in a bark with gilded stern
and purple sails, rowed with silver oars, to the sound of pipes and
flutes. She reclined, the most voluptuous of ancient beauties, under a
spangled canopy, attended by Graces and Cupids, while the air was scented
with the perfumes of Olympus. She soon fascinated the most powerful man in
the empire, who, forgetting his ambition, resigned himself to love.
Octavius, master of himself, and of Italy, confiscated lands for the
benefit of the soldiership prepared for future contingencies. Though
Antonius married Octavia, the sister of Octavius, he was full of intrigues
against him and Octavius, on his part, proved more than a match in
duplicity and concealed hostilities. They, however, pretended to be
friends; and the treaty of Brundusium, celebrated by Virgil, would seem to
indicate that the world was now to enjoy the peace it craved. After a
debauch, Antonius left Rome for the East, and Octavius for Gaul, each with
a view of military conquests. Antonius, with his new wife, had seemingly
forgotten Cleopatra, and devoted himself to the duties of the camp with an
assiduity worthy of Caesar himself. Octavius has a naval conflict with
Sextus, and is defeated, but Sextus fails to profit from his victory, and
Octavius, with the help of his able lieutenants, and re-enforced by
Antonius, again attacks Sextus, and is again defeated. In a third conflict
he is victorious, and Sextus escapes to the East. Lepidus, ousted and
cheated by both Antonius and Octavius, now combines with Sextus and the
Pompeians, and makes head against Octavius; but is deserted by his
soldiers, and falls into the hands of his enemy, who spares his life in
contempt. He had owed his elevation to his family influence, and not to
his own abilities. Sextus, at last, was taken and slain.

At this juncture Octavius was at the head of the Caesarian party. He had
won the respect and friendship of the Romans by his clemency and
munificence. He was not a great general, but he was served by a great
general, Agrippa, and by another minister of equal talents, Mecrenas. He
controlled even more forces than Antonius, no less than forty-five legions
of infantry, and twenty-five thousand cavalry, and thirty-seven thousand
light-armed auxiliaries. Antonius, on the other hand, had forfeited the
esteem of the Romans by his prodigalities, by his Oriental affectations,
and by his slavery to Cleopatra.

This artful and accomplished woman again met Antonius i