The commentaries of C. Julius Cæsar of his warres in Gallia, and the civil warres betwixt him and Pompey / translated into English with many excellent and judicious observations thereupon ; as also The art of our modern training, or, Tactick practise, by Clement Edmonds Esquire, ... ; where unto is adjoyned the eighth commentary of the warres in Gallia, with some short observations upon it ; together with the life of Cæsar, and an account of his medalls ; revised, corrected, and enlarged.

OBSERVATION.

IN the end of the second Commentary we read of a supplication granted by the Senate for fif∣teen dayes; which was never granted to any man before that time since the first building of the City: but forasmuch as in this fourth year of the wars in Gallia it was augmented from fifteen unto twenty dayes, I thought it fit to refer the handling thereof unto this place. We are there∣fore to understand, that whensoever a Roman Generall had carried himself well in the wars, by gaining a victory, or enlarging the bounds of their Empire, that then the Senate did decree a supplication to the gods in the name of that Captain. And this dignity was much sought af∣ter: not only because it was a matter of great honour, that in their names the Temples of their gods should be opened, and their victories ac∣knowledged with the concourse and gratulation of the Roman people; but also because a suppli∣cation was commonly the forerunner of a tri∣umph, which was the greatest honour in the Ro∣man government:* 1.1 And therefore Cato nameth it the prerogative of a triumph. And Livie in his 26 book saith that it was long disputed on in the Senate, how they could deny one that was

there present to triumph, whose absence they had honoured with supplication and thanksgiving to the gods for things happily effected. The man∣ner of the Ceremony was, that after the Magi∣strate had publickly proclaimed it with this form or stile, quod bene & feliciter rempublicam administrasset, that he had happily and succes∣fully administred the affairs of the common∣weal, the Roman people clothed in white gar∣ments and crowned with garlands, went to all the Temples of the gods, and there offered sacri∣fices, to gratulate the victory in the name of the Generall. In which time they were forbidden all other businesses but that which pertained to this solemnity. It seemeth that this time of supplica∣tion was at first included within one or two dayes at the most, as appeareth by Livie in his third book, where he saith that the victory gained by two severall battels was spitefully shut up by the Senate in one dayes supplication; the peo∣ple of their own accord keeping the next day holy, and celebrating it with greater devotion then the former.

Upon the victory which Camillus had a∣gainst the Veii there were granted four dayes of supplication; to which there was afterward a day added, which was the usuall time of suppli∣cation unto the time that Pompey ended the war which they called Mithridaticum, when the u∣suall time of five dayes was doubled and made ten, and in the second of these Commentaries made fifteen, and now brought to twenty dayes. Which setteth forth the incitements and rewards of well doing, which the Romans propounded both at home & abroad to such as endeavoured to inlarge their Empire, or manage a charge to the benefit of their Commonwealths. And thus en∣deth the fourth Commentary.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Lib. 15. ••a•• Cicero.