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of　the　Mamertines：



　　〃With　my　lance　and　sword　I　plough　and　reap；　I　am　master　of　the

　　house！　The　disarmed　man　falls　at　my　feet　and　calls　me　Lord　and

　　Great　King。〃



They　shouted；　they　leaped；　the　merriest　began　to　tell　stories；　the

time　of　their　miseries　was　past。　As　they　arrived　at　Tunis；　some　of

them　remarked　that　a　troop　of　Balearic　slingers　was　missing。　They　were

doubtless　not　far　off；　and　no　further　heed　was　paid　to　them。



Some　went　to　lodge　in　the　houses；　others　camped　at　the　foot　of　the

walls；　and　the　townspeople　came　out　to　chat　with　the　soldiers。



During　the　whole　night　fires　were　seen　burning　on　the　horizon　in　the

direction　of　Carthage；　the　light　stretched　like　giant　torches　across

the　motionless　lake。　No　one　in　the　army　could　tell　what　festival　was

being　celebrated。



On　the　following　day　the　Barbarian's　passed　through　a　region　that　was

covered　with　cultivation。　The　domains　of　the　patricians　succeeded　one

another　along　the　border　of　the　route；　channels　of　water　flowed

through　woods　of　palm；　there　were　long；　green　lines　of　olive…trees；

rose…coloured　vapours　floated　in　the　gorges　of　the　hills；　while　blue

mountains　reared　themselves　behind。　A　warm　wind　was　blowing。

Chameleons　were　crawling　on　the　broad　leaves　of　the　cactus。



The　Barbarians　slackened　their　speed。



They　marched　on　in　isolated　detachments；　or　lagged　behind　one　another

at　long　intervals。　They　ate　grapes　along　the　margin　of　the　vines。　They

lay　on　the　grass　and　gazed　with　stupefaction　upon　the　large；

artificially　twisted　horns　of　the　oxen；　the　sheep　clothed　with　skins

to　protect　their　wool；　the　furrows　crossing　one　another　so　as　to　form

lozenges；　and　the　ploughshares　like　ships'　anchors；　with　the

pomegranate　trees　that　were　watered　with　silphium。　Such　wealth　of　the

soil　and　such　inventions　of　wisdom　dazzled　them。



In　the　evening　they　stretched　themselves　on　the　tents　without

unfolding　them；　and　thought　with　regret　of　Hamilcar's　feast；　as　they

fell　asleep　with　their　faces　towards　the　stars。



In　the　middle　of　the　following　day　they　halted　on　the　bank　of　a　river；

amid　clumps　of　rose…bays。　Then　they　quickly　threw　aside　lances；

bucklers　and　belts。　They　bathed　with　shouts；　and　drew　water　in　their

helmets；　while　others　drank　lying　flat　on　their　stomachs；　and　all　in

the　midst　of　the　beasts　of　burden　whose　baggage　was　slipping　from

them。



Spendius；　who　was　seated　on　a　dromedary　stolen　in　Hamilcar's　parks；

perceived　Matho　at　a　distance；　with　his　arm　hanging　against　his

breast；　his　head　bare；　and　his　face　bent　down；　giving　his　mule　drink；

and　watching　the　water　flow。　Spendius　immediately　ran　through　the

crowd　calling　him；　〃Master！　master！〃



Matho　gave　him　but　scant　thanks　for　his　blessings；　but　Spendius　paid

no　heed　to　this；　and　began　to　march　behind　him；　from　time　to　time

turning　restless　glances　in　the　direction　of　Carthage。



He　was　the　son　of　a　Greek　rhetor　and　a　Campanian　prostitute。　He　had　at

first　grown　rich　by　dealing　in　women；　then；　ruined　by　a　shipwreck；　he

had　made　war　against　the　Romans　with　the　herdsmen　of　Samnium。　He　had

been　taken　and　had　escaped；　he　had　been　retaken；　and　had　worked　in　the

quarries；　panted　in　the　vapour…baths；　shrieked　under　torture；　passed

through　the　hands　of　many　masters；　and　experienced　every　frenzy。　At

last；　one　day；　in　despair；　he　had　flung　himself　into　the　sea　from　the

top　of　a　trireme　where　he　was　working　at　the　oar。　Some　of　Hamilcar's

sailors　had　picked　him　up　when　at　the　point　of　death；　and　had　brought

him　to　the　ergastulum　of　Megara；　at　Carthage。　But；　as　fugitives　were

to　be　given　back　to　the　Romans；　he　had　taken　advantage　of　the

confusion　to　fly　with　the　soldiers。



During　the　whole　of　the　march　he　remained　near　Matho；　he　brought　him

food；　assisted　him　to　dismount；　and　spread　a　carpet　in　the　evening

beneath　his　head。　Matho　at　last　was　touched　by　these　attentions；　and

by　degrees　unlocked　his　lips。



He　had　been　born　in　the　gulf　of　Syrtis。　His　father　had　taken　him　on　a

pilgrimage　to　the　temple　of　Ammon。　Then　he　had　hunted　elephants　in　the

forests　of　the　Garamantes。　Afterwards　he　had　entered　the　service　of

Carthage。　He　had　been　appointed　tetrarch　at　the　capture　of　Drepanum。

The　Republic　owed　him　four　horses；　twenty…three　medimni　of　wheat；　and

a　winter's　pay。　He　feared　the　gods；　and　wished　to　die　in　his　native

land。



Spendius　spoke　to　him　of　his　travels；　and　of　the　peoples　and　temples

that　he　had　visited。　He　knew　many　things：　he　could　make　sandals；　boar…

spears　and　nets；　he　could　tame　wild　beasts　and　could　cook　fish。



Sometimes　he　would　interrupt　himself；　and　utter　a　hoarse　cry　from　the

depths　of　his　throat；　Matho's　mule　would　quicken　his　pace；　and　others

would　hasten　after　them；　and　then　Spendius　would　begin　again　though

still　torn　with　agony。　This　subsided　at　last　on　the　evening　of　the

fourth　day。



They　were　marching　side　by　side　to　the　right　of　the　army　on　the　side

of　a　hill；　below　them　stretched　the　plain　lost　in　the　vapours　of　the

night。　The　lines　of　soldiers　also　were　defiling　below；　making

undulations　in　the　shade。　From　time　to　time　these　passed　over

eminences　lit　up　by　the　moon；　then　stars　would　tremble　on　the　points

of　the　pikes；　the　helmets　would　glimmer　for　an　instant；　all　would

disappear；　and　others　would　come　on　continually。　Startled　flocks

bleated　in　the　distance；　and　a　something　of　infinite　sweetness　seemed

to　sink　upon　the　earth。



Spendius；　with　his　head　thrown　back　and　his　eyes　half…closed；　inhaled

the　freshness　of　the　wind　with　great　sighs；　he　spread　out　his　arms；

moving　his　fingers　that　he　might　the　better　feel　the　cares　that

streamed　over　his　body。　Hopes　of　vengeance　came　back　to　him　and

transported　him。　He　pressed　his　hand　upon　his　mouth　to　check　his　sobs；

and　half…swooning　with　intoxication；　let　go　the　halter　of　his

dromedary；　which　was　proceeding　with　long；　regular　steps。　Matho　had

relapsed　into　his　former　melancholy；　his　legs　hung　down　to　the　ground；

and　the　grass　made　a　continuous　rustling　as　it　beat　against　his

cothurni。



The　journey；　however；　spread　itself　out　without　ever　coming　to　an　end。

At　the　extremity　of　a　plain　they　would　always　reach　a　round…shaped

plateau；　then　they　would　descend　again　into　a　valley；　and　the

mountains　which　seemed　to　block　up　the　horizon　would；　in　proportion　as

they　were　approached；　glide　as　it　were　from　their　positions。　From　time

to　time　a　river　would　appear　amid　the　verdure　of　tamarisks　to　lose

itself　at　the　turning　of　the　hills。　Sometimes　a　huge　rock　would　tower

aloft　like　the　prow　of　a　vessel　or　the　pedestal　of　some　vanished

colossus。



At　regular　intervals　they　met　with　little　quadrangular　temples；　which

served　as　stations　for　the　pilgrims　who　repaired　to　Sicca。　They　were

closed　like　tombs。　The　Libyans　struck　great　blows　upon　the　doors　to

have　them　opened。　But　no　one　inside　responded。



Then　the　cultivation　became　more　rare。　They　suddenly　entered　upon

belts　of　sand　bristling　with　thorny　thic