20(5 ON THE NATIONAL CHARACTER OF THE ROMANS. 



was not only formidable to her enemies, but her sons preserved the 

 strong and leading features of their national character — so long, 

 also, there was a tolerable security of property and person. It was 

 only when she grew all-powerful that her own ambitious magnates, 

 guiding — as superior talents and intelligence ever must — the mass 

 of her democracy, wrought her so much evil. It was not long, 

 however, before the same commonwealth which had consecrated the 

 devotion of the Decii and held in veneration the virtues of the poor 

 and incorruptible Fabricius, not only nursed in her bosom, but long 

 continued to tolerate the political as well as private profligacy of a 

 Cataline, and bowed in abject terror before the alternately success- 

 ful bloodhounds Marius and Sylla. It was not much longer before 

 the descendants of that people who had banished the heroic Lucul- 

 lus for only presuming to yoke unto his triumphal chariot four 

 milk-white steeds, submitted to a slavery fully as base and unquali- 

 fied as any that had ever obtained in the regions of Eastern despo- 

 tism, and under a line of emperors certainly amongst the most con- 

 temptible of their species. 



What shall we say, then, was the national character of the Ro- 

 mans? We can only say that it was very different at different peri- 

 ods of their history. Let us compare the stern and uncompromising 

 sense of public duty displayed by Junius Brutus, with the venality of 

 the Jugurthine negociations. Let us compare the severe discipline 

 of Manlius Torquatus with the revolt of Caesar against the senate : 

 and with the conspiracy of Cataline against every class and depart- 

 ment of the state. In the Gallic war the people were still so deeply 

 impressed with a sense of justice and religion, that it was debated 

 whether or not Fabius ought to be given up to the barbarians, as a 

 victim justly due to those deities who presided over the laws of 

 nations ; since, having been sent as ambassador, he had drawn his 

 sword in battle. But how shortly afterwards had the Romans 

 become the most unscrupulous of mankind, where the interest of 

 their own country was concerned. 



The following is the testimony borne by Polybius, a Greek, to 

 the character of the Romans. He was the friend of Scipio, and wrote 

 about the time of tae second Punic war, or between that and the 

 third. " They most inviolably keep their word," says Polybius, 

 " without being obliged to it by bail, witness, or oath : whereas, ten 

 securities, twenty promises, and twice as many witnesses cannot 

 hinder the faithless Greeks from attempting to deceive and dis- 

 appoint you." It was not long, however, before the Romans for- 

 feited the title to any such eulogium as this. 



Certainlv there must have been an entire change in their national 



