LETTER VII.

FROM these fables let us turn to history.

ABOUT two hundred and sixty years before the commencement of our æra, a war, of such influence on the affairs of mankind, that though twenty centuries of time have been since measured out, yet every nation in Europe at this day, feels impressions from the event- -broke out between CARTHAGE and ROME.

THE Romans had not then made any establishment out of Italy. Carthage was possessed of very large dominions in Africa, had made considerable acquisitions in Spain, was sovereign of Sardinia, Corsica, and all the islands on the coast of Italy, and had extended her conquests to a great part of Sicily. She was then, and had been for ages, unrivalled mistress of the Mediterranean, the celebrated theatre of ancient maritime adventure, and her navigation alone bounded over the mountainous waves of the ocean.

THE Romans got out a fleet as well as they could. But, so inconsiderable was it in comparison with that of the Carthaginians, and so unskil ful were they in naval tactics, that most of their ships were taken, others dashed in pieces by a storm, and the battered remains retired to a port in Italy.

THEY had contrived to transport † an army to Sicily, an island of vast consequence to Carthage, and there they were successful: but, they observ. ed, that the coasts of their own country lay exposed to the depredations of their enemies, who often made descents upon them, while the dominions of the Carthaginians were in perfect tranquillity. Resolved, therefore to be as formidable at sea as they were on land, they ordered one hundred quinqueremes, the ships of the line in those days, and twenty triremes, equivalent to the frigates of modern times, to be built. So unexperienced were they, that a Carthaginian galley, which ventured too near the shore had been stranded and taken, was the model for this armament.

THE Romans immediately set about this laborious work, cut down trees in their forests, and con

POLYBIUS, in his first book, says, that the ROMANS were so unprovided with shipping for transporting this army, that they were obliged to borrow vessels from their neighbours for that purpose.

veyed them to the sea side, with an expedition of which no example was known. The fleet was built and equipped in two months, reckoning from the day the trees began to be cut down.

WHILE Some were employed in building the gallies, others assembling those who were to serve on board, instructed them in the use of the oar in the following odd manner. They constructed benches on the shore, in the same fashion and order as they were to be in the gallies, and placing the men on these benches, an officer by signs with his hand directed them how to dip all their oars at once, and with the like regularity to recover them. Thus they became acquainted with the management of the oar; and as soon as the vessels were finished and fitted out, they spent some time in practising on the water what they had learned on shore.

THE exertions of the Romans on this occasion, appeared so astonishing to Polybius, that they engaged him to undertake writing a history of the

war.

AFTER various success, this fleet was almost wholly destroyed by a storm. The Romans got out another. That was destroyed in like manner. They were so much affected by these losses, that it was decreed that for the future no more than

fifty vessels should be sent out, and that these should be employed only in guarding the coasts of Italy, and in transporting troops to Sicily.

AFTER Some time, they resumed their usual vigour, and put a new fleet to sea, knowing they could by no other means keep their hold of Sicily, so important to them by its vicinity to Italy, and for other reasons. This fleet consisted of an hundred and twenty gallies. The Carthaginians with only ninety, met, defeated it, and took all the ships but thirty.

STILL undaunted and persevering, the Romans fitted out another fleet of the same force. The Carthaginians despising them since the late defeat, sailed out to fight it: but their pilots foreseeing that a storm was coming on, retired to a safe harbour. The Romans not aware of the impending danger, kept the sea. The storm came on. The destruction was total. Not a single galley, not a single transport, and there were eight hundred, with a large army on board, and laden with all sorts of provisions and military stores, escaped.

THE Romans now laid aside all thoughts of building new gallies. The number of Roman citizens appeared by a census now taken, to be reduced no less than 86,575 since the last census was taken.

HOWEVER a large fleet of privateers was fitted out, and the commonwealth lent to private persons, gratis, the gallies she had left. These privateers acting together, obtained some advantages over the Carthaginians; and committed great devastations. They were afterwards destroyed by a storm.

THE steady Romans fitted out at the expence of private persons, to be reimbursed when the republic should be able, another fleet.. It consisted of two hundred quinqueremes. The new armament far exceeded any of the former. It was built on an improved model taken from the Carthaginians. Thus, at last well prepared the Romans soon gained a complete victory; became masters at sea, as well as on land and after a contest of twenty-four years, in which they lost seven hundred gallies, while their enemies lost only five hundred, made an honourable and advantageous peace, by which, all their demands being obtained, among other articles, Sicily and the islands near to it and Italy were yielded to them.†

FABIUS.

The second Carthaginian war lasted seventeen years. As it cost the confederated states of Greece nearly thirty years of war, to hew down the enormous and domineering maritime power of Athens, so it cost the Romans more than forty years of war to hew down the enormous and domineering maritime power of Carthage.