engaging his gratitude rather than of augmenting his own glory. Camillus was now far in the decline of life, and had intended at the election to take the usual oath, in order to be excused, on account of his health, but was prevented by the unanimous desire of the people. He retained all his faculties entire; his vigorous genius still bloomed and flourished, in a breast which glowed with youthful ardour; and though he took little share in civil affairs, yet the business of war roused his spirit. Enlisting four legions, of four thousand men each, and ordering the troops to assemble next day at the Esquiline gate, he marched towards Satricum. There the conquerors of the colony waited for him, nowise dismayed, confiding in their number of men, in which they had considerably the advantage: and when they understood that the Romans were approaching, marched out immediately to the field, determined without any delay to put all on the hazard of one decisive effort: which manner of proceeding, they thought, would put it out of the power of the enemy to compensate for the smallness of their number by the skill of their great commander, on which they placed their sole reliance.

XXIII. The same ardour prevailed likewise in the troops of the Romans, and in one of their generals; nor was there any thing which prevented them from hazarding an immediate engagement, but the wisdom and authority of that general, who sought, by protracting the war, to find some opportunity wherein their strength might receive aid from skill. The more on that account did the enemy urge them, and now, not only drew out their troops in order of battle before their own camp, but advanced into the middle of the plain, and throwing up trenches near the Roman battalions, made ostentatious show of boldness derived from their strength. The soldiers were highly provoked at this, and much more highly Lucius Furius, the other military tribune: who, besides a naturally sanguine temper, and his vigorous time of life, was elated

with the hopes which he saw possess the multitude, who are ever apt to assume confidence from causes the worst founded. The soldiery, of themselves full of impatience, he instigated still farther, by depreciating his colleague's judgment on account of his great age, the only point on which he could possibly impeach it, saying, "that war was the province of youth, and that men's minds flourished, and withered, together with their bodies; that he, who certainly had been a most active warrior, was become a mere drone; and, though it had been his custom, immediately on coming up with an enemy, to snatch from them the possession of their camps and cities at the first onset; yet now he wasted time, lying inactive within the trenches. And what accession to his own strength, or diminution of that of the enemy, did he hope for? What opportunity, what season, what place for practising stratagem? The old man's schemes were too cold and languid. Camillus, for his own part, had enjoyed a sufficient share both of life and of glory: but where was the propriety of suffering the strength of the state, which ought to be immortal, to sink into the debility of old age together with one mortal body." By such discourses, he had drawn to himself the attention of the whole camp; and when, in every quarter, they called for battle, he said to his colleague, "Camillus, we cannot withstand the violence of the soldiers; and the enemy, whose courage we have increased by our delays, insults us with arrogance absolutely intolerable. Give up your single judgment to the general one, and suffer yourself to be overcome in counsel, that you may the sooner overcome in battle." To which Camillus replied, that " in all the wars which, to that day, had been waged under his single auspices, neither himself nor the Roman people had found reason to be displeased, either with his conduct or his fortune: at present, he was sensible, that he had a colleague, in command and authority, equal to himself; in vigour of age, superior: as to what re

garded the troops, he had ever hitherto been accustomed to rule, not to be ruled; but his colleague's right of command he could not call in question. Let him do, with the favour of the gods, what he thought the interest of the commonwealth required. He would even request so much indulgence to his age, as that he should not be in the front line. That whatever duties in war an old man was qualified for, in these he would not be deficient; and that he besought the immortal gods, that no misfortune might give them reason to think his plan the wiser one." Neither was his salutary advice listened to by men, nor such pious prayers by the gods: the adviser of the fight drew up the first line; Camillus formed the reserve, and posted a strong guard in front of the camp; then, taking his own station on an eminence, as a spectator, he anxiously watched the issue of the other's plan.

XXIV. As soon as the clash of arms was heard in the first encounter, the enemy, through stratagem, not through fear, began to retire. There was a gentle acclivity in their rear between the army and their camp, and as they had plenty of men, they had left in their camp several strong cohorts, armed and ready for action, who were to sally forth after the battle should begin, and when the enemy approached the rampart. The Romans, eagerly following the retreating army, were drawn into disadvantageous ground, where this sally could be made on them with effect: terror thus reverting on the conqueror, from this new force, the declivity of the ground obliged the Roman line to give way. The Volscians, who had come fresh from their tents to the attack, pressed them close; and those, too, who had counterfeited retreat, now returned to the fight. The Roman soldiers no longer retired in order, but forgetting their late presumption and their former renown, every where turned their backs, and, with the utmost speed, ran towards their camp: when Camillus being lifted on his horse by his attendants, and

hastily opposing the reserved troops on their way, called
out, "Is this, soldiers, the fight that ye demanded? What
man, what god can ye blame? The former temerity was all
your own; your own this present cowardice. As ye have
followed another leader, follow now Camillus; and, as ye
are accustomed to do, under my conduct, conquer. Why do
ye look towards the rampart and camp? Not a man of you,
unless victorious, shall find admittance there." Shame, at
first, stopped their precipitate flight: then, when they saw
the standards wheel about, and a line formed to front the
enemy; when a leader, who, besides being distinguished by
so many triumphs, was venerable even on account of his age,
exposed himself in the front of the battalions, where there
was the greatest share both of labour and danger; every one
began to upbraid both himself and others, and mutual exhor-
tation spread, in a brisk shout, through the whole length of
the line. Nor was the other tribune deficient in activity.
Being sent to the cavalry by his colleague, while he was re-
forming the line of infantry, he did not offer to rebuke them;
for the share which he had in their fault had rendered any thing
he could say of little weight. Instead of command, therefore,
he had recourse entirely to intreaties; beseeching each, and
and all together, to "redeem him from misconduct, who was
answerable for the events of that day. In spite," said he,
"of the advice and endeavours of my colleague, I have as-
sociated myself in the rashness of the many, rather than lis-
tened to the prudence of one. Camillus sees matter of glory
to himself, on either side to which your fortune may incline;
but I, unless the fight is restored, shall feel the evil, in com-
mon with you all, and shall alone experience all the infamy;
the most wretched lot that could befal me." It was thought
best, while the line was still unsteady, that the cavalry should
dismount, and charge the enemy on foot. Accordingly, dis-
tinguished beyond others by their arms and their spirit, they
VOL. II-G

J

advanced on the part where they saw the infantry most pressed: nor was there one among them, whether officer or soldier, who did not display the utmost efforts of courage: the aid, therefore, which their vigorous exertions of bravery supplied, soon determined the event. The Volscians were driven headlong in real flight over the same ground, where they had just before retired with counterfeited fear: great numbers of them were slain, both in the battle, and afterwards in the pursuit of the rest, however, who were found in the camp, which the enemy took before they halted, more were made prisoners than put to death.

XXV. Here, in taking an account of the prisoners, several Tusculans being observed, they were separated from the rest, and brought to the tribunes: and, being examined, confessed that they had served in the war under the authority of the state. Hereupon Camillus, alarmed at the apprehension of a war so near home, declared, that he would immediately carry the prisoners to Rome, that the senate might not be ignorant of the revolt of the Tusculans from the confederacy: meanwhile, his colleague, if he thought proper, should command the camp and the army. One day had been sufficient to teach him, not to prefer his own counsels to better. However, neither himself, nor any person in the army supposed, that Camillus would, without marks of displeasure, pass over his misconduct, by which the public had been thrown into such perilous hazard; and, as well in the army, as at Rome, the account uniformly received and universally admitted, was, that, with respect to the different degrees of success, experienced in the country of the Volscians, the blame of the troops being worsted in fight, and quitting the field, was to be imputed to Lucius Furius, and that the whole honour of their victory belonged to Camillus. On the prisoners being brought before the senate, it was decreed, that war should be made on the Tusculans, and Camillus was