fuicide was not forbidden either by religion or laws. Shall Cato become the sport and mockery of those people, to whom he once gave laws? Shall he live to fee his country, once the feat of sweet liberty and freedom, become a den of tyranny and oppreffion? Shall his eyes behold her laws fubverted, venality and corruption carrying every thing before them, and that once fair and ftately city of Rome, the mistress of the world, now, through faction and party, precipitating into a pile of ruins?

Cæfar upon hearing of this great man's fate, faid, " Cato "has envied me the glory of faving his life, and therefore "I envy him his death; defigning, as fome have thought, to 66 conquer him by generofity and kindness." Utica furren dered immediately; and this event terminating the war in Africa, Cæfar returned in triumph to Rome.

Cæfar purfued his good fortune with great rapidity. Befides his conquefts in Alexandria, and over Pompey's party, in Africa, he defeated king Pharnaces in Egypt; who attempting to take refuge in his capital, was flain by one of his own commanders; a juft punishment for his former parricide. This victory was gained with fo much eafe, that Ca far, in writing to a friend at Rome, expreffed the rapidity of it in three words, veni, vidi, vici. A man, fo accustomed to conqueft, thought a flight battle fcarce worth a longer letter.

Cæfar afterwards went into Spain, and marched in perfon against the two fons of Pompey, who under Labienus had raised a powerful army. The armies came to an engagement in the plains of Munda. Cæfar after a great hazard of being entirely routed, animated his foldiers with the greatest refolution, and gained a complete victory over the enemy. Thirty thousand were killed on the fpot, and all Spain fubmitted to the conqueror.

After this great fuccefs, and profperous fettlement of his affairs abroad, Cæfar returned to Rome, and triumphed four times in one month. He rewarded his foldiers with great liberality, and exhibited public fhews, with great magnificence for the diverfion of the people; and, to remove every caufe of jealoufy, he beftowed the honours of the ftate on Pompey's friends as well as his own.

Many of the fenators, however, who had received these favours at the hands of Cæfar, fecretly upbraided themselves for accepting of his kindness at the expence of the public liberty. Many were alfo diffatisfied with the change of government, and, the ambitious conduct of Cæfar, who now attempted to affume the regal title. Thefe fought to accom

plifh his ruin; and, in private cabals, it was agreed that the liberty of the commonwealth could not be longer maintained without the death of the dictator.

Brutus and Caffius were, by Cæfar's appointment, Prætors for that year. Thefe men were at the head of this party; the former of whom made it his chief glory to have been defcended from that Brutus who first gave liberty to Rome. The paffion for freedom seemed to have been tranfmitted with the blood of his ancestors down to him. But though he detested tyranny, yet he could not forbear loving the tyrant, from whom he had received the moft fignal benefits. However, the love of his country broke all the ties of private friendfhip, and he entered into a confpiracy which was to destroy his benefactor.

The confpirators, to give a colour of juftice to their proceedings, remitted the execution of their defign to the ides of March, the day on which Cæfar was to be offered the crown. The affembly of the fenate was at this time held in a great hall which Pompey had built for that purpose, and in which his ftatue ftood. Cæfar, as he was entering, met Spurina, an augur, who had foretold his danger, to whom he said, fmiling, "Well, Spurina, the ides of March are come.". "Yes," replied the augur, "but they are not paft.” As foon as he had taken his place, the confpirators came near him under pretence of faluting him; and Cimber, who was one of them, approached in a fuppliant pofture, pretending to fue for his brother's pardon, who had been banished by his order. All the confpirators feconded him with great earnestness; and Cimber, feeming to fue with ftill greater fubmiffion, took hold of the bottom of his robe, holding him fo as to prevent his rifing. This was the fignal agreed on. Cafca, who stood behind him, drawing his dagger, ftabbed him in the neck; but the weapon glancing, the wound was not mortal. Cæfar immediately feized Cafca by the hand which held the dagger, crying out, Vile traitor! what doft thou mean? Upon this, the reft of the confpirators, drawing their daggers, furrounded Cæfar, and fell upon him with fuch fury, that feveral of them wounded each other. Brutus, in particular, received a wound in the hand from Caffius, who, attacking Cæfar with prodigious rage, gave him a deep wound in the head. The hero," thus baited on all fides, like a wild beaft in a toil”*, fought, and defended himself in the best manner he could; till, looking round him, to fee if he could make his escape, he

*Plutarch.

perceived

perceived Brutus, with his dagger in his hand. From that moment Cæfar thought no more of defending himfelf, but looking ftedfaftly on him, exclaimed, " And thou too, my fon!" Then covering his head, and fpreading his robe before him, in order to fall with greater decency, he funk down at the bafe of Pompey's ftatue, after receiving three-and-twenty wounds from hands, which he vainly fuppofed he had difarmed by his benefits.

Thus died, in the fifty-fixth year of his age, and forty-three years before the Chriftian æra,the greateft warrior that Rome, or perhaps the world ever faw, after he had fought with fuccefs fifty pitched battles, taken by affault a thoufand towns, and flain eleven hundred and ninety-two thoufand men*. He was a perfon of extraordinary parts, and wonderful abilities, in all the arts of war and civil government, and of equal diligence and application in the ufe of them. He was beloved and revered by the people, honoured and adored by his friends, and efteemed and admired even by his enemies. But as his ambition, which knew no bounds, prompted him to enflave his country, and ufurp an arbitrary power over those who were as free as himself, his life was certainly a juft forfeit. If the ftate had been deemed irretrievable, and a defpotic governor a neceffary evil, Rome could not have had a better than Cæfar.

To pretend to fay that from the beginning he planned the fubjection of his native country, is doing no great credit to his well-known penetration, as a thousand obftacles lay in his way, which fortune, rather than conduct, was to furmount. No man, therefore, of his fagacity, would have begun a fcheme in which the chances of fucceeding were fo many against him. It is moft probable that, like very fuccefsful men, he only made the beft of every occurrence; and his ambition rifing with his good fortune, from at firft being contented with humbler aims, he at laft began to think of governing the world, when he found scarce any obftacle to oppofe him. Such is the difpofition of man, whofe cravings after power are always most infatiable when he enjoys the greatest flare.

Among other noble schemes and ordinances, which tended to the grandeur of the city of Rome, and the enlargement of the Roman empire, Cæfar reformed the calender; and, with the affiftance of the moft able aftronomers, regulated the year According to the courfe of the fun. Two months were add

Pliny.

ad

ed to the calendar, and the whole year was divided into three hundred and fixty-five days. He also added one day to every fourth year, in the month of February, and that year was named Biffextile or Leap year. This regulation was called the Julian account of time; and fome ages after the Old Style, in oppofition to the New, or Gregorian Style.

With the death of Cæfar ended the firft Triumvirate, or government of the Roman empire by three perfons, Pompey, Bafar, and Craffus.

CHA P. XXXVIII.

Antony's Funeral Oration over Cafar's dead Body.—Antony, Octavius, and Lepidus, the Second Triumvirate.- Cicero afaffinated. Battle of Philippi. - Death of Brutus and Caffius.

ESAR was no fooner dead, than the confpirators acquainted the fenate with the motives of their undertaking, and exhorted them to join in an action, which had reftored the liberty of their country: Many of the fenators, however, were terrified, and filled with amazement; while others had retired to their houses to wait the issue of so bold and tragical an action,

In this difpofition of the fenators, Brutus and Caffius went into the city with their daggers yet warm with Cæfar's blood; and preceded by an herald, with the fymbols of liberty, publickly proclaimed they had killed the tyrant of their country, and exhorted the people to join in reftoring the liberty of the commonwealth. The people no lefs ftruck with terror at this deed than the fenators, being now greatly degenerated from the virtue of their ancestors, did not declare in their favour. The confpirators furprifed at this indolence of the people, retired to the capitol; and though Brutus had freed his country from a tyrant, he had it not in his power to abolifh tyranny.

Antony, Cæfar's friend, was at this time conful, and the city was divided into two parties; one of which espoused the caufe of the confpirators, and the other that of Antony and Lepidus. Brutus now faw with regret that the death of the ufurper of the common liberty would create fresh disturbance, in the commonwealth. Antony fummoned the fenate, who never met on a more important occafion; at the fame time

he

he carried all Cæfar's effects and papers to his own house. In the affembly of the fenate, as both parties were afraid of each other, they entered into a treaty, or the appearance of agreement; and with joint confent it was agreed, that no enquiry fhould be made into the dictator's death; that all his acts fhould be confirmed, and his funeral performed at the public expence. This laft article was given in charge to Antony. He afcended the roftrum, pronounced the funeral oration, and exerted the whole power of his rhetoric to work on the paffions of the multitude. He read Cæfar's will in the prefence of all the people, and expatiated largely on the love he bore them, and his generofity in bequeathing to each citizen a fum of money. He enumerated the many victories he had gained, the great conquefts he had made, and the various nations he had fubdued. Then he mentioned all the titles of honour which the republic had conferred upon him, his dictatorship, his feveral confulfhips, and, above all, the glorious name of Father of his country. From thence he paffed to his virtues, extolling his courage, his learning, his eloquence, his humanity, and clemency even to his enemies. After this, he repeated the path which the people of Rome had taken to him, by which they fwore, that his perfon fhould be facred and inviolable, and that they would defend him at the hazard of their own lives. Then unfolding the bloody garment of Cæfar, he fhewed them in how many places it was pierced, and exposed to their view the number of his wounds. When he found the people agitated with grief and anger,, he swore by the Gods of Rome, the protectors of the empire to revenge his death, and conjured them to favour him, in doing his duty to the Father of his country, and their kind benefactor. Refentment and rage fucceeded to grief, and when the fire was put to the funeral pile, the people fiezed the firebrands, in order to burn the houfes of the confpirators, against whom they now expreffed the most bitter imprecations. As they had no arms, however, they were foon repulfed by a proper guard appointed to defend them.

The fenate and confpirators were equally offended at this artful speech of Antony; and complained, that the conful, contrary to the decree of the fenate, and his own promise had fo pathetically enlarged on the praises of Cæfar, with a view only to excite the rage of the people, and promote their ruin. ́ Brutus declared, "that he would willingly fpend the remain«der of his days in banishment, provided Cæfar's creatures, ❝ did not invade the public liberty."

Antony,