her, invitus invitam, during his father's reign, with a promise of recal in his own: that he kept that promise, but that the popular objection was too obstinate to render perseverance safe; for his excesses were always tempered by prudence: and that when he again determined to part with her, by way of softening the disappointment to both, he again threw out a hint of better times, and got rid of her by representing this separation as only temporary. But the biographers of the period, writing many lives with all practicable brevity, had no room to multiply identical incidents; they therefore related the beginning and the end of an adventure, and left the detail to be filled up by the sagacity or the imagination of the reader.

Pliny mentions a town bearing the name of Berenice :-" Berenice, oppidum matris Philadelphi nomine, ad quod iter a Copto diximus."-Nat. Hist. lib. vi. The inference from this passage, that Pliny concluded Ptolemy Philadelphus had built the city, because it bore his mother's name, is utterly unfounded. As there were several women of exalted rank who bore the name of Berenice, so were there several towns so called, probably in memory of the different princesses.

The farewells of Titus and Berenice have furnished the French stage with tragedies from Racine and Corneille, who were each employed by Henrietta of England on so unpromising a subject, unknown to each other. Corneille's piece failed: that of Racine had a run of thirty nights; and has been revived on the appearance of any new actor and actress capable of supporting characters of such great difficulty. So supported, it has always

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That one

been found affecting in representation. of these great poets should have failed, and the other have eminently succeeded, is accounted for by the opposite bent of their genius. That of the one is strong and elevated, that of the other gentle, dextrous, and elegant. The pathetic is the forte of the latter, the sublime of the former.

ON CÆSAR'S COMMENTARIES.

CESAR was confessedly the greatest general Rome ever produced; and the people of Rome were so renowned for their knowledge in the art of war, that it is equally interesting and useful to find their military customs traced out, and the individual actions of so accomplished a commander recorded, in Commentaries written by the hero of the story. Nothing in this work is more striking, than the consummate prudence and circumspection of this enterprising man, especially in relation to surprises. He was also particularly attentive to the safety of his convoys, and to the maintenance of a free communication with the countries whence he received his supplies. Nor was he less prudent and expert in turning alliances to account; as, for instance, in the case of that pretended one with the Æduans, which he made one of his principal engines to complete the reduction of Gaul. The suddenness, the rapidity, the disposition of his marches, have only been equalled by the Corsican of modern days in the zenith of his triumphs. From his narrative of his own movements when he besieged Gergovia, we may calculate that on one occasion he marched fifty miles in twenty-four hours. He exhibited great skill in marshalling his army in various forms, according to the information he was sedulous in

procuring, as to the greater or less distance of the enemy. His conduct in this respect was especially curious and judicious, when he marched against the Nervians. During his celebrated campaign in Spain he compelled a veteran army to surrender as prisoners of war, without striking a blow, by a happy choice of posts and consummate address in improving the advantages afforded by the nature of the country. Another object of solicitude was, to contrive his marches in such a manner as to station his camp near some navigable river, and to secure, as has been before mentioned, a country in his rear, whence he could be supplied easily, and at a reasonable rate, with every thing necessary for the subsistence of his army. Intrenched encampments formed an essential part of military discipline among the Romans; and Cæsar gave his sanction to the practice, by constantly following it in his wars with the Gauls. The globus, or circular order, was a disposition of which he speaks in his Commentaries, as highly advantageous in cases of danger and extremity: and the Duke of Wellington seems to have made arrangements analogous if not identical, on the field of Waterloo, while waiting for the arrival of the Prussians.

Pompey, in the decisive battle of Pharsalia, by the advice of Triarius, commanded his soldiers to receive Cæsar's assault, and to sustain the shock of his army, without removing from their position. His motive for this was the opinion, that Cæsar's men would be disordered in their advance; and that his own, by not moving, would retain their ranks undisturbed. On this system Cæsar remarks, that according to his own judgment, the advice was contrary to every principle of reason: for he

argues that there is a certain ardour and alacrity of spirit natural to every man when he goes into battle, which no commander should repress or restrain, but rather should increase and push it forward. The event fully justified the general criticism, and proved it to be well-grounded in practice, as well as warranted by speculation on human character. In this battle against Pompey, Cæsar not only took advantage of his antagonist's erroneous theory, but surprised him by material innovations on the Roman manner of embattling.

When Cæsar fought against Ariovistus and the Germans, he placed the best men in the wings of his army. This may, on the first blush, appear impolitic; as the centre is likely to give way: but in that case, the wings will wheel upon the enemy, encompass, and destroy the choicest men if placed in their main battle.

The ancient mode of fortification is well described by Cæsar, especially the walls of the city of Bourges, in the seventh book of his wars with the Gauls. He used the musculus at the siege of Marseilles. The planks of the roof were covered with bricks and mortar, over which hides were laid to prevent the mortar from dissolving by the water poured down upon it by the besieged. To secure it from stones and fire, it was again covered over with thick quilted mattresses properly prepared.

The moving towers were a peculiar feature of ancient warfare. When once they were brought up, a place seldom held out long. Those who had no ground of confidence but in the height of their ramparts, must sink at once into despair on seeing the enemy in possession of an elevation to command them. The people of Namur made a jest of