pompey-第19章

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body　of　thirty　thousand　men。　On　which　Tullus　crying　out　aloud；　〃O
Pompey；　you　have　deceived　us；〃　gave　his　advice　to　send　off　a
deputation　to　Caesar。　Favonius；　a　man　of　fair　character；　except　that
he　used　to　suppose　his　own　petulance　and　abusive　talking　a　copy　of
Cato's　straightforwardness；　bade　Pompey　stamp　upon　the　ground；　and
call　forth　the　forces　he　had　promised。　But　Pompey　bore　patiently
with　this　unseasonable　raillery；　and　on　Cato　putting　him　in　mind　of
what　he　had　foretold　from　the　very　beginning　about　Caesar；　made　this
answer　only；　that　Cato　indeed　had　spoken　more　like　a　prophet；　but　he
had　acted　more　like　a　friend。　Cato　then　advised　them　to　choose
Pompey　general　with　absolute　power　and　authority；　saying　that　the　same
men　who　do　great　evils　know　best　how　to　cure　them。　He　himself　went　his
way　forthwith　into　Sicily；　the　province　that　was　allotted　him；　and　all
the　rest　of　the　senators　likewise　departed　every　one　to　his　respective
government。
　　Thus　all　Italy　in　a　manner　being　up　in　arms；　no　one　could　say　what
was　best　to　be　done。　For　those　that　were　without　came　from　all　parts
flocking　into　the　city；　and　they　who　were　within；　seeing　the　confusion
and　disorder　so　great　there；　all　good　things　impotent；　and
disobedience　and　insubordination　grown　too　strong　to　be　controlled
by　the　magistrates；　were　quitting　it　as　fast　as　the　other　came　in。
Nay；　it　was　so　far　from　being　possible　to　allay　their　fears；　that　they
would　not　suffer　Pompey　to　follow　out　his　own　judgment；　but　every
man　pressed　and　urged　him　according　to　his　particular　fancy；　whether
it　proceeded　from　doubt；　fear；　grief；　or　any　meaner　passion；　so　that
even　in　the　same　day　quite　contrary　counsels　were　acted　upon。　Then；
again；　it　was　as　impossible　to　have　any　good　intelligence　of　the
enemy；　for　what　each　man　heard　by　chance　upon　a　flying　rumour　he　would
report　for　truth；　and　exclaim　against　Pompey　if　he　did　not　believe　it。
Pompey；　at　length；　seeing　such　a　confusion　in　Rome；　determined　with
himself　to　put　an　end　to　their　clamours　by　his　departure；　and
therefore　commanding　all　the　senate　to　follow　him；　and　declaring
that　whosoever　tarried　behind　should　be　judged　a　confederate　of
Caesar's；　about　the　dusk　of　the　evening　he　went　out　and　left　the　city。
The　consuls　also　followed　after　in　a　hurry；　without　offering　the
sacrifices　to　the　gods　usual　before　a　war。　But　in　all　this；　Pompey
himself　had　the　glory　that；　in　the　midst　of　such　calamities；　he　had　so
much　of　men's　love　and　good…will。　For　though　many　found　fault　with　the
conduct　of　the　war；　yet　no　man　hated　the　general；　and　there　were
more　to　be　found　of　those　that　went　out　of　Rome；　because　that　they
could　not　forsake　Pompey；　than　of　those　that　fled　for　love　of　liberty。
　　Some　few　days　after　Pompey　was　gone　out　Caesar　came　into　the　city；
and　made　himself　master　of　it；　treating　every　one　with　a　great　deal　of
courtesy；　and　appeasing　their　fears；　except　only　Metellus；　one　of
the　tribunes；　on　whose　refusing　to　let　him　take　any　money　out　of　the
treasury；　Caesar　threatened　him　with　death；　adding　words　yet　harsher
than　the　threat；　that　it　was　far　easier　for　him　to　do　it　than　say
it。　By　this　means　removing　Metellus；　and　taking　what　moneys　were　of
use　for　his　occasions；　he　set　forward　in　pursuit　of　Pompey；
endeavouring　with　all　speed　to　drive　him　out　of　Italy　before　his　army；
that　was　in　Spain；　could　join　him。
　　But　Pompey　arriving　at　Brundusium；　and　having　plenty　of　ships　there；
bade　the　two　consuls　embark　immediately；　and　with　them　shipped
thirty　cohorts　of　foot；　bound　before　him　for　Dyrrhachium。　He　sent
likewise　his　father…in…law；　Scipio；　and　Cnaeus；　his　son；　into　Syria；
to　provide　and　fit　out　a　fleet　there；　himself　in　the　meantime　having
blocked　up　the　gates；　placed　his　lightest　soldiers　as　guards　upon
the　walls；　and　giving　express　orders　that　the　citizens　should　keep
within　doors；　he　dug　up　all　the　ground　inside　the　city；　cutting
trenches；　and　fixing　stakes　and　palisades　throughout　all　the　streets
of　the　city；　except　only　two　that　led　down　to　the　seaside。　Thus　in
three　days'　space　having　with　ease　put　all　the　rest　of　his　army　on
shipboard；　he　suddenly　gave　the　signal　to　those　that　guarded　the
walls；　who　nimbly　repairing　to　the　ships　were　received　on　board　and
carried　off。　Caesar　meantime　perceiving　their　departure　by　seeing
the　walls　unguarded；　hastened　after；　and　in　the　heat　of　pursuit　was
all　but　entangled　himself　among　the　stakes　and　trenches。　But　the
Brundusians　discovering　the　danger　to　him；　and　showing　him　the　way；　he
wheeled　about；　and　taking　a　circuit　round　the　city；　made　towards　the
haven；　where　he　found　all　the　ships　on　their　way　excepting　only　two
vessels　that　had　but　a　few　soldiers　aboard。
　　Most　are　of　opinion　that　this　departure　of　Pompey's　is　to　be　counted
among　the　best　of　his　military　performances；　but　Caesar　himself
could　not　but　wonder　that　he；　who　was　thus　engarrisoned　in　a　city　well
fortified；　who　was　in　expectation　of　his　forces　from　Spain；　and　was
master　of　the　sea　besides；　should　leave　and　abandon　Italy。　Cicero
accuses　him　of　imitating　the　conduct　of　Themistocles；　rather　than　of
Pericles；　when　the　circumstances　were　more　like　those　of　Pericles　than
they　were　like　those　of　Themistocles。　However；　it　appeared　plainly；
and　Caesar　showed　it　by　his　actions；　that　he　was　in　great　fear　of
delay；　for　when　he　had　taken　Numerius；　a　friend　of　Pompey's；　prisoner；
he　sent　him　as　an　ambassador　to　Brundusium；　with　offers　of　peace　and
reconciliation　upon　equal　terms；　but　Numerius　sailed　away　with　Pompey。
And　now　Caesar　having　become　master　of　all　Italy　in　sixty　days；
without　a　drop　of　bloodshed；　had　a　great　desire　forthwith　to　follow
Pompey；　but　being　destitute　of　shipping；　he　was　forced　to　divert　his
course　and　march　into　Spain；　designing　to　bring　over　Pompey's　forces
there　to　his　own。
　　In　the　meantime　Pompey　raised　a　mighty　army　both　by　sea　and　land。　As
for　his　navy；　it　was　irresistible。　For　there　were　five　hundred
men…of…war；　besides　an　infinite　company　of　light　vessels；
Liburnians；　and　others；　and　for　his　land…forces；　the　cavalry　made　up　a
body　of　seven　thousand　horse；　the　very　flower　of　Rome　and　Italy；　men
of　family；　wealth；　and　high　spirit；　but　the　infantry　was　a　mixture
of　inexperienced　soldiers　drawn　from　different　quarters；　and　these
he　exercised　and　trained　near　Beroea；　where　he　quartered　his　army；
himself　noways　slothful；　but　performing　all　his　exercises　as　if　he　had
been　in　the　flower　of　his　youth；　conduct　which　raised　the　spirits　of
his　soldiers　extremely。　For　it　was　no　small　encouragement　for　them
to　see　Pompey　the　Great；　sixty　years　of　age　wanting　two；　at　one　time
handling　his　arms　among　the　foot；　then　again　mounted　among　the
horse；　drawing　out　his　sword　with　ease　in　full　career；　and　sheathing
it　up　as　easily；　and　in　darting　the　javelin；　showing　not　only　skill
and　dexterity　in　bitting　the　mark；　but　also　strength　and　activity　in
throwing　it　so　far　that　few　of　the　young　men　went　beyond　him。
　　Several　kings　and　princes　of　nations　came　thither　to　him；　and
there　was　a　concourse　of　Roman　citizens　who　had　held　the　magistracies；
so　numerous　that　they　made　up　a　complete　senate。　Labienus　forsook
his　old　friend　Caesar；　whom　he　had　served　throughout　all　his　wars　in
Gaul；　and　came　over　to　Pompey；　and　Brutus；　son　to　that　Brutus　that　was
put　to　death　in　Gaul；　a　man　of　a　high　spirit；　and　one　that　to　that　day
had　never　so　much　as　saluted　or　spoke　to　Pompey；　looking　upon　him　as
the　murderer　of　his　father；　came　then　and　submitted　himself　to　him
as　the　defender　of　their　liberty。　Cicero　likewise；　though　he　had
written　and　advised　otherwise；　yet　was　ashamed　not　to　be　accounted
in　the　number　of　those　that　would　hazard　their　lives　and　fortunes
for　the　safeguard　of　their　country。　There　came　to　him　also　into
Macedonia；　Tidius　Sextius；　a　man　extremely　old；　and　lame　of　one　leg；
so　that　others　indeed　mocked　and　laughed　at　the　spectacle；　but　Pompey；
as　soon　as　he　saw　him；　rose　and　ran　to　meet　him；　esteeming　it　no　small
testimony　in　his　favour；　when　men　of　such　age　and　infirmities　should
rather　choose　to　be　with　him　in　danger　than　in　safety　at　home。
Afterwards　in　a　meeting　of　their　senate　they　passed　a　decree；　on　the
motion　of