64 advaxcemzimt of learning. [book l 



excellence of style was not the effect of vmdisciplined talent, 

 but also of learning and precept, is evident from that work 

 of his, entitled De Analogia," in which he propounds the 

 principles of grammatical philosophy, and endeavours to 

 fashion mere conventional forms to congruity of expression, 

 taking, as it were, the picture of words from the life of reason. 

 AVc also perceive another monument of his genius and learn- 

 ing in the reformation of the Calendar, in accomplishing 

 which he is reported to have said that he esteemed it as 

 great a glory to himself to observe and know the law of the 

 heavens, as to give laws to men upon earth. In his A nti- 

 Cato,° he contended as much for the palm of wit as he strove 

 in his battles for victory, aud did not shrink from confrontiug 

 the greatest champion of the pen in those times, Cicero the 

 orator. Again, in his book of apophthegms, he deemed it 

 more honourable to note the wise sayings of others, than to 

 record every word of his own as an oracle or apophthegm, as 

 many vain princes are by flattery urged to do.P And yet, 

 should I enumerate any of them, as I did before those of 

 Alexander, we should find them to be such as Solomon points 

 to in the saying, " Yerba sapientum tanquam aculei,et tanquam 

 clavi in altum defixi."i Of these, however, I shall only relate 

 three, not so remarkable for elegance as for vigour and 

 efficacy. He who could appease a mutiny in his army hj a 

 word, must certainly be regarded as a master of language. 

 This Caesar performed under the following circumstances. 

 The generals always addressed the army as milites ; the 

 magistrates, on the other hand, in their charges to the 

 people used the word Quirites. Now the soldiers being in 

 tumult, and feignedly praying to be disbanded, with a view 

 to draw Caesar to other conditions, the latter resolved not to 

 succumb, and after a short pause, began his speech with 

 *' Ego, Quirites,"^ which implied they were at once cashiered : 

 tipon which, the soldiers were so astonished and confused 

 that they relinquished their demands, and begged to bo 

 addressed by the old appellation of milites. The second 

 easing thus transpired. Csesar extremely affected the namo 



» Vid. Cic. Brutus, 72. 



*> Vid. Cic. ad Att. xii. 40, 41 ; xiii. 50 ; and Top. xxv. 

 p Cic. ad Fam. ix. 16. H Ecq}, xij. XL 



' S'iet. Life Jul. Cass. c. JO, 



