SECT. XVIII.

Scipio obtains leave to make war in Africa. His pres parations. Of Masinissa, who joined with Scipio. The victories against Asdrubal and Syphax.

PUP. Cornelius Scipio, and P. Licinius Crassus, entering into their consulship, held a meeting of the senate in the capitol; wherein it was decreed, that Scipio should be allowed to bestow part of the money which he had brought out of Spain into the treasury, upon the setting forth of solemn plays that he had vowed to make whilst he was busied in his Spanish wars. This helped well to revive the memory of his victories already gotten, and to give hope unto the people of greater victories in the war which he intended to make in Africa. To the same purpose did the Spanish embassages avail much in the senate, especially that of the Saguntines, who magnified his actions highly and deservedly; saying, that they were the most happy of all their countrymen, since they being present had seen him chosen consul, and should carry home such joyful news. The Saguntine embassadors were lovingly entertained by the senate, as their faith to Rome (though costly it were, both to them and to the Romans) had well deserved. Nevertheless, when Scipio proposed that Africa might be decreed unto him for his province, there wanted not many, even of the principal men, that vehemently gainsaid him. Of these was Q. Fabius Maximus the chief, who seems to have been troubled with that disease, which too often causeth men renowned for long approved virtue to look asquint upon the actions of those that follow them in the same kind. He alleged many reasons against VOL. V.

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the purpose of the consul, whereof the chief were, that the treasury was unable to sustain the charges of a war in Africa, and that it was extremely perilous to hazard so great forces, where they could not at pleasure be recalled unto the defence of Rome itself, if need required. Hereunto he added many words concerning the danger wherein Italy stood, not only of Hannibal, but of Mago his brother, that was arming the Ligurians; as also concerning the honour of the consul, which would (he said) be greater in setting Italy free from enemies, than it could be in doing any harm to Africa. Neither did he forget both to elevate the Spanish wars, as of less moment than the intended voyage againtt Carthage; nor withal to lay great blame upon Scipio, for having suffered Asdrubal to pass into Italy; shewing, that it was greatly to be feared lest the like might happen again; and that a new army, notwithstanding the good succes of Scipio, (if it had happened to be good,) might be sent from Carthage, to the utter endangering of Rome, whilst the Roman forces were employed abroad. But the main point which he urged, was, that neither the senate had ordained, nor the people commanded Africa to be that year a province, which the consul nevertheless propound in such wise, as if it were a matter already concluded, and no longer to be argued. Scipio, on the other side, insisted upon this one point, that it was better to make an offensive, than a defensive war, especially against such as the Carthaginians; who being ill provided of able men at home, did furnish themselves, by help of money, with levies made abroad. As for the care of Italy, he doubted not but P. Licinius his colleague, would be as well able to discharge it now as others had done in times of greater danger. So promising to draw Hannibal into Africa, for defence of his own home, and taxing as civilly as he could the envy of Fabius, which withstood such

a gallant enterprise, he proposed the matter again unto the senate. Much altercation there was about the manner of his proceeding, forasmuch as it was noised abroad, that if he could not bring the senate to his mind he would carry it by the people. This offended many of the ancients, who resented in this honourable man a little spice of that arrogancy which in following ages grew to be much hotter in those that had commanded long abroad. But in conclusion, Scipio referred himself wholly to the senate's good-will and pleasure, whereby he obtained thus much, that the isle of Sicily might be appointed unto him for his province, with leave to pass over into Africa if he found it expedient.

Want of money, and no great liking to his voyage, made the Roman senate have little care to furnish out Scipio to the war by him intended upon Africa. Herewithal it fell out, that Mago, coming on the sudden from the Baleares to Genoa, and winning the town, bred a fear of no less terrible invasion upon Italy than that which Asdrubal had lately made. He could not indeed raise any great army of the Ligurians, for that he found them distracted with civil wars. Therefore he was driven to make choice of his party, and to help those whom he thought fittest for his turn against the others. This, troublesome business, though it occupied more of his time than he could willingly have spared, yet it got him reputation by his victories, and made the unsteady Gauls ready to enter into his pay. Hereupon the dispersed legions of the Romans, that, under proconsuls and prætors, lay ready to be employ ed where need should require, were directed unto the borders of Lombardy and Liguria, there to make head against Mago. But all his menaces passed away in vapour; for a fleet, either coming to his aid from Carthage, or by him sent thither, (the report is uncertain,) loaden with the booty that he had ta

ken, fell into the hands of the Roman prætor that governed in Sardinia. This did much disable him; and though after a while there came letters from Carthage, together with store of money, heartening him in his proceedings, yet some impediments which he found, and that fatal voyage of Scipio into Africa, disturbed all, and made him be recalled home.

Against Hannibal was nothing done this year. Neither was any thing done by him, of which the Roman historians have been pleased to take notice; only, it is said, that he spent the summer by the temple of Juno Lucina, where he raised an altar, with a huge title of all that he had performed, graven in Punic and Greek letters. Such account of winnings passed, is commonly in gamesters, that are at the height of their fortune, a cause of remission and carelessness; in those that are upon the losing hand, a cause both of the same for the present, and shortly after dejection, when they find a notable change. A great pestilence, infesting both the Carthaginian and the Roman camp, is said to have been the occasion of this year's idleness; which fell out not much amiss for the city of Rome, that was marvellously impoverished by this war, and had already tried the utmost way to defray the charges, which grew insupportable. To relieve the present necessity, it was well thought upon, that a great part of Campania (not many years since confiscated) should be sold or let out; in which bargain, that the city might receive no loss, the tenth part of the fine was ordained as a reward unto the detectors of lands concealed.

Of this, or other money, none was given to Scipio; neither was he allowed to make press of soldiers for his African voyage; neither did he overmuch labour to obtain it. That which the senate refused, the people did for him; or rather they did it for themselves, that were therein wiser than the se

nate. It is usually found in councils of state, that the busy, or obstinate heads of a few, do carry all the rest; and many times men make a surrender of their own judgments to the wisdom that hath gotten itself a name, by giving happy direction in troubles fore-passed. Therefore he, that reposeth himself upon the advice of many, shall often find himself deceived; the counsel of those many being wholly directed by the temper of a few that oversway the rest. Q. Fabius was accounted the oracle of his time; for his wary nature sorted well with the business that fell out in the chief of his employment. Unto him, therefore, Q. Fulvius adhered, with other of the senators that were grown old in following one course, from whence they could not shift as the change of times required. But the people (who, though they could not well advise and deliberate, yet could well apprehend) embraced the needful resolution of Scipio; in such sort, that, besides his Roman forces, he had, from divers parts of Italy, about seven thousand volunteers. He had also provisions from the several towns; corn, iron, canvas for sails, axes, beed-hooks, hand-mills, and the like implements; fir for building of ships, many thousands of targets, helmets, and spears, of all kinds; every place furnishing him with that commodity which it best could afford. Unto this willingness of the people, the diligence of Scipio was correspondent. In the compass of forty-five days, he had both felled his timber, built and launched twenty trireme and ten quinquereme gailies, where with he transported his army into Sicily. In Sicily he found, besides other forces, two legions that had served at Cannæ, which were old soldiers, and (as he himself well knew) not guilty of the overthrow, for which they had long undergone a heavy censure. They had served under Marcellus and Lævinus at the taking of many cities and strong places; in which regard