tly
forfeited their lives by their wicked conduct, but that they should
be preserved by the kindness of himself and the Roman people. Further,
that he would neither take their arms from them, (which only served as
pledges to those who feared rebellion,) but would leave them the
free use of them, and their minds free from fear; nor would he take
vengeance on their unoffending hostages, but upon themselves, should
they revolt, not inflicting punishment upon a defenceless but an armed
enemy. That he gave them the liberty of choosing whether they would
have the Romans favourable to them or incensed against them, for they
had experienced them under both circumstances." Thus Mandonius was
allowed to depart, having only a pecuniary fine imposed upon him to
furnish the means of paying the troops. Scipio himself, having sent
Marcius in advance into the Farther Spain, and sent Silanus back to
Tarraco, waited a few days until the Ilergetians had paid the fine
imposed upon them; and then, setting out with some troops lightly
equipped, overtook Marcius when he was now drawing near to the ocean.

35. The negotiation which had some time before commenced respecting
Masinissa, was delayed from one cause after another; for the Numidian
was desirous by all means of conferring with Scipio in person, and of
touching his right hand in confirmation of their compact. This was the
cause of Scipio's undertaking at this time a journey of such a length,
and into so remote a quarter. Masinissa, when at Gades, received
information from Marcius of the approach of Scipio, and by pretending
that his horses were injured by being pent up in the island, and that
they not only caused a scarcity of every thing to the rest, but also
felt it themselves; moreover that his cavalry were beginning to lose
their energy for want of employment; he prevailed upon Mago to allow
him to cross over to the continent, to plunder the adjacent country
of Spain. Having passed over, he sent forward three chiefs of the
Numidians, to fix a time and place for the conference desiring that
two might be detained by Scipio as hostages. The third being sent back
to conduct Masinissa to the place to which he was directed to bring
him, they came to the conference with a few attendants. The Numidian
had long before been possessed with admiration of Scipio from the fame
of his exploits; and his imagination had pictured to him the idea of
a grand and magnificent person; but his veneration