Miscellaneous essays by Monsieur St. Euremont ; translated out of French. With a character / by a person of honour here in England ; continued by Mr. Dryden.

CHAP. V. (Book 5)

The Genius of the Romans at the time when Pyrrhus wa∣ged War against them. (Book 5)

IT is not my intention to enlarge my self here, upon the Wars of the Ro∣mans, I should then ramble from the Subject I have proposed to my self: but it seems to me, that to apprehend the Ge / nius of the times, one must consider in a people the different affairs, which they have been concerned in, and as those of War are without doubt the most remark∣able, so 'tis there Men ought to be par∣ticularly observant, seeing that the dis∣position of Tempers, and the good as well as the ill Qualities, appeared with

the greatest Figures. At the beginning of the Common-wealth, the Roman peo∣ple, as I have elsewhere said, had some∣thing of wildness in them; afterwards this Humour turned into Austerity, and became a rigid Vertue, far remote from politeness or agreeableness, and repug∣nant to the very least appearance of Cor∣ruption. These were the manners of the Romans, when Pyrr••us pas••ed into Italy to relieve the Tarentines. The Science of War was but indifferent amongst them, that of other things was unknown. As for Arts, either they had none at all, or they were very gross; there was a want of Invention, and they knew not wh••t belong'd to Industry: but there was a good Order, and a Discipline exactly ob∣served, an admirable greatness of Cou∣rage, and more Integrity used with the Enemy, than commonly with the Citi∣zen. Justice, Sincerity, and Innocence, were common Vertues; Riches were al∣ready understo••d, and the use thereof a∣mongst particulars prohibi••ed. The be∣ing Impartial went ev••n to Excess, every one making it a Duty to neglect their own affairs for the Service of the Publick,

the Zeal of which did then supply the room of all other things.

After having spoken of these Vertues, its necessary to come to the Actions, which have made them known. A Prince is well esteem'd of, who by opposing Force to Force, employs nothing but open and lawful means to rid himself of a For∣midable Enemy. But as if we were ob∣liged to preserve those that are dispos'd to ruine us, to secure them from the Snares that are laid for them by others; and to save them from a Domestick Trea∣son, is the effect of an unparallell'd Ge∣nerosity.

Behold one instance hereof in the time I am speaking of; The Romans being defeat∣ed by Pyrrhus, and in a doubtful State, whe∣ther they should re-establish their affairs, or be constrained to yield, had in their power the loss of this Prince, and made the following use thereof.

A Physician, in whom Pyrrhus reposed a confidence, offered his Service to Fabri∣cius, to Poyson his Master, provided he might have a reward proportionable to the importance of the action. Fabricius scared at the Horror of the Crime, forth∣with

with gives notice of it to the Senate, who detesting with the Consul, so unworthy an Action, sent to advise Pyrrhus to take care of his person, adding, that the Ro∣man Peoples temper was, to overcome him by their proper Arms, and not to free themselves of an Enemy by the Treason of his own People.

Py••rhus, either sensible of the Obligati∣on, or astonished at this greatness of Cou∣rage, was more desirous than ever to make a Peace; and to dispose the Romans thereto with the greater easiness, he re∣mitted 200 Prisoners without Ransom; he sent Presents to the most considera∣ble persons, to the Ladies also, and neg∣lected nothing under a pretence of Grati∣tude, to bring Corruption amongst them. The Romans, who had not preserv'd Pyrrhus but by a perswasion of Vertue, would receive nothing that had the least Air of Acknowledgment. They sent to him an equal number of Prisoners, the Presents were refused by both Sexes, and all the Answer that he had, was, That they would never hearken to a Peace, till he was removed out of Italy.

Amongst an Infinite number of Vertu∣ous

things, that were practised at this time, the great and impartial Natures of Fabricius and Curius, who went to a vo∣luntary Poverty, were admired amongst the rest. 'Twould be a piece of Injustice not to allow them a great approbation; notwithstanding 'tis to be considered that it was more the general Quality of this time, than a Vertue peculiar to these two Men. And in effect since Riches were punished with Disgrace, and Poverty re∣warded with Honour, it appears to me, that there was need of some Dexterity, to know well how to be Poor. By this means they raised themselves to the chief∣est Employments of the Republick, where by the exercise of a great Power, they stood in greater want of Moderation than Patience. I cannot blame a Poverty that was Honoured through the World, it ne∣ver wants any thing, but what our Inte∣rest, or Pleasure is concerned in. To pro∣fess the Truth, these sorts of Privations are of a delicious Nature, 'tis affording the Mind an exquisite Relish of what the sense is Robb'd of.

But who knows if Fabricius did not fol∣low his humour, there are some per∣sons

that are disorder'd upon a multitude and variety of Superfluities, who in re∣pose would taste things Commodious and even Necessaries with Delight. In the mean time, those that have but a false knowledge of things, admire the appear∣ance of moderation, when the exactness of Judgment would shew the small extent of a confined Spirit, or the little action of some negligent Soul. With those per∣sons, to be content with little, is to rescind less of Pleasure than of Pain. Further, when it is not despicable to be Poor, we are in want of fewer necessaries to live in Po∣verty with Satisfaction, than to live mag∣nificently with Riches. Can you imagine the Condition of a Religious person to be unhappy, when he is considered in his Order, and is of some repute in the World? He makes a Vow of Poverty, which frees him from a Thousand Cares, and leaves him the desire of nothing that's agreea∣ble to his Profession and his Life. Those who live magnificently, for the most part are the real Poor, they contend for Money on all sides with Inquietude and Disorder, to maintain the Pleasures of others; and whilst they expose their abundance, which

strangers have more advantage of than they, in private consider their Necessity, with their Wives and Children, through the importunity of Tyrannizing Credi∣tors, and the miserable State of their af∣fairs, which they behold in a tendency to Ruine.

Let us return to our Romans, from whom we are insensibly stept aside. Ad∣mire who will, the Poverty of Fabricius, I commend his Prudence, and find him very much advised, to have had but one Salt-seller of Silver, to afford him the cre∣dit of chasing from the Senate, a man that had been twice Consul, a Triumpher, and Dictator, because in his person they ob∣served something more, besides that it was the humour of the time, the real In∣terest was, to have no other than that of the Republick.

Men have established Society by a mo∣tion of particular Interest, imagining to live more pleasant and secure in Com∣pany, than they did in frights, when in solitudes; seeing they find therein, not only an Advantage, but Glory and Au∣thority, Can they better do, than devote themselves wholly to the Publick, from

whence they attract considerably more?

The Decij, who Sacrificed themselves for the good of a Society, whom they went to forsake, seem to me truly En∣thusiastick; but these people here, ap∣pear very rational in the Passion they had for a grateful Republick, which was at least as careful in their respect, as they could be in hers.

I represent Rome in this time as a true Community, where every one lets alone his Private good, to f••nd a better in that of the Body he belongs to; this Temper subsists no where but in small Repub∣licks: In great ones, all appearance of Po∣verty is contemned; and ••tis much, when the extraordinary use of Riches is not there approved of. Had Fabricius lived in the Grandeur of the Republick, either he must have changed his Manners, or he had not been useful to his Countrey; and if so be, the reputable Men of the latter time, had existed in that of Fabricius, ei∣ther they had made their Integrity more rigid, or they would have been chased from the Senate as, corrupted Citizens.

After having spoken of the Romans, it is reasonable to touch a little of Pyrrhus, who

comes in here naturally amongst such va∣riety of things.

He was the most Expert Captain of his time, even in the opinion of Hannibal, who placed him immediately after Alex∣ander, and before himself, as it seems to me, through modesty. He joined the curiousness of Negotiations, to the Sci∣ence of War; but withall, could never make a solid establishment for himself; If he knew how to gain Battels, he fail∣ed in the issue of War; if he drew peo∣ple to his Alliance, he knew not how to maintain them there; these two Noble Talents unseasonably employed, ruined the Work-manship of both.

When he had succeeded to his Wish in Fighting, his Thoughts were immedi∣ately bent to Treat; and as if he had kept Intel••igence with his Enemys, he obstru∣cted his own Progress. Had he known how to win the affections of a People, his first Thoughts would have been to have made them subject: From hence it came, that he lost his Friends without gaining his Enemies; for the Conquered took the Spirit of the Victors, and refu∣sed the Peace that was offered them,

and they not only withdrew their assist∣ance, but considered how to get rid of an Allie, who shew'd the temper of a real Master.

A Procedure so extraordinary, ought in part to be ascribed to the nature of Pyrrhus, partly to the different Interests of his Ministers. There was amongst the rest, two Men near his Person, whose ad∣vice he generally followed, Cineas and Milon. Cineas being Eloquent, Ingeni∣ous, fit for and skill'd in Negotiations, in∣sinuated the Thoughts of Peace, every time he Debated upon War; and when the Ambitious Humour of Pyrrhus had trans∣ported him beyond his Reason; he pa∣tiently expected Difficulties, when mana∣ging the first distasts of his Master, he presently turned his Inclinations to Peace, to the end of re entring upon his Talent, and putting the affairs in his own dis∣po••al.

Milon was a Man experienc'd in War, who brought back every thing to force, he forgot nothing to hinder Treaties; or else to break them off, advised to over∣come Impediments; and if so be, there was no subduing Adversary Nations, by

all means to reduce the Allies to Sub∣jection. As far as one may guess, behold the Rules by which Pyrrhus governed, as well by others as himself: It may be said in his Favour, that he was concerned with Powerful Nations, that could better shift than he; and again, that he won Bat∣tels by his Valour, that such a small and weak State as his, would not afford him the means to bring a long War to a Conclusion. In short, to look upon him through the qualities of his Person, and his Actions, he was an admirable Prince, who yields in no respect to any of the Ancients. To consider in general, the Success of his Designs, and the end of affairs, he will often appear to have been out of the way, and lose much of his re∣putation. To conclude, he possessed him∣self of Macedon, and was thence expell'd; his beginnings in Italy were fortunate, from whence he was forc'd to retire; he saw himself Master of Sicily, where he was not permitted to reside.