fabius-第6章

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altar　and　temple　to　which　they　fled　for　refuge；　and　his　counsels；　more
than　anything；　preserved　them　from　dispersing　and　deserting　their
city；　as　in　the　time　when　the　Gauls　took　possession　of　Rome。　He；
whom　they　esteemed　fearful　and　pusillanimous　when　they　were；　as　they
thought；　in　a　prosperous　condition　was　now　the　only　man；　in　this
general　and　unbounded　dejection　and　confusion；　who　showed　no　fear；　but
walked　the　streets　with　an　assured　and　serene　countenance；　addressed
his　fellow…citizens；　checked　the　women's　lamentations；　and　the
public　gatherings　of　those　who　wanted　thus　to　vent　their　sorrows。　He
caused　the　senate　to　meet；　he　heartened　up　the　magistrates；　and　was
himself　as　the　soul　and　life　of　every　office。
　　He　placed　guards　at　the　gates　of　the　city　to　stop　the　frightened
multitude　from　flying；　he　regulated　and　confined　their　mournings　for
their　slain　friends；　both　as　to　time　and　place；　ordering　that　each
family　should　perform　such　observances　within　private　walls；　and
that　they　should　continue　only　the　space　of　one　month；　and　then　the
whole　city　should　be　purified。　The　feast　of　Ceres　happening　to　fall
within　this　time；　it　was　decreed　that　the　solemnity　should　be
intermitted；　lest　the　fewness；　and　the　sorrowful　countenance　of
those　who　should　celebrate　it；　might　too　much　expose　to　the　people　the
greatness　of　their　loss；　besides　that；　the　worship　most　acceptable
to　the　gods　is　that　which　comes　from　cheerful　hearts。　But　those
rites　which　were　proper　for　appeasing　their　anger；　and　procuring
auspicious　signs　and　presages；　were　by　the　direction　of　the　augurs
carefully　performed。　Fabius　Pictor；　a　near　kinsman　to　Maximus；　was
sent　to　consult　the　oracle　of　Delphi；　and　about　the　same　time；　two
vestals　having　been　detected　to　have　been　violated；　the　one　killed
herself；　and　the　other；　according　to　custom；　was　buried　alive。
　　Above　all；　let　us　admire　the　high　spirit　and　equanimity　of　this
Roman　commonwealth；　that　when　the　consul　Varro　came　beaten　and
flying　home；　full　of　shame　and　humiliation；　after　he　had　so
disgracefully　and　calamitously　managed　their　affairs；　yet　the　whole
senate　and　people　went　forth　to　meet　him　at　the　gates　of　the　city；　and
received　him　with　honour　and　respect。　And；　silence　being　commanded；
the　magistrates　and　chief　of　the　senate；　Fabius　amongst　them；
commended　him　before　the　people；　because　he　did　not　despair　of　the
safety　of　the　commonwealth；　after　so　great　a　loss；　but　was　come　to
take　the　government　into　his　hands；　to　execute　the　laws；　and　aid　his
fellow…citizens　in　their　prospect　of　future　deliverance。
　　When　word　was　brought　to　Rome　that　Hannibal；　after　the　fight；　had
marched　with　his　army　into　other　parts　of　Italy；　the　hearts　of　the
Romans　began　to　revive；　and　they　proceeded　to　send　out　generals　and
armies。　The　most　distinguished　commands　were　held　by　Fabius　Maximus
and　Claudius　Marcellus；　both　generals　of　great　fame；　though　upon
opposite　grounds。　For　Marcellus；　as　we　have　set　forth　in　his　life；　was
a　man　of　action　and　high　spirit；　ready　and　bold　with　his　own　hand；
and；　as　Homer　describes　his　warriors；　fierce；　and　delighting　in
fights。　Boldness；　enterprise；　and　dating　to　match　those　of　Hannibal；
constituted　his　tactics；　and　marked　his　engagements。　But　Fabius
adhered　to　his　former　principles；　still　persuaded　that；　by　following
close　and　not　fighting　him；　Hannibal　and　his　army　would　at　last　be
tried　out　and　consumed；　like　a　wrestler　in　too　high　condition；　whose
very　excess　of　strength　makes　him　the　more　likely　suddenly　to　give　way
and　lose　it。　Posidonius　tells　us　that　the　Romans　called　Marcellus
their　sword；　and　Fabius　their　buckler；　and　that　the　vigour　of　the　one；
mixed　with　the　steadiness　of　the　other；　made　a　happy　compound　that
proved　the　salvation　of　Rome。　So　that　Hannibal　found　by　experience
that　encountering　the　one；　he　met　with　a　rapid；　impetuous　river；　which
drove　him　back；　and　still　made　some　breach　upon　him；　and　by　the　other；
though　silently　and　quietly　passing　by　him；　he　was　insensibly　washed
away　and　consumed；　and；　at　last；　was　brought　to　this；　that　he
dreaded　Marcellus　when　he　was　in　motion；　and　Fabius　when　he　sat　still。
During　the　whole　course　of　this　war；　he　had　still　to　do　with　one　or
both　of　these　generals；　for　each　of　them　was　five　times　consul；　and；
as　praetors　or　proconsuls　or　consuls；　they　had　always　a　part　in　the
government　of　the　army；　till；　at　last；　Marcellus　fell　into　the　trap
which　Hannibal　had　laid　for　him；　and　was　killed　in　his　fifth
consulship。　But　all　his　craft　and　subtlety　were　unsuccessful　upon
Fabius；　who　only　once　was　in　some　danger　of　being　caught；　when
counterfeit　letters　came　to　him　from　the　principal　inhabitants　of
Metapontum；　with　promises　to　deliver　up　their　town　if　he　would　come
before　it　with　his　army；　and　intimations　that　they　should　expect
him。　This　train　had　almost　drawn　him　in；　he　resolved　to　march　to
them　with　part　of　his　army；　and　was　diverted　only　by　consulting　the
omens　of　the　birds；　which　he　found　to　be　inauspicious；　and　not　long
after　it　was　discovered　that　the　letters　had　been　forged　by
Hannibal；　who；　for　his　reception；　had　laid　an　ambush　to　entertain　him。
This；　perhaps；　we　must　rather　attribute　to　the　favour　of　the　gods　than
to　the　prudence　of　Fabius。
　　In　preserving　the　towns　and　allies　from　revolt　by　fair　and　gentle
treatment；　and　in　not　using　rigour；　or　showing　a　suspicion　upon
every　light　suggestion；　his　conduct　was　remarkable。　It　is　told　of　him；
that　being　informed　of　a　certain　Marsian；　eminent　for　courage　and　good
birth；　who　had　been　speaking　underhand　with　some　of　the　soldiers　about
deserting；　Fabius　was　so　far　from　using　severity　against　him；　that
he　called　for　him；　and　told　him　he　was　sensible　of　the　neglect　that
had　been　shown　to　his　merit　and　good　service；　which；　he　said；　was　a
great　fault　in　the　commanders　who　reward　more　by　favour　than　by
desert；　〃but　henceforth；　whenever　you　are　aggrieved；〃　said　Fabius；
〃I　shall　consider　it　your　fault；　if　you　apply　yourself　to　any　one
but　to　me；〃　and　when　he　had　so　spoken；　he　bestowed　an　excellent　horse；
and　other　presents　upon　him；　and；　from　that　time　forwards；　there　was
not　a　faithfuller　and　more　trusty　man　in　the　whole　army。　With　good
reason　he　judged；　that；　if　those　who　have　the　government　of　horses　and
dogs　endeavour　by　gentle　usage　to　cure　their　angry　and　untractable
tempers；　rather　than　by　cruelty　and　beating；　much　more　should　those
who　haze　the　command　of　men　try　to　bring　them　to　order　and
discipline　by　the　mildest　and　fairest　means；　and　not　treat　them
worse　than　gardeners　do　those　wild　plants；　which；　with　care　and
attention；　lose　gradually　the　savageness　of　their　nature；　and　bear
excellent　fruit。
　　At　another　time；　some　of　his　officers　informed　him　that　one　of　their
men　was　very　often　absent　from　his　place；　and　out　at　nights；　he
asked　them　what　kind　of　man　he　was；　they　all　answered；　that　the
whole　army　had　not　a　better　man；　that　he　was　a　native　of　Lucania；
and　proceeded　to　speak　of　several　actions　which　they　had　seen　him
perform。　Fabius　made　strict　inquiry；　and　discovered　at　last　that　these
frequent　excursions　which　he　ventured　upon　were　to　visit　a　young　girl；
with　whom　he　was　in　love。　Upon　which　he　gave　private　order　to　some
of　his　men　to　find　out　the　woman　and　secretly　convey　her　into　his
own　tent；　and　then　sent　for　the　Lucanian；　and；　calling　him　aside；　told
him；　that　he　very　well　knew　how　often　he　had　been　out　away　from　the
camp　at　night；　which　was　a　capital　transgression　against　military
discipline　and　the　Roman　laws；　but　he　knew　also　how　brave　he　was；
and　the　good　services　he　had　done；　therefore；　in　consideration　of
them；　he　was　willing　to　forgive　him　his　fault；　but　to　keep　him　in　good
order；　he　was　resolved　to　place　one　over　him　to　be　his　keeper；　who
should　be　accountable　for　his　good　behaviour。　Having　said　this；　he
produced　the　woman；　and　told　the　soldier；　terrified　and　amazed　at
the　adventure；　〃This　is　the　person　who　must　answer　for　you；　and　by
your　future　behaviour　we　shall　see　whether　your　night　rambles　were
on　account　of　love；　or　for　any　other　worse　design。〃
　　Another　passage　there　was；　something　of　the　same　kind；　which
gained　him　possession　of　Tarentum。　There　was　a　young　Ta