208 



History of Nature. 



[BooK VII. 



Julius Caesar and Augustus. 



CHAPTER XXV. 

 The Praise of C. Julius Casar. 



FOR Vigour of Spirit I judge that C. Ceesar, the Dictator, 

 was the most excellent. 1 speak not now of his Courage 

 and Constancy, nor of his lofty Understanding of all Things 

 under the Expanse of Heaven ; but of that proper Strength 

 and Quickness of his, as active as the very Fire. We have 

 heard it reported of him, that he was accustomed to write 

 and read at one Time, to dictate and hear. He would dic- 

 tate Letters of the utmost Importance to four Secretaries at 

 once : and when he was free from other Business, he would 

 dictate seven Letters at one Time. The same Man fought 

 fifty Battles with Banners displayed : in which Point he 

 alone exceeded M. Marcellus, who fought thirty-nine Battles. 

 For, besides his Victories in the Civil Wars, he slew in Battle 

 1,192,000 of his Enemies ; but this, for my own Part, I hold 

 no special Glory of his, considering the great Injury so in- 

 flicted on Mankind : and this, indeed, he hath himself con- 

 fessed, by avoiding to set down the Slaughter that occurred 

 during the Civil Wars. Pompey the Great deserveth honour 

 more justly for taking from the Pirates 846 Sail of Ships. 

 But what is proper and peculiar to Ceesar, besides what is 

 said above, was his remarkable Clemency, in which he so far 

 surpassed all others, that he himself regretted it. The Example 

 of his Magnanimity was such, that nothing besides can be com- 



