第38章

["Andwesuffertheillsofalongpeace;luxuryismoreperniciousthanwar。"——Juvenal，vi。291。]

butalsotoserveforablood—lettingtotheirRepublic，andalittletoevaporatethetoovehementheatoftheiryouth，topruneandclearthebranchesfromthestocktooluxuriantinwood;andtothisenditwasthattheymaintainedsolongawarwithCarthage。

InthetreatyofBretigny，EdwardIII。，kingofEngland，wouldnot，inthegeneralpeacehethenmadewithourking，comprehendthecontroversyabouttheDuchyofBrittany，thathemighthaveaplacewhereintodischargehimselfofhissoldiers，andthatthevastnumberofEnglishhehadbroughtovertoservehiminhisexpeditionheremightnotreturnbackintoEngland。AndthisalsowasonereasonwhyourKingPhilipconsentedtosendhissonJohnuponaforeignexpedition，thathemighttakealongwithhimagreatnumberofhotyoungmenwhoweretheninhispay。

There——aremanyinourtimeswhotalkatthisrate，wishingthatthishotemotionthatisnowamongstusmightdischargeitselfinsomeneighbouringwar，forfearlestallthepeccanthumoursthatnowreigninthispoliticbodyofoursmaydiffusethemselvesfarther，keepthefeverstillintheheight，andatlastcauseourtotalruin;and，intruth，aforeignismuchmoresupportablethanacivilwar。butIdonotbelievethatGodwillfavoursounjustadesignastooffendandquarrelwithothersforourownadvantage:

"Nilmihitamvaldeplaceat，Rhamnusiavirgo，Quodtemereinvitissuscipiaturheris。"

["Rhamnusianvirgin，letnothingeversogreatlypleasemewhichistakenwithoutjusticefromtheunwillingowners"

——Catullus，lxviii。77。]

Andyettheweaknessofourconditionoftenpushesusuponthenecessityofmakinguseofillmeanstoagoodend。Lycurgus，themostperfectlegislatorthateverwas，virtuousandinventedthisveryunjustpracticeofmakingthehelots，whoweretheirslaves，drunkbyforce，totheendthattheSpartans，seeingthemsolostandburiedinwine，mightabhortheexcessofthisvice。Andyetthosewerestillmoretoblamewhoofoldgaveleavethatcriminals，towhatsortofdeathsoevercondemned，shouldbecutupalivebythephysicians，thattheymightmakeatruediscoveryofourinwardparts，andbuildtheirartupongreatercertainty;for，ifwemustrunintoexcesses，itismoreexcusabletodoitforthehealthofthesoulthanthatofthebody;astheRomanstrainedupthepeopletovalourandthecontemptofdangersanddeathbythosefuriousspectaclesofgladiatorsandfencers，who，havingtofightitouttothelast，cut，mangled，andkilledoneanotherintheirpresence:

"Quidvesanialiudsibivultarsimpialudi，Quidmortesjuvenum，quidsanguinepastavoluptas？"

["Whatotherenddoestheimpiousartofthegladiatorsproposetoitself，whattheslaughterofyoungmen，whatpleasurefedwithblood。"——Prudentius，ContraSymmachum，ii。643。]

andthiscustomcontinuedtilltheEmperorTheodosius’time:

"Arripedilatamtua，dux，intemporafamam，Quodquepatrissuperest，successorlaudishabetoNullusinurbecadat，cujussitpoenavoluptas……

Jamsoliscontentaferis，infamisarenaNullacruentatishomicidialudatinarmis。"

["Prince，takethehonoursdelayedforthyreign，andbesuccessortothyfathers;henceforthletnoneatRomebeslainforsport。Letbeasts’bloodstaintheinfamousarena，andnomorehomicidesbethereacted。"——Prudentius，ContraSymmachum，ii。643。]

Itwas，intruth，awonderfulexample，andofgreatadvantageforthetrainingupthepeople，toseeeverydaybeforetheireyesahundred;twohundred，nay，athousandcouplesofmenarmedagainstoneanother，cutoneanothertopieceswithsogreataconstancyofcourage，thattheywereneverheardtouttersomuchasonesyllableofweaknessorcommiseration;neverseentoturntheirbacks，norsomuchastomakeonecowardlysteptoevadeablow，butratherexposedtheirneckstotheadversary’sswordandpresentedthemselvestoreceivethestroke;andmanyofthem，whenwoundedtodeath，havesenttoaskthespectatorsiftheyweresatisfiedwiththeirbehaviour，beforetheylaydowntodieupontheplace。Itwasnotenoughforthemtofightandtodiebravely，butcheerfullytoo;insomuchthattheywerehissedandcursediftheymadeanyhesitationaboutreceivingtheirdeath。Theverygirlsthemselvessetthemon:

"Consurgitadictus，Et，quotiesvictorferrumjuguloinserit，illaDeliciasaitessesuas，pectusquejacentisVirgomodestajubetconversopollicerumpi。"

["Themodestvirginissodelightedwiththesport，thatsheapplaudstheblow，andwhenthevictorbatheshisswordinhisfellow’sthroat，shesaysitisherpleasure，andwithturnedthumbordershimtoripupthebosomoftheprostratevictim。"

——Prudentius，ContraSymmachum，ii。617。]

ThefirstRomansonlycondemnedcriminalstothisexample:buttheyafterwardsemployedinnocentslavesinthework，andevenfreementoo，whosoldthemselvestothispurpose，nay，moreover，senatorsandknightsofRome，andalsowomen:

"Nunccaputinmortemvendunt，etfunusarena，Atquehostemsibiquisqueparat，cumbellaquiescunt。"

["Theysellthemselvestodeathandthecircus，and，sincethewarsareceased，eachforhimselfafoeprepares。"

——Manilius，Astron。，iv。225。]

"Hosinterfremitusnovosquelusus……

Statsexusrudisinsciusqueferri，Etpugnascapitimprobusviriles;"

["Amidstthesetumultsandnewsports，thetendersex，unskilledinarms，immodestlyengagedinmanlyfights。"

——Statius，Sylv。，i。6，51。]

whichIshouldthinkstrangeandincredible，ifwewerenotaccustomedeverydaytoseeinourownwarsmanythousandsofmenofothernations，formoneytostaketheirbloodandtheirlivesinquarrelswhereintheyhavenomannerofconcern。

CHAPTERXXIV

OFTHEROMANGRANDEUR

Iwillonlysayawordortwoofthisinfiniteargument，toshowthesimplicityofthosewhocomparethepitifulgreatnessofthesetimeswiththatofRome。IntheseventhbookofCicero’sFamiliarEpistles（andletthegrammariansputoutthatsurnameoffamiliariftheyplease，forintruthitisnotverysuitable;andtheywho，insteadoffamiliar，havesubstituted"adFamiliares，"maygathersomethingtojustifythemforsodoingoutofwhatSuetoniussaysintheLifeofCaesar，thattherewasavolumeoflettersofhis"adFamiliares"）thereisonedirectedtoCaesar，theninGaul，whereinCicerorepeatsthesewords，whichwereintheendofanotherletterthatCaesarhadwrittentohim:"AstowhatconcernsMarcusFurius，whomyouhaverecommendedtome，IwillmakehimkingofGaul，andifyouwouldhavemeadvanceanyotherfriendofyourssendhimtome。"ItwasnonewthingforasimplecitizenofRome，asCaesarthenwas，todisposeofkingdoms，forhetookawaythatofKingDeiotarusfromhimtogiveittoagentlemanofthecityofPergamus，calledMithridates;andtheywhowrotehisLiferecordseveralcitiessoldbyhim;andSuetoniussays，thathehadoncefromKingPtolemythreemillionsandsixhundredthousandcrowns，whichwasverylikesellinghimhisownkingdom:

"TotGalatae，totPontus，totLydia，nummis。"

["SomuchforGalatia，somuchforPontus，somuchforLydia。"——ClaudiusinEutrop。，i。203。]

MarcusAntoniussaid，thatthegreatnessofthepeopleofRomewasnotsomuchseeninwhattheytook，asinwhattheygave;and，indeed，someagesbeforeAntonius，theyhaddethronedoneamongsttherestwithsowonderfulauthority，thatinalltheRomanhistoryIhavenotobservedanythingthatmoredenotestheheightoftheirpower。AntiochuspossessedallEgypt，andwas，moreover，readytoconquerCyprusandotherappendagesofthatempire:whenbeingupontheprogressofhisvictories，C。PopiliuscametohimfromtheSenate，andattheirfirstmeetingrefusedtotakehimbythehand，tillhehadfirstreadhisletters，whichafterthekinghadread，andtoldhimhewouldconsiderofthem，Popiliusmadeacircleabouthimwithhiscane，saying:——"Returnmeananswer，thatImaycarryitbacktotheSenate，beforethoustirrestoutofthiscircle。"Antiochus，astonishedattheroughnessofsopositiveacommand，afteralittlepause，replied，"IwillobeytheSenate’scommand。"ThenPopiliussalutedhimasfriendoftheRomanpeople。

Tohaverenouncedclaimtosogreatamonarchy，andacourseofsuchsuccessfulfortune，fromtheeffectsofthreelinesinwriting！Trulyhehadreason，asheafterwardsdid，tosendtheSenatewordbyhisambassadors，thathehadreceivedtheirorderwiththesamerespectasifithadcomefromtheimmortalgods。

AllthekingdomsthatAugustusgainedbytherightofwar，heeitherrestoredtothosewhohadlostthemorpresentedthemtostrangers。AndTacitus，inreferencetothis，speakingofCogidunus，kingofEngland，givesus，byamarvelloustouch，aninstanceofthatinfinitepower:theRomans，sayshe，werefromallantiquityaccustomedtoleavethekingstheyhadsubduedinpossessionoftheirkingdomsundertheirauthority"Uthaberentinstrumentsservitutisetreges。"

["Thattheymighthaveevenkingstobetheirslaves。"

——Livy，xlv。13。]

’TisprobablethatSolyman，whomwehaveseenmakeagiftofHungaryandotherprincipalities，hadthereinmorerespecttothisconsiderationthantothathewaswonttoallege，viz。，thathewasgluttedandoverchargedwithsomanymonarchiesandsomuchdominion，ashisownvalourandthatofhisancestorshadacquired。

CHAPTERXXV

NOTTOCOUNTERFEITBEINGSICK

ThereisanepigraminMartial，andoneoftheverygoodones——forhehasofallsorts——wherehepleasantlytellsthestoryofCaelius，who，toavoidmakinghiscourttosomegreatmenofRome，towaittheirrising，andtoattendthemabroad，pretendedtohavethegout;andthebettertocolourthisanointedhislegs，andhadthemlappedupinagreatmanyswathings，andperfectlycounterfeitedboththegestureandcountenanceofagoutyperson;tillintheend，Fortunedidhimthekindnesstomakehimoneindeed:

"QuantumcurspotestetarsdolorisDesiitfingereCaeliuspodagram。"

["Howgreatisthepowerofcounterfeitingpain:Caeliushasceasedtofeignthegout;hehasgotit。"——Martial，Ep。，vii。39，8。]

IthinkIhavereadsomewhereinAppianastorylikethis，ofonewhotoescapetheproscriptionsofthetriumvirsofRome，andthebettertobeconcealedfromthediscoveryofthosewhopursuedhim，havinghiddenhimselfinadisguise，wouldyetaddthisinvention，tocounterfeithavingbutoneeye;butwhenhecametohavealittlemoreliberty，andwenttotakeofftheplasterhehadagreatwhilewornoverhiseye，hefoundhehadtotallylostthesightofitindeed，andthatitwasabsolutelygone。’Tispossiblethattheactionofsightwasdulledfromhavingbeensolongwithoutexercise，andthattheopticpowerwaswhollyretiredintotheothereye:forweevidentlyperceivethattheeyewekeepshutsendssomepartofitsvirtuetoitsfellow，sothatitwillswellandgrowbigger;andsoinaction，withtheheatofligaturesand，plasters，mightverywellhavebroughtsomegoutyhumouruponthecounterfeiterinMartial。

ReadinginFroissartthevowofatroopofyoungEnglishgentlemen，tokeeptheirlefteyesbounduptilltheyhadarrivedinFranceandperformedsomenotableexploituponus，Ihaveoftenbeentickledwiththisthought，thatitmighthavebefallenthemasitdidthoseothers，andtheymighthavereturnedwithbutaneyea—piecetotheirmistresses，forwhosesakestheyhadmadethisridiculousvow。

Mothershavereasontorebuketheirchildrenwhentheycounterfeithavingbutoneeye，squinting，lameness，oranyotherpersonaldefect;for，besidesthattheirbodiesbeingthensotender，maybesubjecttotakeanillbent，fortune，Iknownothow，sometimesseemstodelightintakingusatourword;andIhaveheardseveralexamplesrelatedofpeoplewhohavebecomereallysick，byonlyfeigningtobeso。Ihavealwaysused，whetheronhorsebackoronfoot，tocarryastickinmyhand，ande