ves as
they ran, seize them by the throat, and get them by main force face to
face with the foe. Crossing the Hellespont after the battle of Pharsalia
in a small boat, he met two of the enemy's ships. Without hesitation he
discovered himself, called upon them to surrender, and was obeyed. At
Alexandria he was surprised by a sudden sally of the besieged, and had
to leap into the harbor. He swam two hundred paces to the nearest ship,
lifting a manuscript in his left hand to keep it out of the water, and
holding his military cloak in his teeth, for he would not have the enemy
boast of securing any spoil from his person.

He allowed nothing to stand in his way. If it suited his policy to
massacre a whole tribe, men, women, and children, he gave the order
without hesitation, just as he recorded it afterwards in his history
without a trace of remorse or regret. If a rival stood in his way he had
him removed, and was quite indifferent as to how the removal was
effected. But his object gained, or wherever there was no object in
question, he could be the kindest and gentlest of men. A friend with
whom he was traveling was seized with sudden illness. Caesar gave up at
once to him the only chamber in the little inn, and himself spent the
night in the open air. His enemies he pardoned with singular facility,
and would even make the first advances. Political rivals, once rendered
harmless, were admitted to his friendship, and even promoted to honor;
writers who had assailed him with the coarsest abuse he invited to his
table.

Of the outward man this picture has reached us: "He is said to have been
remarkably tall, with a light complexion and well-shaped limbs. His face
was a little too full; his eyes black and brilliant. His health was
excellent, but towards the latter end of his life he was subject to
fainting fits and to frightful dreams at night. On two occasions also,
when some public business was being transacted, he had epileptic fits.
He was very careful of his personal appearance, had his hair and beard
scrupulously cut and shaven. He was excessively annoyed at the
disfigurement of baldness, which he found was made the subject of many
lampoons. It had become his habit, therefore, to bring up his scanty
locks over his head; and of all the honors decreed to him by the Senate
and people, none was more welcome to him than that which gave him the
right of continually wearing a garland of bay."

He was wonderfully skillful in