第 6 节
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风格1 更新:2021-02-18 23:33 字数:9322
her by her colour; took her; to whom Sertorius promised a good reward;
if they would tell no one of it; and immediately shut her up。 A few
days after; he appeared in public with a very cheerful look; and
declared to the chief men of the country that the gods had foretold
him in a dream that some great good fortune should shortly attend him;
and; taking his seat; proceeded to answer the petitions of those who
applied themselves to him。 The keepers of the hind; who were not far
off; now let her loose; and she no sooner espied Sertorius; but she
came leaping with great joy to his feet; laid her head upon his knees;
and licked his hands; as she formerly used to do。 And Sertorius
stroking her; and making much of her again; with that tenderness
that the tears stood in his eyes; all that were present were
immediately filled with wonder and astonishment; and accompanying
him to his house with loud shouts for joy; looked upon him as a person
above the rank of mortal men; and highly beloved by the gods; and were
great courage and hope for the future。
When he had reduced his enemies to the last extremity for want of
provision; he was forced to give them battle; in the plains near
Saguntum; to hinder them from foraging and plundering the country。
Both parties fought gloriously。 Memmius; the best commander in
Pompey's army; was slain in the heat of the battle。 Sertorius
overthrew all before him; and with great slaughter of his enemies
pressed forward towards Metellus。 This old commander; making a
resistance beyond what could be expected from one of his years; was
wounded with a lance an occurrence which filled all who either saw
it or heard of it with shame; to be thought to have left their general
in distress; but at the same time to provoke them to revenge and
fury against their enemies; they covered Metellus with their
shields; and brought him off in safety; and then valiantly repulsed
the Spaniards; and so victory changed sides; and Sertorius; that he
might afford a more secure retreat to his army; and that fresh
forces might more easily be raised; retired into a strong city in
the mountains。 And though it was the least of his intention to sustain
a long siege; yet he began to repair the walls; and to fortify the
gates; thus deluding his enemies; who came and sat down before the
town; hoping to take it without much resistance; and meantime gave
over the pursuit of the Spaniards; and allowed opportunity for raising
new forces for Sertorius; to which purpose he had sent commanders to
all their cities; with orders; when they had sufficiently increased
their numbers; to send him word of it。 This news he no sooner
received; but he sallied out and forced his way through his enemies;
and easily joined them with the rest of his army。 Having received this
considerable reinforcement; he set upon the Romans again; and by
rapidly assaulting them; by alarming them on all sides; by
ensnaring; circumventing; and laying ambushes for them; he cut off all
provisions by land; while with his piratical vessels he kept all the
coast in awe; and hindered their supplies by sea。 He thus forced the
Roman generals to dislodge and to separate from one another:
Metellus departed into Gaul; and Pompey wintered among the
Vaccaeans; in a wretched condition; where; being in extreme want of
money; he wrote a letter to the senate; to let them know that if
they did not speedily support him; he must draw off his army; for he
had already spent his own money in the defence of Italy。 To these
extremities; the chiefest and the most powerful commanders of the
age were reduced by the skill of Sertorius; and it was the common
opinion in Rome that he would be in Italy before Pompey。
How far Metellus was terrified and at what rate he esteemed him;
he plainly declared; when he offered by proclamation an hundred
talents and twenty thousand acres of land to any Roman that should
kill him; and leave; if he were banished; to return; attempting
villainously to buy his life by treachery; when he despaired of ever
being able to overcome him in open war。 When once he gained the
advantage in a battle against Sertorius; he was so pleased and
transported with his good fortune; that he caused himself to be
publicly proclaimed imperator; and all the cities which he visited
received him with altars and sacrifices; he allowed himself; it is
said; to have garlands placed on his head; and accepted sumptuous
entertainments; at which he sat drinking in triumphal robes; while
images and figures of victory were introduced by the motion of
machines; bringing in with them crowns and trophies of gold to present
to him; and companies of young men and women danced before him; and
sang to him songs of joy and triumph。 By all which he rendered himself
deservedly ridiculous; for being so excessively delighted and puffed
up with the thoughts of having followed one who was retiring of his
own accord; and for having once had the better of him whom he used
to call Sylla's runaway slave; and his forces; the remnant of the
defeated troops of Carbo。
Sertorius; meantime; showed the loftiness of his temper in calling
together all the Roman senators who had fled from Rome; and had come
and resided with him; and giving them the name of a senate; and out of
these he chose praetors and quaestors; and adorned his government with
all the Roman laws and institutions。 And though he made use of the
arms; riches; and cities of the Spaniards; yet he would never; even in
word; remit to them the imperial authority; but set Roman officers and
commanders over them; intimating his purpose to restore liberty to the
Romans; not to raise up the Spaniard's power against them。 For he
was a sincere lover of his country; and had a great desire to return
home; but in his adverse fortune he showed undaunted courage; and
behaved himself towards his enemies in a manner free from all
dejection and mean…spiritedness; and when he was in his prosperity;
and in the height of his victories; he sent word to Metellus and
Pompey that he was ready to lay down his arms and live a private
life if he were allowed to return home; declaring that he had rather
live as the meanest citizen in Rome than; exiled from it; be supreme
commander of all other cities together。 And it is thought that his
great desire for his country was in no small measure promoted by the
tenderness he had for his mother; under whom he was brought up after
the death of his father; and upon whom he had placed his entire
affection。 After that his friends had sent for him into Spain to be
their general; as soon as he heard of his mother's death he had almost
cast away himself and died for grief; for he lay seven days together
continually in his tent; without giving the word; or being seen by the
nearest of his friends; and when the chief commanders of the army
and persons of the greatest note came about his tent; with great
difficulty they prevailed with him at last to come abroad; and speak
to his soldiers; and to take upon him the management of affairs; which
were in a prosperous condition。 And thus; to many men's judgment; he
seemed to have been in himself of a mild and compassionate temper; and
naturally given to ease and quietness; and to have accepted of the
command of military forces contrary to his own inclination; and not
being able to live in safety otherwise; to have been driven by his
enemies to have recourse to arms; and to espouse the wars as a
necessary guard for the defence of his person。
His negotiations with King Mithridates further argue the greatness
of his mind。 For when Mithridates recovering himself from his
overthrow by Sylla; like a strong wrestler that gets up to try another
fall; was again endeavouring to re…establish his power in Asia; at
this time the great fame of Sertorius was celebrated in all places;
and when the merchants who came out of the western parts of Europe;
bringing these; as it were; among their other foreign wares; had
filled the kingdom of Pontus with their stories of his exploits in
war; Mithridates was extremely desirous to send an embassy to him;
being also highly encouraged to it by the boastings of his
flattering courtiers; who; comparing Mithridates to Pyrrhus; and
Sertorius to Hannibal; professed that the Romans would never be able
to make any considerable resistance against such great forces; and
such admirable commanders; when they should be set upon on both
sides at once; on one by the most warlike general; and on the other by
the most powerful prince in existence。
Accordingly; Mithridates sends ambassadors into Spain to Sertorius
with letters and instructions; and commission to promise ships and
money toward the charge of the war; if Sertorius would confirm his
pretensions upon Asia; and authorize to possess all that he had
surrendered to the Romans in his treaty with Sylla。 Sertorius summoned
a full council which he called a senate; where; when others joyfully
approved of the conditions; and were desirous immediately to accept of
his offer; seeing that he desired nothing of them but a name; and an
empty title to places not in their power to dispose of; in
recompense of which they should be supplied wi