prisoner, was slain. The Parthian soldiers cut off his head, and carried it to their king, who caused it to be filled with melted gold, exclaiming-" Sate thyself now with that metal of which in life thou wert so greedy.

B. C. 55.

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

CESAR'S CONQUEST OF BRITAIN.

FIRST INVASION, B. C. 55.

ALTHOUGH Cæsar was kept a long time in Gaul before he could entirely subdue the different warlike tribes, he never forgot his wish of invading Britain. Accordingly, as soon as he could make the necessary arrangements, he collected a number of vessels, and with a body of troops crossed the narrow channel between Calais and Deal, which is the shortest passage from France to England; or, as the countries were then called, from Gaul to Britain. The natives rushed to the coast when they saw these invaders approaching their shores, determined to prevent them from landing. They were a wild, savagelooking people, clothed with the skins of animals, and having parts of their bodies painted blue: but Cæsar had long been accustomed to make war upon barbarians; and, though the Britains made a brave resistance, he at last succeeded in landing. This first expedition, however, neither lasted very long nor proved very important; for, although some of the British tribes offered to submit to the Romans, it was so late in the year that Cæsar was afraid to remain and continue his conquest, and therefore went back to Gaul, satisfied with having

been the first person who had ventured to attack the warlike hardy inhabitants of the distant island. The next year he returned, landed at the same place, and then advanced into Kent, which was under the dominion of a chief named Cassivelaunus. The Britons in vain endeavoured to stop him. He went on with his troops as far as what now is the county of Surrey, till he came to a place where the river Thames was not as deep as in other parts, and here he determined to cross it. The Britons drove stakes into the river to stop him, and from this the spot was afterwards called Cowey Stakes; but Cæsar crossed as he had intended, and was then able to take possession of the capital of Cassivelaunus, and to conquer parts of Essex and Middlesex, and by that time Cassivelaunus saw that it would be wise to beg for peace. Cæsar granted it, as he was obliged to return to Gaul. He made the Britons pay him tribute, and took back hostages with him, but he left no troops in the island; and, as might naturally have been expected, the Britons gave up their obedience as soon as they were freed from the presence of the Romans.

CHAPTER XXXIX.

CIVIL WAR BETWEEN POMPEY AND CESAR.
CÆSAR CROSSES THE RUBICON, B. C. 49.

WHILST Cæsar was thus adding to his

B. C. 49. fame by his conquests in foreign countries, Pompey was becoming more and more his enemy; for two ambitious persons are sure to quarrel with and hate each other, and unfortunately the only real bond of union between them

was soon destroyed by the death of Julia, Pompey's wife and Caesar's daughter. She was a very beautiful, amiable person, and Cæsar loved her dearly; and when Pompey afterwards married Cornelia, the daughter of Crassus, they had no longer any interest in common.

The state of Rome at this period was very disgraceful: Clodius, of whom we have heard before as the enemy of Cicero, and Milo, a very wealthy and powerful senator, were constantly disputing; and not only in words, but they had each a large number of followers who used to fight when they met. It happened at last, on the occasion of some great disturbance, that Clodius was killed. Persons said that Milo stabbed him; and, whether this was true or not, every one saw that it was necessary to do something to bring back order. It was proposed therefore that Pompey should be made consul alone, in order to give him greater power, and this office he kept for some time; after which his fatherin-law was joined with him.

Pompey was now master in Rome; and the nobles, having an idea that he was more inclined to favour them than before, sided with him entirely. To show their dislike to Cæsar, they proposed that he should be recalled from Gaul, and some one else appointed in his place. Pompey however would not consent to this; for he did not choose yet to declare himself Cæsar's enemy openly. He had a law passed, to allow Cæsar to stand for the consulship, even whilst he was absent from Rome. But the proposal alarmed the senators: for they knew that if Cæsar was allowed to be consul, and still to keep the command of his soldiers, who had so long fought under him, he would in fact be like a king, as his commands were certain to be obeyed. Instead therefore of making him consul, an order

was sent, after some delay, requiring him to disband his army by a particular day; and declaring that, if he refused, he should be considered a public enemy. Cæsar was then in what was called Cisalpine Gaul,-the country at the foot of the Alps, in the north of Italy. Transalpine Gaul was on the other side of the mountains. The news of all that was going on at Rome was brought him by three of his friends, who were tribunes, and had endeavoured as much as possible to prevent any wrong being done him. Mark Antony was one of these friends; a person of bad character, but brave and clever, who afterwards followed Cæsar faithfully in all his difficulties. Cæsar was not a person to be frightened by threats, he was quite resolved not to give up his command; and whilst he made his plans, and arranged with his friends what every one was to do, he was in appearance as quiet and unconcerned as ever. The very day after Mark Antony and his companions arrived he made a great feast, and entertained his guests with a show of gladiators; but, as the evening drew on, he excused himself to the party, and left them, begging them to remain till his return. A chariot was in readiness. Cæsar threw himself into it, drove to the spot where he had appointed some of his officers and soldiers to meet him, and then proceeded onwards, until he reached the banks of the little river Rubicon, which divided his province of Cisalpine Gaul from the rest of Italy, and wnich no general was permitted to pass with an army. Here he became silent and full of thought; one minute resolved to go forward with his army to Rome, and the next thinking it better to go back. "If I do not cross the river," he said, turning to one of his friends, "I am undone. If I do cross it, how many calamities shall I by this step bring upon Rome!" Again he paused and considered, and

then, exclaiming "The die is cast," plunged into the river. It was a most important step, for the crossing of that little river brought a change upon the whole government of Rome.

Pompey and the senators were greatly alarmed when they heard that Cæsar was advancing with his army into Italy. Until that moment, Pompey had fully believed that Cæsar's troops were dissatisfied with him, and would forsake him on their arrival in Italy.

When Cicero advised him to prepare for his enemy, and asked with what forces he meant to oppose him, Pompey proudly answered, “If I do but stamp with my feet, an army will start out of the ground." Now, he was reproached with the vain boast, and there was no reply to give. His presence of mind seemed to have forsaken him, and hastily calling upon the senators and magistrates to follow him, he departed from Rome, and retired to Brundusium, a sea-port on the southeastern side of Italy.

In the mean time Cæsar entered Rome in triumph, no one having authority to oppose him, for the magistrates had left the city. Cicero remained in the neighbourhood, in his villa at Tusculum; and Cæsar went to visit him, hoping to bring him over to his side: but Cicero was not to be persuaded, either by arguments or entreaties. Cæsar's next object was to obtain money for carrying out his plans. He went to the treasury for this purpose and found it locked. A young tribune was bold enough to forbid its being opened. Cæsar laid his hand on his sword, and threatened to kill him, adding sternly-"This you know, young man, is harder for me to say than to do." The treasury was accordingly broken open, and as much money taken from it as was required.