The mirror., 1909-03-25

under varying conditions. The boy
Julius may not rave been fully con-
scious of the peril that encompassed
him. Nevelt ieless, his artlessness and
freedom from fear appe aled to tie
coarse n .tures of the pirates and CON-
plete'y won their nliration. He
joined them in their sports, and taught
them several games with which they
were unfamiliar. He joked and chat
ted with them as tho they were inti-
mate friends, AMI ever and anon when
he threatened them with death, they
laughed uproariously thinking it
clever joke. Surely this youth did not
know what fl ar was; If. he did he would
not have courted death by arousing
the pa sions of such desperate men. If
the pirates made too much noise so as
to disturbe his slumber, Julius would
order them to stop. Most shameful of
all, he wrote verses and speeches and
then real them to the pirates. Those
who did not listen to him while read
ing, he would deliberately insult them
by harsh language. 1t is related that
the pirates submitted to his whims, be-
lieying that it Was his boyish playful
ness that caused such outbursts.
When his ransom arrived he paid it
like lord to the manor born and gra-
ciously bid his unwelcome guests good
by. He at once proceeded to Miletus
aud recruited some ships and went in
pursuit of tie pirates. He succeeded
in capturing most of them. What
Caesar had said in jest actually came to
pass; he ordered them all to lie hung.
This incidt mt, instead of rejecting on
the cf aracter of Caesar, adds luster to
his name, for these men were unscrup.
ulous in taking human life. 1t also
shows the iron-willed fiber he was
made of, the traits that endeared him
to the Ie)ple. 1t is not to be presumed
that he was cruel man; he was gener-
Gus to fault, liberal and true to his
friends; and, as q just criterion to his
nature, we need only IememLer how he
was idol re by the peop'e for his equit.
able laws and strict impa rtiality. But
let us forbare to follow his footsteps in
his gradual rise to popularity and af'
tiuente and take up the thread OF hls
! career at the theatre of war in Gaul.
Il Julius C@ ar was Il most ambitious
mai of his time. 1t is said that he &C
T tually wept on re eading tie history o.
Alexander the Great, because that gen
tleman had conquered so many nations
, while he (C9sar) at the same ase hat
accomplished nothing to distinguish
, him from others. 1t was con ,umina
all-absorbing ambition that cause,
: Hannibal, the valiant Carthaginian, t
0 wreck vengeance upon the Ron ans
4 and it was similar ambition tha
q prompted Caesar to enter Gaul, to sui
t due and lay waste its provinces.
r was in Gaul that he displaye I his mil
j tary genius and built tie foundatio
d that led to his supreme asctndancy i
8 shaping the destinies of the Roman en-
+ Ipire. Never was general served NOR
d loyalty than did the soldiers of Caesar
d invincible iegions secve him. This loy
o atty was inspired not only by the brav,
u ry he personally displayed On the ba
tle-ield, but was also due to the il
o terest he took in the safety and welfal
+ of his soldiers. Those who perforne
O some noteworthy achievement were a
II ways rewarded, either by promotion ,
y q generous purse This thoughtfulne
% won their respect and caused them
is fight like demons in order to brir
is glory to his arms.
n With the exception of Alexander II
u Great, there is no general of modern
a. ancient times who won so many gu
II lcessive battles as did Caesar. We FL