262 WANDERINGS IN 



FOURTH gi ve t o their rising towns the names of places so 



JOURNEY. c 



famous and conspicuous in former times. 



As I was sitting one evening under an oak, in 

 the high grounds behind Utica, I could not look 

 down upon the city without thinking of Cato 

 and his misfortunes. Had the town been called 

 Crofton, or Waraifield, or Dewsbury, there would 

 have been nothing remarkable in it ; but Utica 

 at once revived the scenes at school long past and 

 half-forgotten, and carried me with full speed 

 back again to Italy, and from thence to Africa. 

 I crossed the Rubicon with Caesar ; fought at 

 Pharsalia; saw poor Pompey into Larissa, and 

 tried to wrest the fatal sword from Cato's hand 

 in Utica. When I perceived he was no more, 

 I mourned over the noble-minded man who took 

 that part which he thought would most benefit 

 his country, There is something magnificent in 

 the idea of a man taking by choice the conquered 

 side. The Roman gods themselves did otherwise. 



" Victrix causa Diis placuit, sed victa Catoni." 



" In this did Cato with the Gods divide, 

 They chose the conquering, he the conquer'd side." 



The whole of the country from Utica to Buffalo 

 is pleasing; and the intervening of the inland 

 lakes, large and deep and clear, adds considerably 

 to the effect. The spacious size of the inns, their 

 excellent provisions, and the attention which the 

 traveller receives in going from Albany to Buffalo, 



