not yet engaged. 22. Pompey's infantry being thus doubly attacked, in front by fresh troops, and in the rear by the victorious cohorts, could no longer resist, but fled to their camp. The flight began among the strangers. Pompey's right wing still valiantly maintained their ground. 23. Cæsar, however, convinced that the victory was certain, with his usual clemency cried out to pursue the strangers, but to spare the Romans; upon which they all laid down their arms and received quarter. The greatest slaughter was among the auxiliaries, who fled on all sides. 24. The battle had now lasted from break of day till noon, and the weather was extremely hot; nevertheless, the conquerors remitted not their ardour, being encouraged by the example of a general, who thought his victory incomplete till he should become master of the enemy's camp. Accordingly, marching on foot at their head, he called upon them to follow and strike the decisive blow. 25. The cohorts which were left to defend the camp for some time made a formidable resistance: particularly a great number of Thra'cians and other barbarians, who were appointed for that purpose; but nothing could resist the ardour of Cæsar's victorious army; the enemy were at last driven from the trenches, and co pelled to fly to the mountains. Questions for Examination. com 1. What was the state of Cæsar's army immediately before the battie of Pharsalia? 2. What effect had the approaching event on the minds of men? 3. What were the respective advantages of each army? 4. On what did they principally build their hopes? 5. Who was the first to offer battle? 6. How did Cæsar act on this occasion ? 7. What followed? 8. What effect had this intelligence on Cæsar's plan? 9. Of what number of troops were each of the armies composed ? 10. What did Cæsar consider necessary to be done to remedy this dis proportion? 11. What were Pompey's expectations and boasts? 12. What was the conduct of the generals? 13. Repeat Pompey's address to his troops. 14. How did Cæsar encourage his men? 15. What effect had this speech, and what was the word on both sides? 16. In what manner did the attack commence ? 17. Describe the progress of the battle. 18. What means did Cæsar adopt to prevent a defeat? 19. Was this measure successful? 20. What was the consequence? 21. What were Cæsar's farther commands? 22. What followed? 23. What use did Cæsar make of his victory? 24. Did not fatigue abate the ardour of Cæsar's troops ? 25. Did they attempt to defend their camp? SECTION V. While thus united Cæsar's arms appear, LUCAN'S PHARSALIA, b. 5. 2. Ban'quet, s. a feast. 4. Unten'able, a. not to be defended or kept. 5. Intercept'ed, v. cut off. 6. Inces'sant, a. unceasing. 9. Neu'tral, a. indifferent, not engaged on either side. 19. Mi'nor, s. a person under age. 20. Insid'iously, ad. craftily, doceitfully. 23. Contempt'uous, a. scornful, proud, 25. Inevit'able, a. not to be escaped. 30. Rites, s. religious ceremonies. 1. CÆSAR, seeing the field and camp strewed with his fallen countrymen, was strongly affected at the melancholy prospect, and cried out to one that stood near him, "They would have it so." 2. In the camp, every object presented fresh instances of the blind presumption and madness of his adversaries. On all sides were to be 1 Lesbos was one of the principal islands in the Archipelago, on the coast of Asia. It was greatly favoured by Pompey, and after it had suffered in the Mithridatic war, restored by him to a qualified independence. It is now called Metelin, from Mitylene, its ancient capital. seen tents adorned with ivy and myrtle, couches covered with purple, and side-boards loaded with plate. Every thing gave proofs of the highest luxury, and seemed rather the preparatives for a banquet, or the rejoicings for a victory, than dispositions for a battle. 3. A camp so richly furnished would have engaged the attention of any troops but Cæsar's; but there was still something to be done, and he permitted them not to pursue any other object than their enemies. 4. A considerable body having retired to the adjacent mountains, he prevailed on his soldiers to join him in the pursuit, in order to oblige these to surrender. He began by inclosing them with a line drawn at the foot of the mountain; but they quickly abandoned a post which was untenable for want of water, and endeavoured to reach the city of Laris'sa. 5. Cæsar, leading a part of his army by a shorter way, intercepted their retreat. However, these unhappy fugitives again found protection from a mountain, at the foot of which ran a rivulet that supplied them with water. 6. Night approaching, Cæsar's men were almost spent, and fainting with their incessant toil since morning; yet still he prevailed upon them to renew their labours, and cut off the rivulet that supplied the defendants. 7. The fugitives, thus deprived of all hopes of succour or subsistence, sent deputies to the conqueror, offering to surrender at discretion. During this interval of negociation, a few senators that were among them, took the advantage of the night to escape, and the rest, next morning, gave up their arms and experienced the conqueror's clemency. In fact, he addressed them with great gentleness, and forbade the soldiers to offer violence, or to take any thing from them. 8. Thus Cæsar gained the most complete victory that had ever been obtained; and by his great clemency after the battle, seemed to have deserved it. His loss amounted only to two hundred men; that of Pompey to fifteen thousand; ར་ twenty-four thousand men surrendered themselves prisoners of war, and the greatest part of these entered into Cæsar's army, and were incorporated with the rest of his forces. 9. To the senators and Roman knights, who fell into his hands, he generously gave liberty to retire wherever they thought proper; and as for the letters which Pompey had received from those who wished to be thought neutral, Cæsar burnt them all without reading, as Pompey had done on a former occasion. 10. Thus having performed all the duties of a general and a statesman, he sent for the legions which had passed the night in camp, to relieve those which had accompanied him in the pursuit, and arrived the same day at Laris'sa. 11. As for Pompey, who had formerly shown such instances of courage and conduct, when he saw his cavalry routed, on which he had placed his sole dependence, he absolutely lost his reason. 12. Instead of thinking how to remedy this disorder by rallying such troops as fled, or by opposing fresh troops to stop the progress of the conqueror, being totally amazed by this first blow, he returned to the camp, and in his tent waited the issue of an event, which it was his duty to have directed, not to follow: there he remained for some moments speechless, till being told that the camp was attacked. "What!" says he, are we pursued to our very entrenchments?" when, immediately quitting his armour for a habit more suited to his circumstances, he fled on horseback to Laris'sa; thence, perceiving that he was not pursued, he siackened his pace, giving way to all the agonizing reflections which his deplorable situation must naturally suggest. 13. In this melancholy manner he passed along the vale of Tempe', and pursuing the course of the river Pe'neus, at last arrived at a fisherman's hut; here he passed the night, and then went on board a little bark, keeping along the sea-shore, 1 A pleasant valley in Thes'saly. till he descried a ship of some burden, which seemed preparing to sail. In this he embarked; the master of the vessel still paying him that homage which was due to his former station. 14. From the mouth of the river Peneus he sailed to Amphip'olis', where finding his affairs desperate, he steered to Lesbos, to take with him his wife Cornelia, whom he had left there, at a distance from the dangers and distresses of war. 15. She, who had long flattered herself with the hopes of victory, now felt the agonizing reverse of fortune: she was desired by the messenger, whose tears more than his words proclaimed her unspeakable misfortunes, to hasten away if she expected to see Pompey, who had but one ship, and even that not his own. 16. Her grief, which before was violent, became now insupportable she fainted, and lay without signs of life. At length recovering, and reflecting that it was no time for vain lamentations, she fled through the city to the sea side. 17. Pompey received and embraced her, and in silent despair supported her in his arms. "Alas!" said Corne'lia, "you, who, before our marriage, appeared in these seas as the commander of five hundred sail, are now reduced to make your escape in a single vessel. Why come you in search of an unfortunate woman? Why was I not left to a fate which now you are under the necessity of sharing with me? Happy for me had I executed, long since, my design of quitting this life! But fatally have I been reserved to add to Pompey's sorrows." 18. Pompey instanced the uncertainty of all human affairs, and endeavoured by every argument to give her comfort; then, taking her under his protection, he con 1 An ancient city of Macedo'nia, now called Chisop'oli. 2 Lesbos, an island of Greece, in the Archipelago, famous for its fertility. (Ta'citus.) This island gave birth to Sap'pho, the poetess, and several eminent men. |