[79] This brave Lusitanian, who was first a shepherd and a famous
hunter, and afterwards a captain of banditti, exasperated at the tyranny
of the Romans, encouraged his countrymen to revolt and shake off the
yoke.
hunter, and afterwards a captain of banditti, exasperated at the tyranny
of the Romans, encouraged his countrymen to revolt and shake off the
yoke.
Camoes - Lusiades
vii.
58.
--_Ed.
_
[75] _To match the Twelve so long by bards renown'd. _--The Twelve Peers
of France, often mentioned in the old romances. For the episode of
Magricio and his eleven companions, see the sixth Lusiad.
[76] Afonso in Portuguese. In the first edition Mickle had Alfonso,
which he altered to Alonzo in the second edition.
[77] _Thy grandsires. _--John III. King of Portugal, celebrated for a
long and peaceful reign; and the Emperor Charles V. , who was engaged in
almost continual wars.
[78] Some critics have condemned Virgil for stopping his narrative to
introduce even a short observation of his own. Milton's beautiful
complaint of his blindness has been blamed for the same reason, as being
no part of the subject of his poem. The address of Camoens to Don
Sebastian at the conclusion of the tenth Lusiad has not escaped the same
censure; though in some measure undeservedly, as the poet has had the
art to interweave therein some part of the general argument of his poem.
[79] This brave Lusitanian, who was first a shepherd and a famous
hunter, and afterwards a captain of banditti, exasperated at the tyranny
of the Romans, encouraged his countrymen to revolt and shake off the
yoke. Being appointed general, he defeated Vetilius the praetor, who
commanded in Lusitania, or farther Spain. After this he defeated, in
three pitched battles, the praetors, C. Plautius Hypsaeus and Claudius
Unimanus, though they led against him very numerous armies. For six
years he continued victorious, putting the Romans to flight wherever he
met them, and laying waste the countries of their allies. Having
obtained such advantages over the proconsul, Servilianus, that the only
choice which was left to the Roman army was death or slavery, the brave
Viriatus, instead of putting them all to the sword, as he could easily
have done, sent a deputation to the general, offering to conclude a
peace with him on this single condition, _That he should continue master
of the country now in his power, and that the Romans should remain
possessed of the rest of Spain_.
The proconsul, who expected nothing but death or slavery, thought these
very favourable and moderate terms, and without hesitation concluded a
peace, which was soon after ratified by the Roman senate and people.
Viriatus, by this treaty, completed the glorious design he had always in
view, which was to erect a kingdom in the vast country he had conquered
from the republic. And, had it not been for the treachery of the Romans,
he would have become, as Florus calls him, the Romulus of Spain.
The senate, desirous to revenge their late defeat, soon after this
peace, ordered Q. Servilius Caepio to exasperate Viriatus, and force him,
by repeated affronts, to commit the first acts of hostility. But this
mean artifice did not succeed: Viriatus would not be provoked to a
breach of the peace. On this the Conscript Fathers, to the eternal
disgrace of their republic, ordered Caepio to declare war, and to
proclaim Viriatus, who had given no provocation, an enemy to Rome. To
this baseness Caepio added one still greater; he corrupted the
ambassadors whom Viriatus had sent to negotiate with him, who, at the
instigation of the Roman, treacherously murdered their protector and
general while he slept. --UNIV. HISTORY.
[75] _To match the Twelve so long by bards renown'd. _--The Twelve Peers
of France, often mentioned in the old romances. For the episode of
Magricio and his eleven companions, see the sixth Lusiad.
[76] Afonso in Portuguese. In the first edition Mickle had Alfonso,
which he altered to Alonzo in the second edition.
[77] _Thy grandsires. _--John III. King of Portugal, celebrated for a
long and peaceful reign; and the Emperor Charles V. , who was engaged in
almost continual wars.
[78] Some critics have condemned Virgil for stopping his narrative to
introduce even a short observation of his own. Milton's beautiful
complaint of his blindness has been blamed for the same reason, as being
no part of the subject of his poem. The address of Camoens to Don
Sebastian at the conclusion of the tenth Lusiad has not escaped the same
censure; though in some measure undeservedly, as the poet has had the
art to interweave therein some part of the general argument of his poem.
[79] This brave Lusitanian, who was first a shepherd and a famous
hunter, and afterwards a captain of banditti, exasperated at the tyranny
of the Romans, encouraged his countrymen to revolt and shake off the
yoke. Being appointed general, he defeated Vetilius the praetor, who
commanded in Lusitania, or farther Spain. After this he defeated, in
three pitched battles, the praetors, C. Plautius Hypsaeus and Claudius
Unimanus, though they led against him very numerous armies. For six
years he continued victorious, putting the Romans to flight wherever he
met them, and laying waste the countries of their allies. Having
obtained such advantages over the proconsul, Servilianus, that the only
choice which was left to the Roman army was death or slavery, the brave
Viriatus, instead of putting them all to the sword, as he could easily
have done, sent a deputation to the general, offering to conclude a
peace with him on this single condition, _That he should continue master
of the country now in his power, and that the Romans should remain
possessed of the rest of Spain_.
The proconsul, who expected nothing but death or slavery, thought these
very favourable and moderate terms, and without hesitation concluded a
peace, which was soon after ratified by the Roman senate and people.
Viriatus, by this treaty, completed the glorious design he had always in
view, which was to erect a kingdom in the vast country he had conquered
from the republic. And, had it not been for the treachery of the Romans,
he would have become, as Florus calls him, the Romulus of Spain.
The senate, desirous to revenge their late defeat, soon after this
peace, ordered Q. Servilius Caepio to exasperate Viriatus, and force him,
by repeated affronts, to commit the first acts of hostility. But this
mean artifice did not succeed: Viriatus would not be provoked to a
breach of the peace. On this the Conscript Fathers, to the eternal
disgrace of their republic, ordered Caepio to declare war, and to
proclaim Viriatus, who had given no provocation, an enemy to Rome. To
this baseness Caepio added one still greater; he corrupted the
ambassadors whom Viriatus had sent to negotiate with him, who, at the
instigation of the Roman, treacherously murdered their protector and
general while he slept. --UNIV. HISTORY.
