And in the forum, from his list'ning slaves,

1755

By the proud vaunt, their future homage craves.
For this, the factious populace he rous'd,
The cause of Marius he for this espous'd;
Boldly for this, he bade the people see
His statues deck'd with wreaths of victory;
Assur'd, that when the seeds of strife were sown,
The future harvest must be all his own.
Against the senate still his force he bent,
Scorning their babbling gownish government.
To letters, talents, every muse a friend;*
Liberal to all; yet could he condescend,

Αλλ' οδ αντρ εθελει περι παντων εμμεναι άλλων,
Πάντων μεν κρατεειν εθέλει, παντεσσι δ' ανασσειν.

1760

HOм. a. 287.

Ipse autem socer [J. Cæsar] in ore semper Græcos versus de Phoenisis habebat, quos dicam ut potero, non condite fortasse, sed tamen ut res possit intelligi:

2

Nam si violandum est jus, regnandi gratiâ

Violandum est: aliis rebus pietatem colas.

Cic. de Off. 1. iii.

Mihi crede, etiam is qui omnia tenet, favet ingeniis. Cic.Ep. ad Marcel. -propter eximium ingenium, summamque eruditionem; cui, mehercules, hic cujus in potestate sumus, multum tribuit.

-mirifice ingeniis excellentibus

--

- delectatur. Cic. Epist. ad Cæcin.

When

When factions, like wild tempests, shook the realm, (In hopes the boldest hand might seize the helm,) 'Gainst Tully and good Cato to combine,'

With desperate Clodius, and fell Catiline.

1766

'In the juxtaposition of Cato and Cæsar by Sallust, the historian gives the preference to neither. One cannot well conceive two characters more strongly contrasted; for except that both were well descended, brave, and eloquent, there is between them no other feature of resemblance. Cato was as much superior to Cæsar in the practice of every severe virtue, as he was his inferior in judgment, talents, and capacity. Whatsoever was Cæsar's purpose, he generally embraced the most effectual and certain means of accomplishing it, while Cato had but one way of attempting every thing; so that the former was commonly successful, and the latter as frequently miscarried. He entered into many an action, as he did into the theatre, only to get out of it. Cæsar, by the sweetness of his temper, and the affability of his manners, could throw a sort of grace even over bad actions, while Cato was distinguished by his abhorrence of them. Without giving our approbation to Cæsar, it is difficult not to love, and impossible not to admire him. We approve of and respect Cato, but he is seldom amiable. Notwithstanding the loose morality of the Dictator, his soul was capable of an elevation which the strict stoicism and rigid principles of his antagonist could never attain to; and it should be remembered to the advantage of the conqueror of the world, that in an age and country so shamefully addicted to bloodshed and debauchery, he was always merciful and temperate.

Beyond the Alps he ran his bold career;
Rome was for him too small a theatre:
Satiate of her inglorious brawls, he hies
To distant scenes of hardy enterprize.

But first, by bribes, by all that art could move,
He reign'd unrivall❜d in the people's love.
Low at the bottom of the peaceful deep,

1770

1775

In silent caves the seaborn monsters sleep;
But when fierce winds vex'd Ocean's bosom tear,
To day's broad eye their horrid forms appear:
So, in the depths of his capacious breast
Ambition's brood in grim repose could rest,
The destin'd hour of tumult but to wait,-
Then rise reveal'd, and awe the prostrate state.
Gauls, Germans, Britain, by his arms o'ercome,
Confirm'd his sway, and fix'd his chains on Rome.
In dalliance once by Cleopatra held,'

Awhile he left the labours of the field;

1780

1785 She

4 Cleopatra regis soror, affusa Cæsaris genibus, partem regni reposcebat. Aderat puellæ forma, &c. FLOR. 1. iv. c. 2.

Cæsar

She tried her varying poignancy of charms,
To fold him long in her voluptuous arms;
From balmy lips breath'd forth the endearing vow,
And smooth'd the furrows on his care-worn brow:
But when the trumpet's notes his trance molest,
He pluck'd the sting of pleasure from his breast;
Refulgent beam'd again in glittering arms,

To shake the coward land with war's alarms;"
Then Ptolemy he tumbled from his throne,
And bade the Royal Harlot rule alone.

1792

1795

Yet skill consummate in the soldier's art
Had form'd no callous crusting round his heart;

6

Though

Cæsar never display'd his great military skill and wonderful presence of mind more conspicuously than in extricating himself from all the dangers with which he was environed in the Alexandrian war. He was involved in this by his amour with Cleopatra, and it seems to have been the only instance in which he suffered his passions to get the ascendancy over his wisdom.

5 Ab eisdem percussoribus Pompeii obsessus in regiâ, quamvis exiguâ manu, ingentis exercitus molem mirâ virtute sustinuit. FLOR. 1. iv. c. 2. "There is an unaccountable proneness in several modern writers, to ascribe the well known clemency of Cæsar towards his vanquished enemies either to policy, or to his contempt of them, and not to his natural T 2 disposition.

Though from ambition oft he stretch'd the sword, Unnecessary blood his soul abhor'd.

No brooding hate his fearless bosom kept;" 1800 Soon as the steel was sheath'd, his vengeance slept.

For two great ends alone he seem'd to live,

To conquer all mankind, and to forgive.

E'en for a foe his kindly tears were shed;

He wept at sight of Pompey's sever'd head,'

1805

Forgot the rival's hate, and mourn'd the hero dead.

disposition. It is directly contrary to all the testimonies of his contemporaries, and of the subsequent ancient authors. It is of no service to the cause of morality, to inquire too strictly into the motives of men's actions, when their effects are beneficial to society; and we may be content to leave Cæsar in possession of his title to a virtue, which his enemies in his own time did not deny him.

7 Nemo unquam te placavit inimicus, qui illas resedisse in te simultatis reliquias senserit. Cic. pro Reg. Deiotar.

* Solus inquam es, C. Cæsar, cujus in victoriâ ceciderit nemo nisi arIbid.

matus.

9 Simultates contrà nullas tam graves excepit unquam, ut non occasione oblatâ, libens deponeret, et in ulciscendo naturâ lenissimus.

SUET. in J. Cæs. 73. 'Ut enim id Cæsar adspexit, oblitus hostis, soceri vultum induit, ac Pompeio tum proprias, tum etiam filiæ suæ lacrymas reddidit. Val. Max. l.v. c. i. Ο δ' ουν Καισαρ, την τε Πομπήιον κεφαλην ίδων, κατεδάκρυσε, και κατωλοφύρατο. DION. CASS. 1. xlii.

Not