cato the younger-第12部分

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them　with　his　forces。　Cato　therefore　resolved　to　march　toward　them

by　land；　it　being　now　winter；　and　got　together　a　number　of　asses　to

carry　water；　and　furnished　himself　likewise　with　plenty　of　all　other

provision；　and　a　number　of　carriages。　He　took　also　with　him　some　of

those　they　call　Psylli；　who　cure　the　biting　of　serpents；　by　sucking

out　the　poison　with　their　mouths；　and　have　likewise　certain　charms；　by

which　they　stupefy　and　lay　asleep　the　serpents。

　　Thus　they　marched　seven　days　together；　Cato　all　the　time　going　on

foot　at　the　head　of　his　men；　and　never　making　use　of　any　horse　or

chariot。　Ever　since　the　battle　of　Pharsalia；　he　used　to　sit　at

table；　and　added　this　to　his　other　ways　of　mourning；　that　he　never　lay

down　but　to　sleep。

　　Having　passed　the　winter　in　Africa；　Cato　drew　out　his　army；　which

amounted　to　little　less　than　ten　thousand。　The　affairs　of　Scipio　and

Varus　went　very　ill；　by　reason　of　their　dissensions　and　quarrels　among

themselves；　and　their　submissions　and　flatteries　to　King　Juba；　who　was

insupportable　for　his　vanity；　and　the　pride　he　took　in　his　strength

and　riches。　The　first　time　he　came　to　a　conference　with　Cato；　he　had

ordered　his　own　seat　to　be　placed　in　the　middle；　between　Scipio　and

Cato；　which　Cato　observing；　took　up　his　chair　and　set　himself　on　the

other　side　of　Scipio；　to　whom　he　thus　gave　the　honour　of　sitting　in

the　middle；　though　he　were　his　enemy；　and　had　formerly　published

some　scandalous　writing　against　him。　There　are　people　who　speak　as

if　this　were　quite　an　insignificant　matter；　and　who；　nevertheless；

find　fault　with　Cato；　because　in　Sicily；　walking　one　day　with

Philostratus；　he　gave　him　the　middle　place；　to　show　his　respect　for

philosophy。　However；　he　now　succeeded　both　in　humbling　the　pride　of

Juba；　who　was　treating　Scipio　and　Varus　much　like　a　pair　of　satraps

under　his　orders；　and　also　in　reconciling　them　to　each　other。　All

the　troops　desired　him　to　be　their　leader；　Scipio；　likewise；　and　Varus

gave　way　to　it；　and　offered　him　the　command；　but　he　said　he　would

not　break　those　laws　which　he　sought　to　defend；　and　he；　being　but

propraetor；　ought　not　to　command　in　the　presence　of　a　proconsul　（for

Scipio　had　been　created　proconsul）；　besides　that　people　took　it　as　a

good　omen　to　see　a　Scipio　command　in　Africa；　and　the　very　name

inspired　the　soldiers　with　hopes　of　success。

　　Scipio；　having　taken　upon　him　the　command；　presently　resolved；　at

the　instigation　of　Juba；　to　put　all　the　inhabitants　of　Utica　to　the

sword；　and　to　raze　the　city；　for　having；　as　they　professed；　taken　part

with　Caesar。　Cato　would　by　no　means　suffer　this；　but　invoking　the

gods；　exclaiming　and　protesting　against　it　in　the　council　of　war；　he

with　much　difficulty　delivered　the　poor　people　from　this　cruelty。

And　afterwards；　upon　the　entreaty　of　the　inhabitants；　and　at　the

instance　of　Scipio；　Cato　took　upon　himself　the　government　of　Utica；

lest；　one　way　or　the　other；　it　should　fall　into　Caesar's　hands；　for　it

was　a　strong　place；　and　very　advantageous　for　either　party。　And　it　was

yet　better　provided　and　more　strongly　fortified　towers；　and　who

brought　in　great　store　of　corn；　repaired　the　walls；　erected　towers；

and　made　deep　trenches　and　palisades　around　the　town。　The　young　men　of

Utica　he　lodged　among　these　works；　having　first　taken　their　arms

from　them；　the　rest　of　the　inhabitants　he　kept　within　the　town；　and

took　the　greatest　care　that　no　injury　should　be　done　nor　affront

offered　them　by　the　Romans。　From　hence　he　sent　great　quantity　of　arms；

money；　and　provision　to　the　camp；　and　made　this　city　their　chief

magazine。

　　He　advised　Scipio；　as　he　had　before　done　Pompey；　by　no　means　to

hazard　a　battle　against　a　man　experienced　in　war；　and　formidable　in

the　field；　but　to　use　delay；　for　time　would　gradually　abate　the

violence　of　the　crisis；　which　is　the　strength　of　usurpation。　But

Scipio　out　of　pride　rejected　this　counsel；　and　wrote　a　letter　to　Cato；

in　which　he　reproached　him　with　cowardice；　and　that　he　could　not　be

content　to　lie　secure　himself　within　walls　and　trenches；　but　he　must

hinder　others　from　boldly　using　their　own　good　sense　to　seize　the

right　opportunity。　In　answer　to　this；　Cato　wrote　word　again；　that　he

would　take　the　horse　and　foot　which　he　had　brought　into　Africa；　and　go

over　into　Italy；　to　make　a　diversion　there；　and　draw　Caesar　off　from

them。　But　Scipio　derided　this　proposition　also。　Then　Cato　openly　let

it　be　seen　that　he　was　sorry　he　had　yielded　the　command　to　Scipio；　who

he　saw　would　not　carry　on　the　war　with　any　wisdom；　and　if；　contrary　to

all　appearance；　he　should　succeed；　he　would　use　his　success　as

unjustly　at　home。　For　Cato　had　then　made　up　his　mind；　and　so　he　told

his　friends；　that　he　could　have　but　slender　hopes　in　those　generals

that　had　so　much　boldness　and　so　little　conduct；　yet　if　anything

should　happen　beyond　expectation；　and　Caesar　should　be　overthrown；　for

his　part　he　would　not　stay　at　Rome；　but　would　retire　from　the

cruelty　and　inhumanity　of　Scipio；　who　had　already　uttered　fierce　and

proud　threats　against　many。

　　But　what　Cato　had　looked　for；　fell　out　sooner　than　he　expected。　Late

in　the　evening　came　one　from　the　army；　whence　he　had　been　three　days

coming；　who　brought　word　there　had　been　a　great　battle　near　Thapsus；

that　all　was　utterly　lost；　Caesar　had　taken　the　camps；　Scipio　and　Juba

were　fled　with　a　few　only；　and　all　the　rest　of　the　army　were　lost。

This　news　arriving　in　time　of　war；　and　in　the　night；　so　alarmed　the

people；　that　they　were　almost　out　of　their　wits；　and　could　scarce　keep

themselves　within　the　walls　of　the　city。　But　Cato　came　forward；　and

meeting　the　people　in　this　hurry　and　clamour；　did　all　he　could　to

comfort　and　encourage　them；　and　somewhat　appeased　the　fear　and

amazement　they　were　in；　telling　them　that　very　likely　things　were

not　so　bad　in　truth；　but　much　exaggerated　in　the　report。　And　so　he

pacified　the　tumult　for　the　present。　The　next　morning　he　sent　for

three　hundred；　whom　he　used　as　his　council；　these　were　Romans；　who

were　in　Africa　upon　business；　in　commerce　and　money…lending；　there

were　also　several　senators　and　their　sons。　They　were　summoned　to

meet　in　the　temple　of　Jupiter。　While　they　were　coming　together；　Cato

walked　about　very　quietly　and　unconcerned；　as　if　nothing　new　had

happened。　He　had　a　book　in　his　hand；　which　he　was　reading；　in　this

book　was　an　account　of　what　provision　he　had　for　war；　armour；　corn；

ammunition；　and　soldiers。

　　When　they　were　assembled；　he　began　his　discourse；　first；　as　regarded

the　three　hundred　themselves；　and　very　much　commended　the　courage

and　fidelity　they　had　shown；　and　their　having　very　well　served　their

country　with　their　persons；　money；　and　counsel。　Then　he　entreated　them

by　no　means　to　separate；　as　if　each　single　man　could　hope　for　any

safety　in　forsaking　his　companions；　on　the　contrary；　while　they　kept

together；　Caesar　would　have　less　reason　to　despise　them；　if　they

fought　against　him；　and　be　more　forward　to　pardon　them；　if　they

submitted　to　him。　Therefore　he　advised　them　to　consult　among

themselves；　nor　should　he　find　fault　whichever　course　they　adopted。　If

they　thought　fit　to　submit　to　fortune；　he　would　impute　their　change　to

necessity；　but　if　they　resolved　to　stand　firm；　and　undertake　the

danger　for　the　sake　of　liberty；　he　should　not　only　commend；　but　admire

their　courage；　and　would　himself　be　their　leader　and　companion　too；

till　they　had　put　to　the　proof　the　utmost　fortune　of　their　country；

which　was　not　Utica　or　Adrumetum　but　Rome；　and　she　had　often；　by　her

own　greatness；　raised　herself　after　worse　disasters。　Besides；　as　there

were　many　things　that　would　conduce　to　their　safety；　so　chiefly

this；　that　they　were　to　fight　against　one　whose　affairs　urgently

claimed　his　presence　in　various　quarters。　Spain　was　already　revolted

to　the　younger　Pompey；　Rome　was　unaccustomed　to　the　bridle；　and

impatient　of　it；　and　would　therefore　be　ready　to　rise　in

insurrection　upon　any　turn　of　affairs。　As　for　themselves；　they　ought

not　to　shrink　from　the　danger；　and　in　this　might　take　example　from

their　enemy；　who　so　freely　exposes　his　life　to　effect　the　most

unrighteous　designs；　yet　never　can　hope　for　so　happy　a　conclusion　as

they　may　promise　themselves；　for　notwithstanding　the　uncertainty　of

war；　they　will　be　sure　of　a　most　happy　life　if　they　succeed；　or　a　most

glorious　death　if　they　miscarry。　However；　he　said；　they　ought　to

deliberate　among　themselves；　and　he　joined　with　them　in　praying　the

gods　that　in　recompense　of　their　former　courage　and　good…will；　they

would　prosper　their　present　determinations。　When　Cato　had　thus　spoken；

many　were　moved　and　encouraged　by　his　arguments；　but　the　greatest　part

were　so　animated　by　the　sense　of　his　intrepidity；　generosity；　and

goodness；　that　they　forgot　the　present　danger；　and　as　if　he　were　the

only　invincible　leader；　and　above　all　fortune；　they　entreated　him　to

employ　their　persons；　arms；　and　estates；　as　he　thought　fit；　for　they

esteemed　it　far　better　to　meet　death　in　following　his　counsel；　than　to

find　their　safety　in　betraying　one　of　so　great　virtue。　One　of　the

assembly　proposed　the　making　a　decree　to　set　the　slaves　at　liberty；

and　most　of　the　rest　approved　the　motion。　Cato　said　that　it　ought

not　to　be　done；　for　it　was　neither　just　nor　lawful；　but　if　any　of

their　masters　would　willingly　set　them　free；　those　that　were　fit　for

service　should　be　received。　Many　promised　so　to　do；　whose　names　he

ordered　to　be　enrolled；　and　then　withdrew。

　　Presently　after　this　he　received　letters　from　Juba　and　Scipio。　Juba；

with　some　few　of　his　men；　was　retired　to　a　mountain；　where　he　waited

to　hear　what　Cato　would　resolve　upon；　and　intended　to　stay　there　for

him；　if　he　thought　fit　to　leave　Utica；　or　to　come　to　his　aid　with

his　troops；　if　he　were　besieged。　Scipio　was　on　shipboard；　near　a

certain　promontory；　not　far　from　Utica；　expecting　an　answer　upon　the

same　account。　But　Cato　thought　fit　to　retain　the　messengers　til