Cæfar feeing the field and camp ftrewed with his fallen countrymen, was much affected at fo melancholy a prospect, and could not help crying out to one that stood near him, They would have it fo.

Upon entering the enemy's camp, every object prefented fresh inftances of the blind prefumption and madness of his adverfaries. On all fides were to be feen tents adorned with ivy and branches of myrtle, couches covered with purple, and fide-boards loaded with plate. Every thing gave proofs of the highest luxury, and feemed rather preparatives for a banquet, or the rejoicing for a victory, than the difpofitions for

battle.

Cæfar had now gained the most complete victory that had ever been obtained; and, by his great clemency after the battle, he seemed to have deferved it. His lofs amounted to about two hundred men; that of Pompey to fifteen thoufand, as well Romans as auxiliaries. Twenty-four thousand men surrendered themselves prifoners of war, and the greatest part of these entered into Cæfar's army, and were incorporated with the reft of his forces. As to the fenators and Roman knights, who fell into his hands, he generously gave them liberty to retire wherever they thought proper.

Pompey fet out for Egypt, in hopes of finding a protector in king Ptolemy, whofe father he had fettled in that kingdom. The king himfelf being then very young, Photinus, Achillas, and Theodotus, who were his counsellors, gave it as their opinion, that to admit him was making Pompey their master, and drawing on them Cæfar's refentment; and by not receiving him, they offended the one, without obliging the other; that, therefore, the only expedient left, was to give him leave to land, and then to kill him: this would at once oblige Cæfar, and rid them of all apprehenfion from Pompey's refentment; for, concluded he, with a vulgar and malicious joke, dead dogs can never bite *.

This advice prevailing in a council compofed of the flaves of an effeminate and luxurious court, Achillas, commander of the forces, and Septimius, who had formerly been a centurion in Pompey's army, were appointed to carry it into execution. Accordingly, attended by three or four more, they went into a little bark, and rowed towards Pompey's fhip, which lay about a mile from the fhore. When Pompey and his friends faw the boat moving towards them, they began to wonder at the meannefs of the preparations to receive them; and fome even ventured to fufpect the intentions of the Egyptian court. But before any thing could be determined, Achil

* Hooke.

las

las was come to the fhip's fide, and in the Greek language welcomed him to Egypt. He then invited him into the boat, alledging, that the thallows prevented larger veffels from coming to receive him. Pompey, imprudently did as they defired him; and as he was ftepping out of the boat, they treacherously murdered him. Having cut off his head they caused it to be embalmed, the better to preserve its features, defigning it for a prefent to Cæfar. The body was thrown naked on the ftrand, and expofed' to the view of all whose curiofity led them to examine it. However, his faithful freedman, Philip, ftill kept near it, and when the crowd was dif perfed he washed it in the fea, and looking round for materials to burn it, he perceived the wreck of a fishing-boat, of which he compofed a pile. While thus employed, he was accofted by an old Roman foldier, who had ferved under Pompey in his youth. "Who art thou," faid he, "that art making "these humble preparations for Pompey's funeral?" Philip having anfwered, that he was one of his freedmen: "Alas!", replied the foldier, "Permit me to fhare in this honour. "Among all the miseries of my exile it will be my last fad "comfort, that I have been able to affift at the funeral of my "old commander, and touch the body of the braveft gene"ral that ever Rome produced." After this, they joined in giving the corpfe the laft rights, and collecting his afhes, they buried them under a little rifing earth, fcraped together with their hands, over which was afterwards placed the following infcription: He, whofe merits deferve a temple, can now fcarce find a tomb.

Such was the end, and fuch was the funeral, of Pompey the Great; a man who had many opportunities of enflaving his country, but rejected them all. He was fonder of glory. than of power, of praise than command, and was more vain than ambitious. His talents in war were every way fuperior to those of his cotemporaries, except Cæfar's; it was, therefore, his pecular misfortune to contend with a man, in whofe prefence all other military merit loft its luftre. Whether his aims during the laft war were more juft than Cæfar's muft for ever remain doubtful; certain it is, that he frequently rejected all offers of accommodation, and began to talk of punishment, before he had any pretenfions to power. But whatever might have been his intentions, in cafe of victory, they could not have been executed with more moderation than thofe of Cæfar. The corruptions of the state were too great to admit of any other remedy but that of an abfolute government, and it was hardly poffible that power could have

4

fallen

fallen into better hands than thofe of the conqueror. From Pompey's death, therefore, we may date the total extinction of the republic. From this period the fenate was difpoffeffed of all its power; and Rome, from henceforward, was never without a master.

CHAP. XXXVII.

Cafar spends nine Months with Cleopatra in Egypt.-Death and Character of Cato. Affaffination of Cafar. His

Character.

T

HE fuccefs of Cæfar only feemed to increase his activity, and infpired him with fresh refolution, to face new dangers. He refolved therefore to purfue his laft advantage, and follow Pompey to whatever country he should retire. Upon his landing in Egypt, the first accounts he received were of Pompey's miferable end; and foon after, one of the murderers came with his head and ring, as a moft grateful present to the conqueror. Cæfar had too much humanity to be pleafed with fuch an horrid fpectacle. He turned away from it with difguft; and, after a fhort paufe, gave vent to his pity in a flood of tears. He fhortly after ordered a magnificent tomb to be built to his memory, on the fpot were he was murdered.

Cæfar fpent nine months at Alexandria, with the celebrated Cleopatra. There were at that time two pretenders to the crown of Egypt; Ptolemy, the acknowledged king; and the famous Cleopatra, his fifter; to whom, by the custom of the country, he alfo was married; and who by his father's will, fhared jointly in the fucceffion. However, not being contented with a bare participation of power, Cleopatra aimed at governing alone, and, for this purpose wished to have an interview with Cæfar.

She was now in the bloom of youth, and every feature borrowed grace from the lively turn of her temper. To the moft engaging addrefs fhe joined the most harmonious voice, which the hiftorians of her time compare to the best tuned inftrument. With all these accomplishments the poffeffed a great share of the learning of the times, and could give audince to the ambailadors of feven different nations without an nterpreter. The difficulty was how to gain admittance to

Cæfar,

Cefar, as her enemies were in poffeffion of all the avenues that led to the palace. For this purpofe fhe went on board a fmall veffel, and, in the evening, landed near the palace, where, being wrapt up in a coverlet, fhe was carried by one Afpolodorus into his very chamber. Her addrefs, at firft, pleafed him; her wit and understanding ftill fanned the flame; but her careffes, which were carried beyond the bounds of innocence, entirely brought him over to fecond her claims.

The Egyptian army being defeated, Ptolemy himfelf, attempting to efcape on, board a veffel that was failing down the river, was drowned by the fhips finking, and Cæfar thus became mafter of all Egypt without further oppofition. He then appointed Cleopatra, with her younger brother, an infant, joint governors; according to the intent of their father's will."

On Cæfar's return to Rome, the fenate decreed him an unlimited authority. He was appointed conful for ten years, and perpetual dictator, when he made Mark Antony his mafter of horse. During the preceding year, Pompey's party had gathered fresh ftrength in Africa under Scipio, Cato, and Juba, king of Numidia. Cæfar marched an army into that country, and entirely defeated the enemy at Thapfus, a town on the fea coaft. Upon this victory, Zama and other cities. furrendered to Caefar. Scipio was drowned in his paffage to Spain, king Juba obliged a flave to difpatch him, and Cato retired to Utica, a city in Africa, with about three hundred Romans. Here he befought his friends to rely on the conqueror's mercy, refolving no longer to force men to be free, who feemed naturally prone to flavery. "As to myself,". faid he, "I am at laft victorious."

After this, fupping chearfully among his friends, he retired to his apartment, where he behaved with unufual tendernefs to his fon, and to all his friends. When he came into his bed-chamber, he laid himfelf down, and took up Plato's Dialogue on the Immortality of the Soul; and, having read for fome time, happening to caft his eyes to the head of his bed, he was much furprifed not to find his (word there, which had been taken away by his fon's order, while they were at fupper. Upon this, calling one of his domeftics to know what was become of it, and receiving no answer, he refumed his ftudies; but fome time after called for his fword again. When he had done reading, and perceiving nobody obeyed him, he called all his domeftics one after the other, and, with a peremptory air, demanded his fword once more. His fon came in foon after, and with tears befought him, in the most humble manner, to change his refolution; but, receiving a ftern

reprimand,

reprimand, he defifted from his perfuafions. His fword being at length brought him, he feemed fatisfied, and cried out, "Now again am I mafter of myself." He then took up the book again, which he read twice over, and fell into a found fleep. Upon waking, he called to one of his freedmen, to know if his friends were embarked, or if any thing yet remained that could be done to ferve them. The freedman affuring him, that all was quiet, he was then ordered again to leave the room; and Cato was no fooner alone than he ftabbed himself through the breaft, but not with that force he intended, for the wound not difpatching him, he fell upon his bed, and at the fame time overturned a table on which he had been drawing fome geometrical figures. At the noise he made in his fall, his fervants gave a fhriek, and his fon and friends immediately entered the room. They found him weltering in his blood, and his bowels paffed through his wound. The phyfician, who attended his family, perceiving that his inteftines were yet untouched was for replacing them; but when Cato had recovered his fenfes, and understood their intention to preserve his life, he pushed the physician from him, and with a fierce refolution tore his bowels and expired.

In this manner died Cato, who was one of the most faultlefs characters we find in the Roman hiftory. He was fevere, but not cruel; and ready to pardon much greater faults in others than he could forgive himself. His haughtinefs and aufterity feemed rather the effect of principle than natural conftitution, for no man was more humane to his dependants, or better loved by thofe about him. The conftancy of his oppofition to Cæfar proceeded from a thorough conviction of the injuftice of his purfuits.

Whether the manner in which this great republican put a period to his life was juftifiable or not, has ever fince been a matter of much difpute. It must be owned that he did not, on this occafion, act conformably to his own fyftem of philofophy; and if we try him by the laws of Chriftianity, he will ftill appear more culpable. Life is but a fhort fummer's campaign, in which we have many battles to fight, many breaches to mount, many ftrong fortreffes to storm. The prudent general, however unfortunate he may have been for a long time, experience teaches us, often proves at laft fuccefsful, and gives us a convincing proof, that it is cowardice to defpair, though, in all human appearance, every thing feems loft. We ought, however, to allow Cato fome favourable circumftances. We must confider the age in which he lived, and the barbarity of thofe times, in which fuicide