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〃Now　he　is　extolling　the　Romans　to　us！〃　Some　one　shouted　out　to　him：

〃How　much　have　they　paid　you　to　defend　them？〃



〃Ask　that　of　the　plains　of　Brutium；　of　the　ruins　of　Locri；　of

Metapontum；　and　of　Heraclea！　I　have　burnt　all　their　trees；　I　have

pillaged　all　their　temples；　and　even　to　the　death　of　their

grandchildren's　grandchildren〃



〃Why；　you　disclaim　like　a　rhetor！〃　said　Kapouras；　a　very　illustrious

merchant。　〃What　is　it　that　you　want？〃



〃I　say　that　we　must　be　more　ingenious　or　more　terrible！　If　the　whole

of　Africa　rejects　your　yoke　the　reason　is；　my　feeble　masters；　that　you

do　not　know　how　to　fasten　it　to　her　shoulders！　Agathocles；　Regulus；

Coepio；　any　bold　man　has　only　to　land　and　capture　her；　and　when　the

Libyans　in　the　east　concert　with　the　Numidians　in　the　west；　and　the

Nomads　come　from　the　south；　and　the　Romans　from　the　north〃a　cry　of

horror　rose〃Oh！　you　will　beat　your　breasts；　and　roll　in　the　dust；

and　tear　your　cloaks！　No　matter！　you　will　have　to　go　and　turn　the

mill…stone　in　the　Suburra；　and　gather　grapes　on　the　hills　of　Latium。〃



They　smote　their　right　thighs　to　mark　their　sense　of　the　scandal；　and

the　sleeves　of　their　robes　rose　like　large　wings　of　startled　birds。

Hamilcar；　carried　away　by　a　spirit；　continued　his　speech；　standing　on

the　highest　step　of　the　altar；　quivering　and　terrible；　he　raised　his

arms；　and　the　rays　from　the　candelabrum　which　burned　behind　him　passed

between　his　fingers　like　javelins　of　gold。



〃You　will　lose　your　ships；　your　country　seats；　your　chariots；　your

hanging　beds；　and　the　slaves　who　rub　your　feet！　The　jackal　will　crouch

in　your　palaces；　and　the　ploughshare　will　upturn　your　tombs。　Nothing

will　be　left　but　the　eagles'　scream　and　a　heap　of　ruins。　Carthage；

thou　wilt　fall！〃



The　four　pontiffs　spread　out　their　hands　to　avert　the　anathema。　All

had　risen。　But　the　marine　Suffet；　being　a　sacerdotal　magistrate　under

the　protection　of　the　Sun；　was　inviolate　so　long　as　the　assembly　of

the　rich　had　not　judged　him。　Terror　was　associated　with　the　altar。

They　drew　back。



Hamilcar　had　ceased　speaking；　and　was　panting　with　eye　fixed；　his　face

as　pale　as　the　pearls　of　his　tiara；　almost　frightened　at　himself；　and

his　spirit　lost　in　funereal　visions。　From　the　height　on　which　he

stood；　all　the　torches　on　the　bronze　shafts　seemed　to　him　like　a　vast

crown　of　fire　laid　level　with　the　pavement；　black　smoke　issuing　from

them　mounted　up　into　the　darkness　of　the　vault；　and　for　some　minutes

the　silence　was　so　profound　that　they　could　hear　in　the　distance　the

sound　of　the　sea。



Then　the　Ancients　began　to　question　one　another。　Their　interests；

their　existence；　were　attacked　by　the　Barbarians。　But　it　was

impossible　to　conquer　them　without　the　assistance　of　the　Suffet；　and

in　spite　of　their　pride　this　consideration　made　them　forget　every

other。　His　friends　were　taken　aside。　There　were　interested

reconciliations；　understandings；　and　promises。　Hamilcar　would　not　take

any　further　part　in　any　government。　All　conjured　him。　They　besought

him；　and　as　the　word　treason　occurred　in　their　speech；　he　fell　into　a

passion。　The　sole　traitor　was　the　Great　Council；　for　as　the　enlistment

of　the　soldiers　expired　with　the　war；　they　became　free　as　soon　as　the

war　was　finished；　he　even　exalted　their　bravery　and　all　the　advantages

which　might　be　derived　from　interesting　them　in　the　Republic　by

donations　and　privileges。



Then　Magdassin；　a　former　provincial　governor；　said；　as　he　rolled　his

yellow　eyes：



〃Truly　Barca；　with　your　travelling　you　have　become　a　Greek；　or　a

Latin；　or　something！　Why　speak　you　of　rewards　for　these　men？　Rather

let　ten　thousand　Barbarians　perish　than　a　single　one　of　us！〃



The　Ancients　nodded　approval；　murmuring：〃Yes；　is　there　need　for　so

much　trouble？　They　can　always　be　had？〃



〃And　they　can　be　got　rid　of　conveniently；　can　they　not？　They　are

deserted　as　they　were　by　you　in　Sardinia。　The　enemy　is　apprised　of　the

road　which　they　are　to　take；　as　in　the　case　of　those　Gauls　in　Sicily；

or　perhaps　they　are　disembarked　in　the　middle　of　the　sea。　As　I　was

returning　I　saw　the　rock　quite　white　with　their　bones！〃



〃What　a　misfortune！〃　said　Kapouras　impudently。



〃Have　they　not　gone　over　to　the　enemy　a　hundred　times？〃　cried　the

others。



〃Why；　then；〃　exclaimed　Hamilcar；　〃did　you　recall　them　to　Carthage；

notwithstanding　your　laws？　And　when　they　are　in　your　town；　poor　and

numerous　amid　all　your　riches；　it　does　not　occur　to　you　to　weaken　them

by　the　slightest　division！　Afterwards　you　dismiss　the　whole　of　them

with　their　women　and　children；　without　keeping　a　single　hostage！　Did

you　expect　that　they　would　murder　themselves　to　spare　you　the　pain　of

keeping　your　oaths？　You　hate　them　because　they　are　strong！　You　hate　me

still　more；　who　am　their　master！　Oh！　I　felt　it　just　now　when　you　were

kissing　my　hands　and　were　all　putting　a　constraint　upon　yourselves　not

to　bite　them！〃



If　the　lions　that　were　sleeping　in　the　court　had　come　howling　in；　the

uproar　could　not　have　been　more　frightful。　But　the　pontiff　of　Eschmoun

rose；　and；　standing　perfectly　upright；　with　his　knees　close　together；

his　elbows　pressed　to　his　body；　and　his　hands　half　open；　he　said：



〃Barca；　Carthage　has　need　that　you　should　take　the　general　command　of

the　Punic　forces　against　the　Mercenaries！〃



〃I　refuse；〃　replied　Hamilcar。



〃We　will　give　you　full　authority；〃　cried　the　chiefs　of　the　Syssitia。



〃No！〃



〃With　no　control；　no　partition；　all　the　money　that　you　want；　all　the

captives；　all　the　booty；　fifty　zereths　of　land　for　every　enemy's

corpse。〃



〃No！　no！　because　it　is　impossible　to　conquer　with　you！〃



〃He　is　afraid！〃



〃Because　you　are　cowardly；　greedy；　ungrateful；　pusillanimous　and　mad！〃



〃He　is　careful　of　them！〃



〃In　order　to　put　himself　at　their　head；〃　said　some　one。



〃And　return　against　us；〃　said　another；　and　from　the　bottom　of　the　hall

Hanno　howled：



〃He　wants　to　make　himself　king！〃



Then　they　bounded　up；　overturning　the　seats　and　the　torches：　the　crowd

of　them　rushed　towards　the　altar；　they　brandished　daggers。　But

Hamilcar　dived　into　his　sleeves　and　drew　from　them　two　broad

cutlasses；　and　half　stooping；　his　left　foot　advanced；　his　eyes　flaming

and　his　teeth　clenched；　he　defied　them　as　he　stood　there　beneath　the

golden　candelabrum。



Thus　they　had　brought　weapons　with　them　as　a　precaution；　it　was　a

crime；　they　looked　with　terror　at　one　another。　As　all　were　guilty；

every　one　became　quickly　reassured；　and　by　degrees　they　turned　their

backs　on　the　Suffet　and　came　down　again　maddened　with　humiliation。　For

the　second　time　they　recoiled　before　him。　They　remained　standing　for

some　time。　Several　who　had　wounded　their　fingers　put　them　to　their

mouths　or　rolled　them　gently　in　the　hem　of　their　mantles；　and　they

were　about　to　depart　when　Hamilcar　heard　these　words：



〃Why！　it　is　a　piece　of　delicacy　to　avoid　distressing　his　daughter！〃



A　louder　voice　was　raised：