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ments; and to fubftitute others in their room and Year of also to postpone others beyond the time that had Rome been appointed. Accordingly the province of Macedonia, which had been allotted to Marcus Brutus, was given to Caius Anthony; and Mark was pleased to claim the Cifalpine Gaul, in which Mantua was fituated, being the beft fupplied with men and money; though it had been already affigned to Decimus Brutus. The foldiers, whom Julius Caefar had fent before him to Apollonia, being returned to Italy, Mark Anthony went to them, with hopes of engaging them in his fervice. Young Caefar, at the fame time, fent fome of his friends, with plenty money, to hire them; whilft he himself went into Campania, where he levied a good body of men, chiefly from Capua, where his father had planted them, having given them that city and territory as a reward for their fervices. He got to Rome again before, Anthony; where being much applauded by the people, in whofe defence he faid he had made these levies, he proceeded to Tuscany, in order to raise men there. The foldiers, who were returned from Apollonia, received Anthony very favourably, believing him to be the richest: but when they found, that his offers fell short of thofe of Caefar, they grew very mutinous. Hereupon Anthony commanded fome of the centurions to be fcourged, in the presence of himself and his wife; which quieted them for a time: but as they were marching into Gaul, they mutinied again, when they were not far from the city; and most of them went over to Caefar. Two entire legions deferted together and when the money, that had been promifed, was punctually diftributed amongst them; they were foon followed by many others. Anthony

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Year of Anthony returned to Rome, and having fettled his Rome affairs in the best manner he could, took an oath 710. from the reft of the foldiers, and the fenators, who

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were with them, and marched into Gaul, to prevent any disturbance there. Caefar marched after him without delay. Decimus Brutus was at that time governour of Gaul; and having been one of Julius Caefar's murderers, was irreconcilable with Anthony, who had vowed the deftruction of them all. But, as young Caefar had never difcovered any intention of revenging his father's death, there was a greater probability of being able to form a conjunction with him. Brutus was then at Mutina, now called Modena, and readily affented to Caefar's request, that he would not fuffer Anthony to enter the place. This behaviour of Brutus was approved at Rome; where the Senate ordered thanks to be given to the people of Mutina, and to the foldiers, who had deferted from Anthony. The hatred against Anthony increased every day at Rome; and Cicero, whofe enmity to him was implacable, affifted Caefar, with all his might.

When the Roman affairs were in this perplexed ftate, and the Cifalpine Gaul, the native country of our Poet, was becoming the feat of a civil war, it is no wonder, that we do not find any exertion of his poetical genius during this year.

The next began' with the creation of two new Confuls, Aulus Hirtius and Caius Panfa. Great debates arofe in the Senate, concerning the prefent posture of their affairs: but the friends of young Caefar prevailed (r). They decreed, that a ftatue fhould be erected for him; that he fhould have the Quaeftorian rank in the Senate; that he fhould have (r) Dio, lib. 46.

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the liberty to fue for offices before the legal age; that the money, which he had given to the foldiers, fhould be repaid out of the publick treasury, because he had levied them for the fafety of the Commonwealth, though it was done by his private authority; and that the foldiers whom he had raised, and those who had deferted from Anthony, fhould be releafed from farther fervice at the end of this war, and have lands immediately divided amongst them. Meffengers were fent to Anthony, to command him to disband his army, to depart from Gaul, and to proceed directly to Macedonia. His foldiers were ordered to repair to their own home, under penalty of being treated as publick enemies. They appointed young Caefar, whom they invested with Praetorian power, to join with the two Confuls, in carrying on the war with Anthony; who was not forry to find the Senate fo ready to give him a fair opportunity of entering into a war. He ftill held D. Brutus befieged in Mutina, making war against him as one of Caefar's murderers: but the true cause of his pursuing him was, that he might get him out of Gaul, and take poffeffion of that province himself. Hirtius and Caefar began their march together from Rome, whilft Panfa ftaid fome time to raise a greater number of foldiers. Anthony left his brother Lucius, to carry on the fiege; whilft he himself marched against Hirtius and Caefar. They foon came to an engagement and the victory fell to Anthony, who left a part of his army to befiege them in their camp, and went to meet the other Conful; whom he attacked fuddenly, as he was marching out of Bononia; and having wounded Panfa, and killed many of his men, forced the reft to fly within their trenches. But

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Hirtius

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Year of Hirtius left. Caefar to guard the camp, and fell upon Rome Anthony, being now fatigued with these marches, 711, and weakened by two battles, and obtained a

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fignal victory over him; whereupon the foldiers faluted both the Confuls, and young Caefar allo by the name of Imperator. Pontius Aquila, one of Brutus's lieutenants, about the fame time, gained feveral victories over Titus Munatius PlanThefe fucceffes fo far elevated Hirtius and Caefar, that they determined to attack Anthony in his camp; but he, having received a good fupply of men from Lepidus, made a vigorous fally, and got. away, many being flain on both fides. In this confict, Hirtius was flain, and his collegue died-foon. afterwards of the wounds which he received in the: former engagement. Anthony being thus ruined, the Senate began to neglect Caefar, and to heap all their favours upon Decimus Brutus; giving to him the honour of all the fuccefs, and beftowing on his foldiers the rewards, which had been promifed to thofe who ferved under Caefar. They gave him however the liberty of voting among thofe of Confular dignity, which was by no means fatisfactory to him, who was ambitious of obtaining the Confulfhip itself. They endeavoured to foment divifions among his foldiers, and even to alienate their affections from him: and he was commonly diftinguifhed by the name of the boy, amongst those who did not favour him. Thefe, and many other indignities made young Caefar determined to purfue new measures, and to make a private reconciliation with Anthony. At the fame time, it was underftood at Rome, that Anthony and Lepidus had joined together whereupon the Senate, not knowing the agreement that Caefar had made with An

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thony, began to look upon him again with a fa- Year of vourable countenance, and gave him commiffion to profecute the war against Anthony and Lepidus. This war he readily undertook, in hopes of obtaining the Confulfhip, and in order to facilitate it, promised to take Cicero for his collegue. When this propofal had not the defired effect, he pretended to prepare for the war, and in the mean time caufed' his foldiers to oblige themfelves by an oath, that they would not fight against any army that had been Caefar's. This was done chiefly with a view to the armies of Anthony and Lepidus, which were almoft wholly compofed of men who had served under Caefar. This being done, Caefar fent four hundred of these very men to Rome, to demand money, and the Confulfhip for their General. These ambaffadors were ordered to lay down their arms before they entered the fenate-houfe, which they did: but not meeting with fatisfactory answers, one of them, as he came out, took up his fword, and faid, If you will not give Caefar the Confulhip, this fhall give it him: to which Cicero anfwered, Caefar will certainly obtain the Confulfhip, you fue for it after this manner. Caefar, being highly offended, that his men were ordered by the Senate to lay down their arms, fent for Anthony and Lepidus to come nearer to him, and marched with his army directly towards Rome, The Senate, being terrified at his approach, ordered money to be fent to his foldiers, hoping that would cause them to return; but when they found that he continued his march, they chofe him Conful, This gave no fatisfaction for the army being fenfible that this was not done willingly, but through fear, grew more infolent. The Senate now altered their mind

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