Page:Plutarch's Lives (Clough, v.4, 1865).djvu/307

 OESAR. 299 lected to carry the war thither, and had sat down by the seaside, where his enemies had such a powerful fleet, so that he was in fact rather besieged by the want of neces- saries, than besieging others with his arras. Being thus distracted in his thoughts with the view of the difficulty and distress he was in, he raised his camp, with the inten- tion of advancing towards Scipio, who lay in Macedonia; hoping either to entice Pompey into a country where he should fight without the advantage he now had of sup- plies from the sea, or to overpower Scipio, if not assisted. This set all Pompey's army and officers on fire to has- ten and pursue Caesar, whom they concluded to be beaten and flying. But Pompey was afraid to hazard a battle on which so much depended, and being himself provided with all necessaries for any length of time, thought to tire out and waste the vigor of Caesar's army, which could not last long. For the best part of his men, though they had great experience, and showed an irresist- ible courage iu all engagements, yet by their frequent marches, changing their camps,* attacking fortifications, and keeping long night-watches, were getting worn-out and broken ; they being now old, their bodies less fit for labor, and their courage, also, beginning to give way with the failure of their strength. Besides, it was said that an infectious disease, occasioned by their irregular diet, was prevailing in Caesar's arnrv, and what was of greatest mo- ment, he was neither furnished with money nor provis- ions, so that in a little time he must needs fall of himself. For these reasons Pompey had no mind to fight him, but was thanked for it by none but Cato, who rejoiced at the prospect of sparing his fellow-citizens. For he when he saw the dead bodies of those who had fallen in the "raising fortifications," which had campaign had been a war of in- been very much their occupation trenchmcnts.
 * Or, perhaps more probably, latterly. Up to this point the