advantage, Romulus immediately adopted that practice, os the ufe of that weapon, and improved the military fyftem of the Romans by the united experience of all their ene mies. 146. We have an example of both these maxims, by means of which the Roman ftate arrived at such a pitch of grandeur, in the war with the Sabines. Romulus having conquered that nation, not only united them to the Romans, but finding their buckler preferable to the Roman, inftantly threw afide the latter, and made ufe of the Sabine_buckler in fighting against other states. 147. Romulus, though principally attached to war, did not altogether neglect the civil policy of his infant kingdom. He inftituted what was called the fenate, a court originally compofed of a hundred perfons, diftinguished for their wif dom and experience. 148. He enacted laws for the administration of justice, and for bridling the fierce and unruly paffions of his followers; and after a long reign fpent in promoting the civil or military interefts of his country, was, according to the moft probable conjecture, privately affaffinated by fome of the members of that fenate, which he himself had inftituted. 149. The fucceffors of Romulus were all very extraor dinary perfonages. Numa, who came next to him, establifhed the religious ceremonies of the Romans, and infpired them with that veneration for an oath, which was ever after the foul of their military difcipline. Tullus Hoftilius, Ancus Martius, Tarquinius Prifcus, and Servius Tullus, labored each during his reign for the grandeur of Rome. 150. But Tarquinius Superbus, the feventh and laft king, having obtained the crown by the execrable murder of his father-in-law Servius, continued to fupport it by the most cruel and infamous tyranny. This, together with the infolence of his fon Sextus Tarquinius, who, by difhonoring Lucretia, a Roman lady, affronted the whole nation, occa fioned the expulfion of the Tarquin family, and with it the diffolution of the regal government. 151. As the Romans, however, were continually engaged in war, they found it neceffary to have fome officer invefted with fupreme authority, who might conduct them to the field, and regulate their military enterprises. In the. room of these kings, therefore, they appoioted two annual magiftrates called confuls, who, without creating the fame jealoufy, fucceeded to all the powers of their fovereigns. 152. This revolution was extremely favorable to the Roman grandeur. The confuls, who enjoyed but a temporary power, were defirous of fignalizing their reign by fome great action each vied with those who had gone before him, and the Romans were daily led against fome new en emy. : 153. When we add to this, that the people, naturally warlike, were inspired to deeds of valor by every confideration which could excite them that the citizens of Rome were all foldiers, and fought for their lands, their children, and their liberties, we need not be furprised, that they fhould, in the courfe of fome centuries, extend their power all over Italy. 154. The Romans, now fecure at home, and finding no enemy with whom to contend, tum their eyes abroad, and meet with a powerful rival in the Carthaginians. This state had been founded or enlarged on the coast of the Mediterranean in Africa, fome time before Rome, by a colony of Phoenicians, in the year before Christ eight hundred and fixty-nine, and, according to the practice of their mother country, they had cultivated commerce and naval greatness. terranean. 155. Carthage, in this defign, had proved wonderfully fuccefsful. She now commanded both fides of the MediBefides that of Africa, which she almost entirely poffeffed, he had extended herfelf on the Spanish fide, through the Streights. Thus miftrefs of the sea, and of commerce, fhe had feized the islands of Corfica and Sardinia. 156. Sicily had difficulty to defend itfelf; and the Ro mans were too nearly threatened not to take arms. Hence a fucceffion of hoftilities between thefe rival ftates, known in history by the name of Punic wars, in which the Carthaginians, with all their wealth and power, were an unequal match for the Romans. 157. Carthage was a powerful republic, when Rome was an inconfiderable ftate; but fhe was now become corrupt and effeminate, while Rome was in the vigor of her political conftitution. Carthage employed mercenaries to orry on her wars; Rome, as we have already mentioned, yas compofed of foldiers. 153 The irft war with Carthage lafted twenty-three year and taught the Romans the art of fighting on the fea, ith which they had been hitherto unacquainted. A Cu agian veffel was wrecked on their coaft; they used it f model, in three months fitted out a fleet, and the com. Duilius, who fought their first naval battle, was victoricus. It is not to our purpose to mention all the tranfaction of these wars. 159. The behavior of Regulus, the Roman general, may give us an idea of the spirit which then animated this people. Being taken prifoner in Africa, he is fent back on his parole to negociate a change of prifoners. He maintains in the fenate, the propriety of that law, which cut off from those who fuffered themfelves to be taken, all hopes of being faved, and returns to a certain death. 160. Neither was Carthage, though corrupted, deficient in great men. Of all the enemies with whom the Romans ever had to contend, Hannibal the Carthaginian was the most inflexible and dangerous. His father Hamilcar had imbibed an extreme hatred against the Romans, and having fettled the inteftine troubles of his country, he took an early opportunity to infpire his fon, though but nine years old, with his own fentiments. 161. For this purpose he ordered a folemn facrifice to be offered to Jupiter, and leading his fon to the altar, asked him whether he was willing to attend him in his expedition against the Romans; the courageous boy not only confented to go, but conjured his father by the gods prefent, to form him to victory, and teach him the art of conquering. 162. That I will joyfully do, replied Hamilcar, and with all the care of a father who loves you, if you will fwear on the altar to be an eternal enemy to the Romans. Hannibal readily complied; and the folemnity of the ceremony, and the facrednefs of the oath, made fuch an impreffion on his mind, as nothing afterwards could ever efface. 163. Being appointed general at twenty-five years of age, he croffes the Ebro, the Pyrennees, and the Alps, and in a moment falls on Italy. The lofs of four battles threat ens the fall of Rome. Sicily fides with the conqueror. Hieronymus king of Syracufe declares against the Romans, and almost all Italy abandons them. 164. In this extremity, Rome owed its preservation to three great men. Fabius Maximus, defpifing popular clamor, and the military ardor of his countrymen, declines coming to an engagement. The ftrength of Rome has time to recover. Marcellus raises the fiege of Nola, takes Syracufe, and revives the drooping fpirits of his troops. 165. The Romans admired the character of these great men, but faw fomething more divine in young Scipio. The fuccefs of this young hero confirmed the popular opinion, that he was of divine extraction, and held converfe with the gods. At the age of four-and-twenty, he flies into Spain, where both his father and uncle had loft their lives, attacks New Carthage, and carries it at the first affault. 166. On his arrival in Africa, kings fubmit to him, Carthage trembles in her turn, and fees her armies defeated. Hannibal, fixteen years victorious, is in vain called home to defend his country. Carthage is rendered tributary, gives hostages, and engages never to enter on a war, but with the confent of the Roman people. 167. After the conquest of Carthage, Rome had inconfiderable wars but great victories; before this time its wars were great, and its victories inconfiderable. At this time the world was divided, as it were, into two parts: in the one fought the Romans and Carthaginians; the other was agitated by thofe quarrels which had lafted fince the death of Alexander the Great. 168. Their scene of action was Greece, Egypt, and the east. The states of Greece had once more difengaged themfelves from a foreign yoke. They were divided into three confederacies, the Etolians, Acheans, and Beotian; each of these was an affociation of free cities, which had affemblies and magiftrates in common. The Etolians were the moft confiderable of them all. 169. The kings of Macedon maintained that fuperiority, which in ancient times, when the balance of power was little attended to, a great prince naturally poffeffed over his lefs powerful neighbors. Philip the prefent monarch, had rendered hirafelf odious to the Greeks, by fome unpopular and tyrannical steps; the Etolians were moft irritated; and hearing the fame of the Roman arms, called them into Greece, and overcame Philip by their affistance. 170. The victory, however, chiefly redounded to the advantage of the Romans. The Macedonian garrifons were obliged to evacuate Greece; the cities were all declared free; but Philip became a tributary to the Romans, and the ftates of Greece became their dependents. The Etolians discovering their first error, endeavored to remedy it by another still more dangerous to themselves, and more ad. vantageous to the Romans. 171. As they had called the Romans into Greece to defend them against king Philip, they now called in Antiochus, king of Syria, to defend them against the Romans. The famous Hannibal too had recourfe to the fame prince, who was at this time the moft powerful monarch in the east, and the fucceffor to the dominious of Alexander in Afia. 172. But Antiochus did not follow his advice fo much as that of the Etolians; for, instead of renewing the war in Italy, where Hannibal, from experience, judged the Romans to be most vulnerable. he landed in Greece with a fmall body of troops, and being overcome without difficul ty, fled into Afia. 173. In this war the Romans made ufe of Philip for conquering Antiochus, as they had before done of the Etolians for conquering Philip. They now purfue Antiochus, the last object of their refentment, into Afia, and having vanquished him by fea and land, compel him to submit to an infamous treaty. 174. In thefe conquefts the Romans ftill allowed the an cient inhabitants to poffefs their territory; they did not even change the form of government; the conquered nations became the allies of the Roman people, which denomination however, under a fpecious name, concealed a condition very fervile, and inferred, that they should fubmit to whatever was required of them. 175. When we reflect on thefe eafy conquefts, we have reafon to be astonished at the resistance with which the Romans met from Mithridates king of Pontus, for the space of twenty-fix years. But this monarch had great resources. His kingdom bordering on the inacceffible mountains of |