who took Cafar for his Man, doubtless made the best Choice; for in Truth this Book ought to be the Breviary of every great Soldier, as being the true and fovereign Pattern of the military Art. And, moreover, God knows with what Grace and Beauty he has embellished that rich Subject, with fuch pure, delicate, and perfect Expression, that, in my Opinion, there are no Writings in the World comparable to his in this Respect. I will here record fome rare and peculiar Passages of his Wars that remain in my Memory. How Cæfar couraged bis Troops when alarmed by the Superior Numbers of the Enemy. His Army being in some Confsternation upon the Rumour that was spread of the great Forces which King Juba was leading against him, instead of abating the Apprehenfion which his Soldiers had conceived at the News, and of leffening the Strength of the Enemy, having called them all together to reanimate and encourage them, he took a quite contrary Method to what we are used to do; for he told them, That • they should trouble themselves no more with enquiring ⚫ after the Enemy's Strength, for that he was certainly * informed of it: And then he mentioned a Number much furpaffing both the Truth and the Report that was rumoured in his Army. In this he followed the Advice of Cyrus in Xenophan; forasmuch as the Imposition is not of so great Importance to fied an Enemy weaker than we expected, as it is to find him really very strong, after having been made to believe that he was weak. The ready It was his Way to accustom his Soldiers simply to obey, without taking upon them to controul, or fo much as to speak of their Captain's Designs; which he never communicated to them but upon the Point of Execution; and he took diers. a Delight, if they discovered any Thing of what he intended, immediately to change his Orders to deceive them; and, to that Purpose, when he had assigned his Quarters in a particular Place, he often passed forward and lengthened his March, especially if it was foul Weather. The Swiss, in the Beginning of his Wars in Gaul, having • Suetonius in the Life of Julius Cæfar, c. 66. How be amu in Order the better to furprife them. ving sent to him to demand a free Passage fed the Enemy, through the Roman Territories; though he refolved to hinder them by Force, he nevertheless spoke kindly to the Messengers, and took some Days to return an Answer, in Order to make use of that Respite for assembling his Army together. These filly People did not know how good a Husband he was of his Time; for he often repeats it, • That it is the Excellency of a Captain to seize the criti< cal Juncture; and his Diligence in his Exploits is, in Truth, unparallelled and incredible. The Virtue be As he was not very confcientious in taking Advantage of an Enemy under Colour of a Treaty of required in his Agreement, he was as little in this, that he Soldiers. required no other Virtue in a Soldier but Valour, and feldom punished any other Faults but Mutiny and Disobedience. The License in which he in 1. After his Victories he often gave them all Manner of Liberty, dispensing them, for some Time, from the Rules of military Difcipline, saying withal, That he had Soldiers so well trained up, that, though powdered and perfumed, they would * run furioufly to Battle..... dulged them. He loved that In Truth, he loved to have them richly armed, and their Furniture to be engraved, gilt, and filvered over, to the End that the Care of faving their Arms might engage them to a more they should be richly armed. obstinate Defence. The Title be When he harangued them, he called them by the Name of Fellow-Soldiers, as we do to this Day; which his Successor Augustus reformed, supposing he had only done it upon Neceffity, bonoured them with. and to cajole those who only followed him as Volunteers; १ Rheni mihi Cæfar in undis, Dux erat, hic focius, facinus quos inquinat, æquat. : i. e. Great Cafar, who my Genral did appear *P Suetonius in the Life of Julius Cæfar, c. 67. 9 Lucan, lib. v. v. 289. For For Wickedness, where once it hold does take, but that this Carriage was too low for the Dignity of an Emperor and General of an Army; and therefore he brought up the Custom of calling them Soldiers only. With this Courtesy Cafar mixed great Severity, to keep them in Awe. The ninth Legion having His Severity to mutinied near to Placentia, he ignominiously bis Soldiers. cashiered them, though Pompey was yet on Foot, and received them not again to Grace till after many Supplications: He quieted them more by Authority and Boldness than by gentle Ways. In that Place where he speaks of his Passage over the Rhine towards Germany, he says, 'That, thinking it unworthy of the Honour of Roman People to waft over his Army in Vessels, he built a Bridge, that they might pass over dry Foot. There it was that he built that wonderful Bridge, of which he gives so particular a Description; for he is no where so fond of displaying his own Actions, as in representing to us the Subtlety of his Inventions in such mechanical Perform ances. to Soldiers be I have also observed this, that he was fond of giving Exhortations to the Soldiers before a Battle; Exhortations for, where he would shew, that he was either surprized, or reduced to a Necessity of Fight- fore a Battle of ing, he always brings in this, "That he had great Impor ' not so much as Leisure to harangue his Ar tance. my. Before that great Battle with those of Tournay, Cafar, says he, having given Order for every Thing ' else, presently ran where Fortune carried him to encourage his Men, and, meeting the tenth Legion, had no • more Time to say any Thing to them but this, That ' they should remember their wonted Valour, and not be • aftonished, but bravely sustain the Enemy's Shock;' and, as the Enemy already approached within a Dart's Cast, he gave the Signal of Battle; and, going suddenly thence elsewhere to encourage others, he found that they were already engaged. That, by his own Account of it, his VOL. II. Nn De Bello Gallico, lib. iv. c. 2. • Idem, lib. ii. c. 3. 1 1 his Tongue indeed did him notable Service upon several Occasions; and his military Eloquence was in his own Time so highly reputed, that many of his Army collected his Harangues, by which Means there were Volumes of them preserved a long Time after him. He had so particular a Grace in speaking, that they who were particularly acquainted with him, and Augustus amongst others, hearing those Orations read, could diftinguish even to the Phrases and Words that were none of his. ditions. The first Time that he went out of Rome with any pub- "Ocyor & cæli flammis, & tigride fætâ. Involvens fecum. * Plutarch in Cafar's Life, c. 5, Lucan. lib. v. v. 405. w Virg. Æn. lib. xii. v. 684. i. e. i. e. Swifter than Lightning, or the furious Course Earth rebound. Speaking of the Siege o Avaricum, he says, ' * That it • was his Custom to be Night and Day with He would fee ' the Pioneers.' In all Enterprises of Con- every-thing sequence he reconnoitred in Person, and ne- himself. ver brought his Army to a Place which he had not first viewed. And, if we may believe Suetonius, when he paffed over into England, he was the first Man that founded the Passage. He liked to con quer by Wisdom rather than Strength. He was wont to say, That he more valued a Victory • obtained by Counsel than Force.' And in the War against Petreius and Afranius, Fortune presenting him with a very manifest Occafion of Advantage, he declined it, saying, 'That he hoped with a little more Time, and less Hazard, to overthrow his Enemies.' He there also per formed a notable Part, in commanding his whole Army to pass the River by Swimming, without any Manner of Neceffity. ، 2 - rapuitque ruens in prælia miles i. e. The Soldiers rush through a Pass to fight, Which would have terrify'd them in a Flight; Nn 2 Then * De Bell. Gall. lib. vii. c. 3. y In Jul. Caf. sect. 58. 2 Lucan. lib. iv. v. 151, &c. |