to weaken his army by dividing it. Befides, it was now the middle of winter, and very difficult for any veffels, much more for fo flight a fleet as his was, to keep the fea. Add to this, that all the ports and the fhores were filled with the numerous navy of his rival, conducted by Bibulus, famous for his knowledge in nautical operations. He accordingly shipped off five of his twelve legions, which amounted to no more than twenty thousand foot and fix thousand horfe, and, weighing anchor, fortunately fteered through the midft of his enemies, timing it fo well that he made his paffage in one day. He landed at Pharfalus, not daring to venture into any known port, which he was apprehenfive might be poffeffed by the enemy. When he faw his troops fafely debarked, he fent back the fleet to bring over the reft of his forces; but thirty of his fhips, in their return, fell into the hands of Pompey's admiral, who fet them all on fire, even deftroying the mariners, in order to intimidate the reft by this cruel example.

Both fides prepared for battle; and these two great men at the head of their respective armies, difputed for the empire of the univerfe. The conduct of the generals was equal to the greatness of the caufe, each animated his foldiers by their own bravery and refolution. Pompey at firft got the advantage, and was by his army faluted emperor; when, advancing into Theffaly, he encamped upon the plains of Pharfalia, where he was joined by Scipio, his lieutenant, with the troops under his command. There he waited for the coming up of Cæfar, refolved upon engaging, and upon deciding the fate of the empire by a fingle battle.

The approach of thefe two great armies, compofed of the beft and braveft troops in the world, together with the greatnefs of the prize for which they they contended, filled all minds with anxiety, though with different expectations. Pompey's army, being moft numerous, turned all their thoughts to the enjoyment of the victory, Cæfar's, with better aims, confidered only the means of obtaining it. Pompey's army depended upon their numbers, and their many generals; Cæfar's, upon their own difcipline, and the conduct of their fingle commander; Pompey's partizans hoped much from the juftice of their caufe; Cæfar's alledged the frequent proposals which they had made for peace without effect.

It is remarkable, that Pompey put himself at the head of those troops which were difciplined and inftructed by Cæfar; an inconteftible proof how much he valued them above any

of the reft of his army. Cæfar, on the contrary, placed himfelf at the head of his tenth legion, which had owed all its merit and fame to his own training.

Now the fate of the empire of Rome was to be decided by the greatest generals, braveft officers, and the most expert troops that mankind had ever feen till that hour. Each private man, in both armies, was almoft capable of performing the duty of a commander, and inspired with a defire to couquer or die.

The two generals went from rank to rank, encouraging their men, raifing their hopes, and leffening their apprehenfions. "You are engaged, faid Pompey," "in the defence

of liberty and of your country. You are fupported by its "laws, and followed by its magiftrates. You have the "world fpectators of your conduct, and wishing you fuccefs. "On the contrary, he whom you oppofe is a robber and "oppreffor. Shew, then, on this occafion, all that ardour "for liberty, and deteftation of tyranny, which fhould ani"mate Romans, and do juftice to mankind."

Cæfar, on his fide, went among his men with that fteady ferenity, for which he was fo much admired in the midft of danger. He infifted on nothing so strongly to his foldiers as his frequent and unsuccessful endeavours for peace. He talked with terror of the blood he was going to fhed, and pleaded only the neceffity that urged him to it. He deplored the many brave men that were to fall on both fides, and the wounds of his country, whoever fhould be victorious.

His foldiers answered his fpeech with looks of ardour and impatience; upon obferving which, he gave the fignal to charge. The word on Pornpey's fide was, Hercules the invincible; that on Cæfar's, Venus the victorious. There was only so much space, between both armies, as to give room for fighting; wherefore Pompey ordered his men to receive the first shock, without moving out of their places, expecting the enemies ranks to be put in diforder by their motion. Cæfar's foldiers were now rushing on with their ufual impetuofity, when perceiving the enemy motionlefs, they stopped fhort, as if by general confent, and halted in the midft of their career.

A terrible pause enfued, in which both armies continued to gaze upon each other, with mutual terror and dreadful ferenity. At length, Cæfar's men having taken breath, ran furiously upon the enemy, firft difcharging their javelins, and then drawing their fwords. The fame method was obferved by Pompey's troops, who as vigoroufly sustained the attack.

His cavalry alfo were ordered to charge at the very onset, which, with the multitude of archers and flingers, foon obliged Cæfar's men to give ground, and get themselves, as he had foreseen, upon the flank of his army. Whereupon Cafar immediately ordered the fix cohorts, that were placed as a reinforcement, to advance; and repeated his orders, to ftrike at the enemy's faces. This had its defired effect; the cavalry, who thought they were fure of victory, received an immediate check. The unufual method of fighting pursued by the cohorts, their aiming entirely at the vifages of the affailants, and the horrible disfiguring wounds they made, all contributed to intimidate their enemies fo much, that instead or defending their perfons, their only endeavour was to fave their faces. A total rout enfued of their whole body, which fled in great diforder to the neighbouring mountains, while the archers and flingers, who were thus abandoned were cut to pieces.

Cæfar now commanded the cohorts to pursue their fuccefs, and advancing, charged Pompey's troops upon the flank. This charge the enemy withstood for fome time with great bravery, till he brought up his third line, which had not yet engaged. Pompey's infantry being thus doubly attacked, in front by fresh troops, in rear by the victorious cohorts, could no longer refift, but filed to their camp. The flight began among the ftrangers, though Pompey's right wing ftill valiantly maintained their ground.

Cæfar, however, being convinced that the victory was certain, with his ufual clemency, cried out to pursue the ftrangers, but to fpare the Romans; upon which they all laid down their arms and received quarter. The greatest flaughter was among the auxiliaries, who fled on all fides, but principally went for fafety to the camp. The battle had now lafted from break of day till noon, the weather being extremely hot; nevertheless, the conquerors did not remit their ardour, being encouraged by the example of their general, who thought his victory not complete, till he was mafter or the enemy's camp. Accordingly marching on foot at the head of his troops, he called upon them to follow and strike the decifive blow. The cohorts, which were left to defend the camp, for fome time made a formidable refiftance; particularly a great number of Thracians and the other barbarians, who were appointed for its defence; but nothing could refift the ardour of Cæfar's victorious army; they were at laft driven from their trenches, and all fled to the neighbouring mountains.