DIVI BOTANICI. 



179 



an inglorious escape from ignominy in a rush from life, while his 

 family, his kindred, and many of his people were carried captives to 

 Rome, to swell the execrable glories of her first Emperor's triumph. 

 With others of his degraded compatriots, Juba the king's son en- 

 dured this indignity — a cruel infliction, in every sense most hate- 

 fully selfish and arrogant. Nevertheless, so powerful are the native 

 energies of wisdom and virtue, that this prince enabled himself, by 

 their judicious culture and adaptations, to establish the sovereignty 

 of character, even among the supercilious oppressors by whom the 

 liberties of his father-land were exterminated. 



Historians* evidently delight to expatiate on the amenity of 

 Juba's dispositions and the purity of his principles, on his extraor- 

 dinary proficiency in literature and philosophy, and on the splendid 

 development of his fortunes. While the nations all around were 

 harrassed with the flagitious enormities of war and rapine, and while 

 Rome herself, their imperial enslaver, was trembling in the dread 

 of imminent destruction by the strife of her degenerate citizens, the 

 expatriated Prince found consolation and happiness, under his mani- 

 fold bereavements, in the solace and tranquility of philosophical 

 contemplation. Here, however, as if moderation had not ensured 

 its certain reward, as if the Creator's providence did not over-rule 

 all the events of life to the best though often inscrutable purposes, 

 the short-sighted chroniclers of that dissolute age were eloquent in 

 ascribing the causes and consummation of Juba's prosperity to the 

 results of fortuitous operations. Thus, say the ancient biologists, 

 his captivity became the source of the greatest honours, and his ap- 

 plication to study procured him more glory than he could have 

 obtained from the inheritance of a kingdom. 



By the courteousness of his manners, Juba gained the affections 

 and respect of the Roman people ; and, in recompense of his exem- 

 plary fidelity, Augustus gave him Cleopatra the daughter of Antony 



• Many interesting observations illustrative of Juba's character, both as a 

 king and a scholar, are recorded in the compositions of Greek and Roman 

 historians. For instance, Strabo ; Rerum Geographharum libri scptemdecim 

 graek el Inline, curante Thoma Falconer ; folio, 2 tomis, Oxonii, 1807 .* Dion 

 Cassius ; Ilistoria Romano; qua supcrsnnt, grace et latine, euro, II. S. Reimari ; 

 folio, 2 tomis, Ilambun/i, 1750 : Pliny ; Nnturalis Histori<e, iihri xxxvii ; folio, 

 Vvnetih, 14C9 ; folio, 3 tonus, Bcrolini, 17CC | and Dr. Holland's English ver- 

 sion : Suetonius; De XII Ccesarum vitis, ex recensions Gravii, 4lo, Trujecli 

 ad Rhenium, 1872 ; and the English versions by Dr. Holland, Jabez Hughes, 

 and Dr. Thomson who lias increased the value of his translation by add- 

 ing useful annotations, and a review of the government and literature of the 

 Romans al different pa 



