which darted out of these vessels when they broke to pieces, they were seized with dread, retired in disorder, and yielded the victory to the enemy.

But the career of Hannibal was now drawing to a close. The Romans would not suffer him to rest at the court of Prusias; but deputed Q. Flaminius to that monarch to complain of the protection he afforded him. Hannibal was aware of the motives of this embassy, and therefore did not wait till his enemies had an opportunity of delivering him up to the power of the Romans. He attempted to secure himself by flight; but perceiving that the seven secret outlets which he had contrived in his palace were all seized by the soldiers of Prusias, who, by perfidiously betraying his guest, was desirous of gaining the favour of Rome, he ordered the poison which he had long kept for this melancholy occasion. This being brought him, taking it in his hand, he exclaimed, “Let us free the Romans from the disquiet with which they have so long been tortured, since they have not patience to wait for an old man's death. The victory which Flaminius gains over a man disarmed and betrayed, will not do him much honour. This single day will be a lasting testimony to the great degeneracy of the Romans. Their fathers sent notice to Pyrrhus, to desire he would beware of a traitor who intended to poison him, and that at a time when this prince was at war with them in the very centre of Italy; but their sons have deputed a person of consular dignity to spirit up Prusias impiously to murder one who is not only his friend, but his guest." After this, calling down curses upon Prusias, and having invoked the gods, the protectors of the sacred rights of hospitality, he drank the poison, and died at seventy years of age.

The place where Hannibal died, was an obscure village, anciently called Libyssa. This has been generally supposed to be the modern Ghebse, or Ghebsa, which is a small, dirty town chiefly inhabited by Turks, at some distance from the northern shore of the Gulf of Nicomedis, and remarkable for a tumulus, or mound, supposed to be the monument of that celebrated commander. A learned antiquary and classical geographer, however, (Colonel Leake,) has shown this to be a mistake: He states, that Ghebsa, which is pronounced Ghivizah by both Turks and Greeks, is more probably the successor of Dacibyza, the word when written in Greek Kibyza, being probably the ancient Dacibyza, with the omission of the first syllable. He remarks, also, that the thirty-six or thirty-nine Roman miles, placed in the itinerary between Chalcedonia (Scutari) and Libyssa, does not agree so well with the distance from Scutari to Ghebsa, as from Scutari to Malsum, which village he takes to be the ancient Libyssa. What would appear to confirm this supposition,

VOL II.

27

His name has been handed down to posterity by secular historians as one of the greatest in the annals of fame. But those who are accustomed to revere the rights of humanity, and to look upon human life as a sacred deposit on earth from God, not to be violated in man's own person, or in that of another, must drop the tear of pity over his memory, and pray upon such a that the sun in the heavens may not again shine character, and that the earth may no more be visited by such a scourge. But his deeds were the effects of that spirit of evil which especially characterizes paganism, though its effects are too often exhibited by nominal Christians. Had "the light of the knowledge of the glory of God," as it is discerned "in the face of Jesus Christ," shone with its healing influences into his heart, he would, perhaps, have been as great a blessing as he was a scourge to mankind. Thrice glorious, then, will that day be, when "the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea," Isa. xi. 9; for the sword shall then rust in its scabbard, and every man shall sit "under his vine and under his fig-tree; and none shall make them afraid," Mic. iv. 4. Peace, through the blood of the cross, shall then flow like a river, and spread its hallowed influence over the face of the whole earth, making it as the garden of Eden, in which man will delight to dwell, and to enjoy communion with his God.

We now proceed to notice the dissensions between the Carthaginians and Masinissa, king of Numidia. Among the conditions of the peace granted to the Carthaginians, there was one which enacted, that they should restore to Masinissa all the territories and cities he possessed before the war; and farther, Scipio, to reward the zeal and fidelity which that mon

is the circumstance of there being a long tongue of land at this village, projecting from the opposite shore, and a ferry called the ferry of the Dil, or Tongue, which Plutarch seems to refer to in his description of a sandy place at ancient Libyssa; his description and the promontory exactly cor responding. If Gheviza, therefore, be supposed a corruption not of Libyssa, but of Dacibyza, and if the distance of Malsum corresponds to that stated in the itinerary, and Plutarch's description of a sandy place at Libyssa has reference to the promotory of Malsum; then that village, and not Ghebsa, must be regarded as the ancient Libyssa. It may be mentioned, that a tomb has been lately discovered at Malta with this plain inscription, "Hannibal, the son of Hamilcar;" a circumstance which has raised doubts in the minds of some learned men as to the soundness of the universal opinion, namely that Hannibal died a voluntary death. Till, however, it can be shown that there was no other Hannibal, son of Hamilcar, it is better to credit the testimony of the ancient historian. which is definite on this point.

arch had shown towards the Romans, had added to his dominions those of Syphax. This present afterwards gave rise to disputes between the Carthaginians and Numidians.

These two princes, Syphax and Masinissa, were both kings in Numidia, but reigned over different nations. The subjects of Syphax were called Massæsylii, and their capital was Cirtha. Those of Masinissa were the Massylii; but they are better know by the name of Numidians, which was a name derived from their original pastoral life, and which was common to both.

The country which these tribes inhabited was bounded by the dominions of Carthage on the east; by the Molucha or Molocath, the modern Mulwia or Mohalou, on the west; by the Mediterranean on the north; and by the Gætuli on the south. The Roman province of Numidia was of much smaller extent; this was bounded by the Ampsagus on the west, and by the Tusca, corresponding to the eastern part of Algiers, on the

east.

In the beginning of the second Punic war, Syphax siding with the Romans, Gala, the father of Masinnissa, to check the career of so powerful a neighbour, considered it his interest to join the Carthaginans; and accordingly he sent against Syphax a powerful army, under the conduct of his son, at that time but seventeen years of age. Syphax being overcome in a battle, in which it is said he lost 30,000 men, escaped into Mauritania. The aspect of affairs was, however, afterwards greatly changed.

Masinissa, after his father's death, was often reduced to the brink of ruin, being driven from his kingdom by an usurper, pursued by Syphax, in danger every instant of falling into the hands of his enemies, destitute of forces, money, and of every resource. He was at that time in alliance with the Romans, and the friend of Scipio, with whom he had an interview in Spain. But his misfortunes would not permit him to bring great succours to that general. When Laelius arrived in Africa, Masinissa joined him with a few horse, and from that time continued inviolably attached to the Roman interest. Syphax, on the contrary, having married Sophonisha, daughter of Asdrubal, who is celebrated in history for her beauty, went over to the Carthaginians.

The fate of these two princes again changed, but the change was now final. Syphax lost a great battle, and was taken alive by the enemy, B. c. 203. Masinissa, the victor, besieged Cirtha, his capital, and took it. But he met with a greater

His name has been handed down to posterity by secular historians as one of the greatest in the annals of fame. But those who are accustomed to revere the rights of humanity, and to look upon human life as a sacred deposit on earth from God, not to be violated in man's own person, or in that of another, must drop the tear of pity over his memory, and pray that the sun in the heavens may not again shine upon such a character, and that the earth may no more be visited by such a scourge. But his deeds were the effects of that spirit of evil which especially characterizes paganism, though its effects are too often exhibited by nominal Christians. Had "the light of the knowledge of the glory of God," as it is discerned in the face of Jesus Christ," shone with its healing influences into his heart, he would, perhaps, have been as great a blessing as he was a scourge to mankind. Thrice glorious, then, will that day be, when "the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea,” Isa. xi. 9; for the sword shall then rust in its scabbard, and every man shall sit under his vine and under his fig-tree; and none shall make them afraid," Mic. iv. 4. Peace, through the blood of the cross, shall then flow like a river, and spread its hallowed influence over the face of the whole earth, making it as the garden of Eden, in which man will delight to dwell, and to enjoy communion with his God.

We now proceed to notice the dissensions between the Carthaginians and Masinissa, king of Numidia. Among the conditions of the peace granted to the Carthaginians, there was one which enacted, that they should restore to Masinissa all the territories and cities he possessed before the war; and farther, Scipio, to reward the zeal and fidelity which that mon

is the circumstance of there being a long tongue of land at this village, projecting from the opposite shore, and a ferry called the ferry of the Dil, or Tongue, which Plutarch seems to refer to in his description of a sandy place at ancient Libyssa; his description and the promontory exactly cor responding. If Gheviza, therefore, be supposed a corruption not of Libyssa, but of Dacibyza, and if the distance of Malsum corresponds to that stated in the itinerary, and Plutarch's description of a sandy place at Libyssa has reference to the promotory of Malsum; then that village, and not Ghebsa, must be regarded as the ancient Libyssa. It may be mentioned, that a tomb has been lately discovered at Malta with this plain inscription, "Hannibal, the son of Hamilcar;" a circumstance which has raised doubts in the minds of some learned men as to the soundness of the universal opinion, namely that Hannibal died a voluntary death. Till, however, it can be shown that there was no other Hannibal, son of Hamilcar, it is better to credit the testimony of the ancient historian, which is definite on this point.

arch had shown towards the Romans, had added to his dominions those of Syphax. This present afterwards gave rise to disputes between the Carthaginians and Numidians.

These two princes, Syphax and Masinissa, were both kings in Numidia, but reigned over different nations. The subjects of Syphax were called Massæsylii, and their capital was Cirtha. Those of Masinissa were the Massylii; but they are better know by the name of Numidians, which was a name derived from their original pastoral life, and which was common to both.

The country which these tribes inhabited was bounded by the dominions of Carthage on the east; by the Molucha or Molocath, the modern Mulwia or Mohalou, on the west; by the Mediterranean on the north; and by the Gætuli on the south. The Roman province of Numidia was of much smaller extent; this was bounded by the Ampsagus on the west, and by the Tusca, corresponding to the eastern part of Algiers, on the

east.

In the beginning of the second Punic war, Syphax siding with the Romans, Gala, the father of Masinnissa, to check the career of so powerful a neighbour, considered it his interest to join the Carthaginans; and accordingly he sent against Syphax a powerful army, under the conduct of his son, at that time but seventeen years of age. Syphax being overcome in a battle, in which it is said he lost 30,000 men, escaped into Mauritania. The aspect of affairs was, however, afterwards greatly changed.

Masinissa, after his father's death, was often reduced to the brink of ruin, being driven from his kingdom by an usurper, pursued by Syphax, in danger every instant of falling into the hands of his enemies, destitute of forces, money, and of every resource. He was at that time in alliance with the Romans, and the friend of Scipio, with whom he had an interview in Spain. But his misfortunes would not permit him to bring great succours to that general. When Laelius arrived in Africa, Masinissa joined him with a few horse, and from that time continued inviolably attached to the Roman interest. Syphax, on the contrary, having married Sophonisha, daughter of Asdrubal, who is celebrated in history for her beauty, went over to the Carthaginians.

The fate of these two princes again changed, but the change was now final. Syphax lost a great battle, and was taken alive by the enemy, B. C. 203. Masinissa, the victor, besieged Cirtha, his capital, and took it. But he met with a greater