ARCADIA. 



373 



'* which had fliaken your's. Military valour, like 

 *' every other virtue, is to be acquired only by ex- 

 *' ercife. We ought, on all occafions, to be difFi- 

 *' dent of ourfelves. In vain do we truft to our 

 *' own experience ; in the aid of Heaven alone our 

 " confidence fliould be placed. «Xyhile we are 

 '* buckling on our armour to defend us before, 

 " fortune ftrikes at us from behind. Confidence 

 *^ in the Gods alone, is a defence on every 

 ** fide." 



To Hercules we confecrated part of the fpoils 

 taken from the Britons. The Druids advifed to 

 burn the prifoners, becaufe the Britons were in ufe 

 to treat thofe whom they took in battle from the 

 Gauls in this manner. But I prefented myfelf in 

 the aflembly of the Gauls, and thus addrefied 

 them : *' O ye Nations ! you fee from my example, 

 " whether the Gods delight in human facrifices. 

 *' They have depofited the vidVory in your gene- 

 " rous hands : Will you ftain them with the blood 

 *' of the miferable ? Has there not enough of blood 

 *' been flied in the rage of battle ? Can you now 

 ** fpill it, without paffion, and in the joy of tri- 

 " umph ? Your enemies immolate their prifoners. 

 " Surpafs them in generofity, as you furpafs them 

 '^ in courage." The larles, and all the warriors, 

 r£ceived this advice with loud applaufe : and it 

 B b 3 was 



