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time they were tracing the limits, and laying the foundations of the new city, would have fufpended the attempt; but the tribune, not being over-fcrupulous in religious matters, carried on the work, notwithstanding all these bad prefages, and finished it in a few days. This was the first Roman colony that ever was fent out of Italy.

It is probable, that only a kind of huts were built there, fince we are told, that when Marius retired hither, in his flight to Africa, he lived in a mean and poor condition amid the ruins of Carthage, confoling himself by the fight of fo aftonishing a spectacle; himself ferving, in fome measure, as a confolation to that ill-fated city.

(4) Appian relates, that Julius Cæfar, after the death of Pompey, having croffed into Africa, faw, in a dream, an army, compofed of a prodigious number of foldiers, who, with tears in their eyes, called him; and that, ftruck with the vifion, he writ down in his pocket-book the defign which he formed on this occafion, of rebuilding Carthage and Corinth; but that having been murdered foon after by the confpirators, Auguf tus Cæfar, his adopted fon, who found this memorandum among his papers, rebuilt Carthage near the fpot where it ftood formerly, in order that the imprecations which had been vented, at the time of its deftruction, against those who should prefume to rebuild it, might not fall upon him.

(7) I know not what foundation Appian has for this story; but we read in Strabo, that Carthage and Corinth were rebuilt at the fame time by Cæfar, to whom he gives the name of God, by which title, a little before (m), he had plainly intended Julius Cæfar; and Plutarch (z), in the life of that emperor, afcribes exprefsly to him, the establishment of thefe two colonies; and obferves, that one remarkable circumstance in these two cities is, that as both had been taken and deftroyed together, they likewife were rebuilt and repeopled at the fame time. However this be, Strabo affirms, that, in his time, Carthage was as populous as any city in Africa; and it rofe to be the capital of Africa, under the fucceeding emperors. It exifted, for about feven hundred years after, in fplendor, but at laft was fo compleatly deftroyed by the Saracens, in the beginning of the feventh century, that neither its name, nor the leaft footsteps of it are known, at this time, in the country."

A di

(*) Appian. p. 85. (7) Ibid. l. xvii. p. 833. (m) Pag. 83. (») Pag. 733. * Marius curfum in Africam di- | illa intuens Marium, alter alteri pofrexit, inopemque vitam in tugurio fent effe folatio. Vel, Paterc, 1. i ruinarum Carthaginienfium toleravit: c. 19.

cum Marius aspīciens Carthaginem,

A digreffion on the manners and character of the fecond SCIPIO AFRICANUS.

CIPIO, the deftroyer of Carthage, was fon to the famous Paulus Emilius, who conquered Perfeus, the laft king of Macedon; and confequently grandfon to that Paulus, who loft his life in the battle of Canna. He was adopted by the fon of the great Scipio Africanus, and called Scipio Æmilianus; the names of the two families being fo united, purfuant to the law of adoptions. Our Scipio, fupported, with equal luftre, the honour and dignity of both houses, being poffeffed of all the exalted qualities of the fword and gown. The whole tenor of his life, fays an hiftorian, whether with regard to his actions, his thoughts, or words, was confpicuous for its great beauty and regularity. He diftinguished himself particularly (a circumftance feldom found at that time in perfons of the military profeffion) by his exquifite tafte for polite literature, and all the fciences; as well as by the uncommon regard he fhewed to learned men. It is univerfally known, that he was reported to be the author of Terence's comedies, the most polite and elegant writings which the Romans could boaft. We are told of Scipio f, that no man could blend more happily repofe and action, nor employ his leifure hours with greater delicacy and tafte: Thus was he divided between arms and books, between the military labours of the camp, and the peaceful employment of the cabinet; in which he either exercifed his body in toils of war, or his mind in the fludy of the fciences. By this he fhewed, that nothing does greater honour to a perfon of diftinction, of what quality or profeflion foever he be, than the adorning his foul with knowledge. Cicero, fpeaking of Scipio, fays, that he always had Xenophon's works in his hands, which are fo famous for the folid and excellent inftructions they contain both in regard to war and policy,

(o) He owed this exquifite tafte for polite learning and the fciences, to the excellent education which Paulus Emilius beflowed

(Plut. in vit. Æmil. Paul,

Scipio Emilianus, vir avitis P. Africani paternifque L. Pauli virtutibus fimillimus, omnibus belli ac togæ dotibus, ingeniique ac ftudiorum emimentiffimus feculi fui, qui nihil in vita

nifi laudandum aut fecit aut dixit aut fenfit. Vel. Paterc. 1. i. c. 12.

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otio difpunxit: Semperque aut belli aut pacis ferviit artibus, femper inter arma ac ftudia verfatus, aut corpus periculis, aut animum difciplinis exercuit. Ibid, c. 13.

1 Africanus femper Socraticum Xenophontem in manibus habebat. Neque enim quifquam hoc Sci-Tufc. Quæft. 1. ii, n, 62, pione elegantius intervalla negotiorum

ftowed on his children. He had put them under the ablest mafters in every art; and did not fpare any cost on that occafion, though his circumftances were very narrow; P. Æmilius himfelf was prefent at all their leffons, as often as the affairs of government would permit; becoming, by this means, their chief præceptor.

(p) The frict union between Polybius and Scipio finished the exalted qualities, which, by the fuperiority of his genius and difpofition, and the excellency of his education, were already the fubject of admiration. Polybius, with a great number of Achaians, whofe fidelity the Romans fufpected during the war with Perfeus, was detained in Rome, where his merit foon attracted the eyes, and made his converfation the defire of all perfons of the highest quality in that city. Scipio, when fcarce eightcen, devoted himself entirely to Polybius; and confidered, as the greateft felicity of his life, the opportunity he had of being inftructed by fo great a master, whofe fociety he preferred to all the vain and idle amusements which are generally fo eagerly pursued by young perfons.

Polybius's first care was, to infpire Scipio with an averfion for thofe equally dangerous and ignominious pleafures, to which the Roman youth were fo ftrongly addicted; the greatest part of them being already depraved and corrupted, by the luxury and licentioufnefs which riches and new conquefls had introduced in Rome. Scipio, during the first five years that he continued in fo excellent a fchool, made the greateft improvement in it; and, defpifing the levity and wantonnefs, as well as the pernicious examples of perfons of the fame age with himself, he was looked upon, even at that time, as a fhining model of difcretion and wisdom.

From hence, the tranfition was easy and natural, to generofity, to a noble difregard of riches, and to a laudable use of them; all virtues fo requifite in perfons of illuftrious birth, and which Scipio carried to the most exalted pitch, as appears from fome inftances of this kind related by Polybius, and highly worthy our admiration.

Emilia, wife of the firft Scipio Africanus, and mother of him who had adopted the Scipio mentioned here by Polybius, had bequeathed, at her death, a great eftate to the latter. This lady, befides the diamonds and jewels which are worn by women of her high rank, poffeffed a great number of gold and filver veffels used in facrifices, together with feveral fplendid equipages, and a confiderable number of flaves of both fexes;

.-(p) Excerpt, è Polyb. ¡1. 147–163. She was fifer of Paulus Æmilius, father of the fecond Scipio Africanus.

the

the whole fuited to the auguft houfe into which fhe had married. At her death, Scipio made over all those rich poffeffions to Papiria his mother, who having been divorced a confiderable time before by Paulus Æmilius, and not being in circumftances to fupport the dignity of her birth, lived in great obfcurity, and never appeared in the affemblies or publick ceremonies. But when the again frequented them with a magnificent train, this noble generofity of Scipio did him great honour, efpecially in the minds of the ladies, who expatiated on it in all their converfations, and in a city, whofe inhabitants, fays Polybius, were not eafily prevailed upon to part with their

money.

Scipio was no lefs admired on another occafion. He was bound, by a condition in the will, to pay, at three different times, to the two daughters of Scipio his grandfather by adoption, half their portions, which amounted to fifty thousand French crowns. The time for the payment of the first fum being expired, Scipio put the whole money into the hands of a banker. Tiberius Gracchus, and Scipio Nafica, who had married the two fifters, imagining that Scipio had made a mistake, went to him, and obferved, that the laws allowed him three years to pay this fum in, and at three different times. Young Scipio answered, that he knew very well what the laws directed on this occafion; that they might indeed be executed in their greatest rigour with ftrangers, but that friends and relations ought to treat one another with a more generous fimplicity; and therefore defired them to receive the whole fum. They were ftruck with fuch admiration at the generofity of their kinfman, that in their return home, they reproached themselves for their narrow way of thinking, at a time when they made the greatest figure, and had the highest regard paid to them, of any family in Rome. This generous action, fays Polybius, was the more admired, caufe no perfon in Rome, fo far from confenting to pay fifty thousand crowns before they were due, would pay even a thousand before the time for payment was elapfed.

It was from the fame noble fpirit, that two years after, Paulus Æmilius his father being dead, he made over to his brother Fabius, who was not fo wealthy as himself, the part of their father's eftate which was his (Scipio's) due, (amounting to above threescore thousand crowns 1) in order that there might not be fo great a disparity between his fortune and that of his brother.

Or, 11,250 l. fterling. tor, 13,500l. ferling.

This

† Κατεγνωκότες τῆς αὐτῶν μικρολογίας,

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This Fabius being defirous to exhibit' a fhow of gladiators after his father's decease, in honour of his memory (as was the custom in that age) and not being able to defray the expences on this occafion, which amounted to a very heavy fum, Scipio made him a prefent of fifteen thousand crowns, in order to defray at leaft half the charges of it.

The fplendid prefents which Scipio had made his mother Papiria, reverted to him, by law as well as equity, after her demife; and his fifters, according to the cuftom of thofe times, had not the leaft claim to them. Nevertheless, Scipio thought it would have been dishonourable in him, had he taken them back again. He therefore made over to his fifters, whatever he had prefented to their mother, which amounted to a very confiderable fum; and by this fresh proof of his glorious dif regard of wealth, and the tender friendship he had for his family, acquired the applaufe of the whole city.

Thefe different benefactions, which amounted all together to a prodigious fum, feem to have received a brighter luftre from the age in which he bestowed them, he being ftill very young; and yet more from the circumftances of the time when they were prefented, as well as the kind and obliging carriage he affumed on thofe occafions.

The incidents I have here given, are fo repugnant to the maxims of this age, that there might be reafon to fear, the reader would confider them merely as the rhetorical flourishes of an hiftorian, who was prejudiced in favour of his heros if it was not well known, that the predominant characteristick of Polybius, by whom they are related, is a fincere love for truth, and an utter averfion to adulation of every kind. In the very paffage whence this relation is extracted, he thought it would be neceffary for him to be a little guarded, where he expatiates on the virtuous actions and rare qualities of Scipio, and he observes, that as his writings were to be peruf by the Romans, who were perfectly well acquainted with all the particulars of this great man's life, he would certainly be animadverted upon by them, fhould he venture to advance any falfhood; an affront, to which it is not probable that an author, who is ever fo little tender of his reputation, would expofe himself, especially if no advantage was to accrue to him. from it.

We have already obferved, that Scipio had never given into the fashionable debaucheries and exceffes to which the young people at Rome fo wantonly abandon themselves. But he was fufficiently compenfated for this felf-denial of all destructive pleasures, by the vigorous health he enjoyed all the rest of his

Or, 53754 ferling.

life,

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