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. IV. (Book 4)

Against the Opinion of Livy, upon the Imaginary War which he makes Alexander wage against the Romans. (Book 4)

I Admire to what degree might ex∣tend the Opinion, that Livy entertain'd of those ancient Romans, nor can I comprehend, how a person of such excel∣lent sence, could search out an Idea off from his Subject to reason so falsely, upon the

imaginary War, wherein he engages Alex∣ander: He makes this Conquerour descend into Italy, with a small number of Forces he then had, when he was no more than a little King of Macedon. He ought to have recollected, that a simple General of the Carthaginians hath pass'd the Alpes with an Army of 80000 men.

And this doth not suffice, he affords as much capacity in War to Papirius Cursor, and to all the Consuls of that time, as to Alexander himself▪ when to speak the Truth, they had but a very imperfect knowledge thereof: For the Romans at that time made no great Advantage of their Cavalry, their Horses were so little assistant to them, that they used to dis∣mount in the very heat of the Engage∣ment, and mount again to pursue their Foes, when defeated: 'Tis certain that th•• Romans made their Strength to consist in their Infantry, accounting the benefit, which might be received from the Horse, of little importance. The Legions par∣ticularly had in great misprision the Ad∣versaries Horse, till the War of Pyrrhus, where the Thessalians gave 'em sufficient cause to change their Opinions: But the

Cavalry of Hannibal occasion'd to them since, great Terror, and those Invincible Legions were for some time so horribly frighted, that they durst not appear up∣on the least Plain.

To return to the time of Papirius, one was hardly acquainted with the notion of Cavalry, there was no skill either in Post∣ing or Encamping in any Order; for they themselves acknowledge, that they learn't to form their Camp by the disposition of that of Pyrrhus, and before were used to Encamp always in Confusion: They were no less ignorant of Engines, and other works, necessary to form a considerable Siege; which proceeded either from the slackness of Invention of a People, not at all Industrious, or else because their Ar∣mies were never of a long continuance, whereby there was no opportunity afford∣ed Men, to bring things to Perfection. Rarely was one and the same Army ob∣served to pass from the Conduct of one Consul, to that of another; and yet more rarely was the Captain of the Legions con∣tinued in his Command, after the expira∣tion of his Term; which management was admirable, for the preservation of the Re∣publick,

but very much repugnant to the establishment of a good Army. To let you see that the cause of this, was the Jealou∣sy of Liberty; you may observe, that after the defeat of Thrasimene, at what time they were obliged to create a Dictator, Fabius had scarce stopt the Torrent of Han∣nibal by the Wisdom of his Conduct, but they put Consuls in his place: All things to be dreaded from the Fury of Hannibal, nothing to be fear'd from the moderation of Fabius; and yet the apprehension of a remote Evil, carried them beyond the pre••sent Necessity.

It is most certain, that the two Consuls managed themselves with Prudence in this War, and ruined Hannibal insensibly, as they established the Common-Wealth, when by the same reason Terentius Var∣ro supplied their room, Presumptuous and Ignorant, who gave Battel at Cannae, and lost it, and reduced the Romans to that extremity, that their Vertue, as extraordi∣nary as it was, was not so much instru∣mental in their preservation, as the care∣lessness of Hannibal. There was another Inconvenience, which hindred the Conduct of the Armies from being always given

to the most Experienced and Capable. The Two Consuls could not be Patricians, and the Patricians would not agree, that both should be of the Plebeian Order. For the Generality it happened, that the first which was nominated, was a person agree∣able to the People, who owed his Prefer∣ment to Favour; the other, whom they had a mind to choose for his Merit, was oftentimes excluded, either through the opposition of the People, if he was a Pa∣trician, or by the Intreagues of the Sena∣tors, when he was not of their Rank. A∣mongst the Macedonians the contrary was observed, where the Captains and Soldi∣ers stood together from their first esta∣blishment: They were like the Veterans of Philip, that I may so speak, renewed from time to time, and augmented by Alexander, as his occasions required. Here the Courage of the Cavalry equall'd the resolution of the Phalanx, which indeed might be preferr'd to the Legion, inasmuch as the Legions, in the War of Pyrrhus, were afraid to oppose some miserable Phalanxes of the Macedonians got together. Here they were equally expert in the War, re∣lating to a Siege, or the Field. Never was

Army concerned against so many Adver∣saries, or had seen so many different Cli∣mates. If so be the diversity of Coun∣treys, wherein War is exercised, and the variety of Nations, which are brought un∣der submission, can form our experience, how should the Romans enter in compari∣son with the Macedonians, a people that never went out of Italy, nor beheld other Foes than a few inconsiderable Neigh∣bours of their Republick? The Discipline was in reality great amongst them, but the Capacity of an indifferent nature. Even since the Common-Wealth was be∣come more puissant, they have suffered the disgrace of being defeated, as often as they made War against experienc'd Cap∣tains; Pyrrhus overcame them by the ad∣vantage of Conduct, which made Fabri∣cius declare, that the Epirotes did not con∣quer the Romans, but that the Consul had been Vanquished by the King of the Epi∣rotes.

In the first Carthaginian War, Regulus de∣feated the people of Carthage in Africk in so many Engagements, that they were al∣ready lookt upon as Tributaries to Rome. They were upon Conditions, which seem∣ed

insupportable, when Xantippus a Lacedae∣monian, arrived with a Body of Auxiliaries. The Graecian a Man of Valour and Experi∣ence, informed himself of the Order and Discipline of the Carthaginians, together with the conduct of the Romans. Having fully instructed himself, he found both one and t'other very ignorant in War, and by his frequent discourse thereof amongst the Souldiers, the noise came to the ve∣ry Senate of Carthage, in what little esteem this Lacedaemonian held their Foes. The Magistrates at length had the curiosity to give attention to him, where Xantippus, after he had given them a sense of their past omissions, encouraged them to put him at the head of their Troops, through a promise of Victory.

In a miserable State where all things are despair'd of, a Man is more easily perswa∣ded rather to confide in another, than him∣self; so those Suspicions fatal to the merit of Strangers, came to yield to the pre∣sent Necessity, and the most powerful, urged with an apprehension of their ru∣ine, abandoned themselves to the Conduct of Xantippus without Envy. I should make a History instead of alledging an Exam∣ple,

to extend my self any further; it suffices to say, That Xantippus becoming the manager of affairs, altered extream∣ly the Carthaginian Army, and knew so well how to prevail over the Ignorance of the Romans, that he obtained one of the most entire Victories over them, that ever was won. The Carthaginians out of Danger, began to be ashamed of owing their Preservation to a Stranger, and re∣turning to the perfidiousness of their Na∣ture, they thought to extinguish their dis∣grace, by ridding themselves of him, who had rid them of the Romans: It is not well known, whether they put him to Death, or that he was so Fortunate as to escape; but this is most assured, that through the absence of this person, the Romans most easily regain'd the Superio∣rity they had over them before.

If you'd repair to the second Punick War, you will observe, that the vast ad∣vantages, which Hannibal received from the Romans, proceeded from the capaci∣ty of the one, and the small ability of the other; and in effect, when he would put a confidence in his Souldiers, he never said that his Enemies wanted Courage or

Resolution, for they experienced the con∣trary often enough, but he assured them, that they were concerned with a people little dexterous in War.

It is with this Science, as with Arts and Politeness, it passes from one Nation to another, and Reigns at divers times, and in different places. Every one knows, that the Graecians enjoyed it to a high de∣gree, Philip gained it from them, and all things arrived to their perfection under Alexander, when Alexander alone corrup∣ted himself: It continued still with his Successors: Hannibal•• brought it amongst t••e Carthaginians; and for all the Vanity of the Romans, they have received it from him by the experience of their Defeats, their reflections upon their mistakes, and the observance of the Conduct of their Foes. You will be easily convinced of this, if you consider, that the Romans did not begin to make resistance against Han∣nibal in their utmost Bravery; for the most Valiant Persons were lost in Battel. Then there was Arming of Slaves, and Armies composed of unexperienced Sol∣diers. The truth is this, that they were prejudicial to him only, when the Consuls

became more expert, and that the Romans in general knew better how to make War.