CIVIL CHARACTER OF JULIUS C^SAR. 487 



them. And whereas, by nature, and out of a firm 

 resolution, he adhered to this principle ; not to be 

 eminent amongst great and deserving men, but to 

 be chief amongst inferiors and vassals ; he chose only 

 mean and active men, and such as to whom himself 

 might be all in all. And hereupon grew that saying, 

 &quot; So let Caesar live, though I die ;&quot; and other speeches 

 of that kind. As for the nobility, and those that 

 were his peers, he contracted friendship with such 

 of them as might be useful to him ; and admitted 

 none to his cabinet council, but those that had their 

 fortunes wholly depending upon him. 



He was moderately furnished with good litera 

 ture, and the arts ; but in such sort as he applied his 

 skill therein to civil policy. For he was well read 

 in history ; and was expert in rhetoric, and the art 

 of speaking. And because he attributed much to his 

 good stars, he would pretend more than an ordinary 

 knowledge in astronomy. As for eloquence, and a 

 prompt elocution, that was natural to him and pure. 



He was dissolute, and propense to voluptuous 

 ness and pleasures ; which served well at first for a 

 cover to his ambition. For no man would imagine, 

 that a man so loosely given could harbour any am 

 bitious and vast thoughts in his heart. Notwith 

 standing, he so governed his pleasures, that they 

 were no hinderance either to his profit or his 

 business ; and they did rather whet than dull the 

 vigour of his mind. He was temperate at his meals ; 

 free from niceness and curiosity in his lusts; pleasant 

 and magnificent at public interludes. 



