field and camp strewed with his fallen
countrymen, was strongly affected at the melancholy prospect, and
cried out to one that stood near him, "They would have it so." 2. In
the camp, every object presented fresh instances of the blind
presumption and madness of his adversaries. On all sides were to be
seen tents adorned with ivy and myrtle, couches covered with purple,
and sideboards loaded with plate. Every thing gave proof of the
highest luxury, and seemed rather the preparatives for a banquet, or
the rejoicings for a victory, than dispositions for a battle. 3. A
camp so richly furnished would have engaged the attention of any
troops but Caesar's; but there was still something to be done, and he
permitted them not to pursue any other object than their enemies. 4. A
considerable body having retired to the adjacent mountains, he
prevailed on his soldiers to join him in the pursuit, in order to
oblige these to surrender. He began by inclosing them with a line
drawn at the foot of the mountain; but they quickly abandoned a post
which was untenable for want of water, and endeavoured to reach the
city of Laris'sa. 5. Caesar, leading a part of his army by a shorter
way, intercepted their retreat. However, these unhappy fugitives again
found protection from a mountain, at the foot of which ran a rivulet
that supplied them with water. 6. Night approaching, Caesar's men were
almost spent, and fainting with their incessant toil since morning;
yet still he prevailed upon them to renew their labours, and cut off
the rivulet that supplied the defendants. 7. The fugitives, thus
deprived of all hopes of succour or subsistence, sent deputies to the
conqueror, offering to surrender at discretion. During this interval
of negociation, a few senators that were among them, took the
advantage of the night to escape, and the rest, next morning, gave up
their arms, and experienced the conqueror's clemency. In fact, he
addressed them with great gentleness, and forbade the soldiers to
offer violence, or to take any thing from them. 8. Thus Caesar gained
the most complete victory that had ever been obtained; and by his
great clemency after the battle, seemed to have deserved it. His loss
amounted only to two hundred men; that of Pompey to fifteen thousand;
twenty-four thousand men surrendered themselves prisoners of war, and
the greatest part of these entered into Caesar's army, and were
incorporated with the rest of his forces. 9. To the senat