64. The Effects of War. They were met by a long train of weeping women, and decrepit old men, some of whom called on God and the prophet to punish those who had driven them from hearth and home; others tried to cheer their weaker companions by telling them that the city was near, that the enemy, cruel though they were, would not injure the old and helpless, and that the kind English ladies had provided food and clothes for them in Adrianople, if they could only reach that city. The gallant Balbus ordered his men to give to each two lbs. of bread and a glass of wine, and sent a body of 200 men to escort them to the city. Then might one see the stalwart soldiers tenderly carrying infants, or helping the tottering steps of old age. Each thought of his own parents or children far away, and his heart was softened with pity, while his lips execrated war. 65. Idioms. If I were merely to call Balbus prudent, I should say less than the truth; for if he had had the good fortune to have had a wiser father, he would have had few equals, not to speak of superiors, in Rome. If you see him when you visit that city, tell him how much we all regret having failed to be present when he was chosen consul. Say that no one is more concerned than myself in his succeeding, whether the war is to be prolonged or now brought to a close. If all were as patriotic as he, our enemies would not now be able to boast of having completely conquered us; and I am sure he will not be long in showing that, whatever others may do, he and his supporters will never hesitate to sacrifice private interests for the common-weal, 66. A dilemma. A certain man had two daughters, one of whom he married to a gardener, the other to a potter. A few months afterwards he visited the gardener's wife, and asked her how things were getting on with her and her husband. She answered that in most respects they were doing very well, and that the only thing she asked of the gods was that they would send a shower or two to water the cabbages. Next he visited his other daughter, found her at home, and asked her the same question, to which she replied that they really wanted nothing at all except bright sunshine to dry their earthen vessels. "Then," quoth the perplexed parent, "if you want sunshine and your sister showers, what prayers I should offer to the gods I really do not know." 67. Idioms. Bulbus was born B.C. 106, in the consulship of Mummius and Terentius, at Tarentum, a city which had been conquered by Rome some hundred years before. At the age of sixteen, on the 12th of August, he was sent by his father to Rome, and three years after to Athens. There on 24th Sept., or as some say, 6th Oct., 87, he heard that his father was dead, and that he had been left heir to 2,000,000 sesterces. This sum his guardians invested at 6 per cent., as his father had fixed by his will that he should not be master of it until he reached the age of 21. He at once returned to Rome, and began to attach himself to the party of Marius, who were glad to obtain the prestige of his name to support their cause. Six months after his return to Rome he married Portia, who was six years his senior and had previously been married to Mucius Publicola, but had been divorced by him. This match, so far from increasing his happiness, proved the beginning of much misery. For although he got by his wife a dowry of 1 million sesterces, he found that his domestic peace had been irretrievably lost. 68. A Patriotic Speech. There can be little doubt that, had not the king arrived at this time, the city would have had to surrender. For two years and a half, it had held out against a large army composed of the best troops in Europe. Many of the citizens had wished to accept any terms, rather than see the misery caused by famine continue longer, but the brave Balbus told them over and over again, that death was preferable to dishonour; that help must come sooner or later. Who would accept terms from the blood stained Caius! Nay, let them determine that, whatever others might do, they would fight to the bitter end, sure that the cause they maintained was just, and that all who perished would be enshrined in history as true patriots, and worthy of the liberty which their forefathers had bequeathed to them. He did not despair, however, of help soon arriving, for he had heard that the king was causing ships to be built, and providing a large store of provisions. Any day they might see the ships sail up the river, and then the siege would be raised, and their troubles would be at an end. 1 Animis ad mortem obstinatis. 69. Our Debt to Greece. How few there are that ever think what a debt of gratitude we owe to those men who ages ago lived in Greece, and by their genius, discovered and developed sculpture, poetry, history, and the drama. When our forefathers were but savages, the Greek writers were producing works which are still the delight of all educated men, which have formed the models of our present literature, and in a great measure have never been equalled, not to say surpassed. We are convinced that but for Greece, Europe would have been left in barbarism for many centuries longer than she was. 70. Herodotus. Who that has read Herodotus will hesitate to say that the Father of History, as he has well been called, is one of the most charming writers that Europe has seen? It may be said without fear of contradiction, that hardly ever at one time, has the knowledge of the world been so increased, as it was by the publication of his book. Lands that few had ever seen, such as Egypt and Persia, are fully described. Marvels that most of his countrymen could not even have dreamed of are disclosed; from the extreme south, where the fable of the sun furnished a banquet to all comers, to happy regions beyond the north wind his story ranges. Customs, curious and almost incredible are described. The adventures of Ulysses, and the Argonauts were beginning to be looked on as more marvellous than true, when this Ionian gave to the world a series of tales, for the truth of which, he either gave his own word, or else stated his authority, and his own doubts of their veracity, adding his own account of the matter, and the reasons which led him to hold his opinions. 71. A Speech. To be brief, the enemy are at the gates, the promises of help in which we trusted, have proved groundless. Not to speak of the dis grace of surrendering, I am convinced that the enemy would not grant us any terms that we could accept. Therefore, to the walls. Let every man think himself driven to despair, and fight as if the sword were his only hope. Better to die thus, than in inglorious ease, or ignoble slavery, to drag out a life of which we are ashamed, and to seek to preserve what our children may curse us for not sacrificing. 72. Flodden. In the disastrous battle of Flodden, the Scotch king and many of his nobles were slain. It was fought 9th Sept., 1513. The English lost some 5000 men, the Scotch at least twice that number. There were some who believed that the king was not killed in this battle, but was treacherously carried away, and murdered by one of the Scotch nobles; but there is little doubt that this story had its origin in the same way as the belief that Nero was not dead, but had escaped to Asia or some of the provinces. So Barbarossa and Charlemagne were believed not to be dead, or at least were expected to come to life again, and lead their countrymen as of yore to victory and conquest. The fact is, that the body of James was embalmed and sent to England, and was shamefully used, being tossed about amongst rubbish, and left unburied for more than a hundred years. 73. A Cautious Lover. On receipt of these tidings, he called his friends together, read the letter to them, and explained what had happened, and what he thought best to be done. Clearly he could not now marry Tullia, for apart from the fact that she was averse to the match, he himself thought that her cousin was more suitable, not only in respect of her dowry, but of her age and position. She might one day be Queen of Spain. At all events, he was not the man to woo where he thought he could not win. It was not that he feared to have recourse to arms that he had come to this resolution, but because he was convinced that a reluctant bride would never make a good wife. 74. Socrates (I.) Socrates used to say that men should ask nothing from the gods, for that they knew what was best for men, and would give them what they pleased. Such was his fortitude, that when wife and friends were weeping around his death-bed, instead of giving way to complaints against his fellow creatures, or lamentations at his own fate, he rallied them on their childish conduct, and when some one said, that he died innocent, "What," he cried, "would you prefer me to die guilty"? His last words were addressed to the faithful and and affectionate Crito, "O Crito, we owe a cock to Esculapius, pay it, and by no means neglect to do so." Strange words and not easily explained. It would be hard to say whether they are, as some have thought, the ravings of his mind from the effects of poison, although this is far from probable, or a dying concession to the popular belief, a sort of death-bed repentance, an explanation which has still less probability in its favour. They may have been nothing but a halfjocular remark to Crito, and his other friends, or due to a desire to give Crito's fervent zeal some last kind service to perform. 75. Socrates (II.) So Nothing is more characteristic of the teaching of Socrates, than his way of making no assertions. He looked so much at both sides of a question, that he had learned to know that some of the problems which perplex men are not capable of a single, definite answer. he assumed ignorance in order the better to bring his questioners to see that the first requisite in the pursuit of knowledge, is to know one's own ignorance. When some one asked him whether he should marry or not, he replied, "You will repent of doing either ". That must have been the opinion also of the man who left a large sum of money to be given once a year to the couple who, after a year's marriage, could solemnly declare that they had never quarrelled. The money has been seldom claimed, whether it be that there have been few that have complied with the conditions, or that those who might have claimed the money, did not care to proclaim their happiness to the world. 76. William Tell (I.) There is hardly any country in Europe but has some story about some man possessed of wondrous skill in archery. The following is perhaps, with the exception of the English stories of Robin Hood and William of Cloudeslie, the best known, or at least the most interesting form in which this tradition has come down to us. The Governor of one of the Cantons which had been reduced by Austria, had reason to |