hat Scipio was at that time what Hannibal had been at Thrasymenus
and Cannae: that he ought to make a better use of opportunity than himself
had done, by consenting to a peace, now it was in his power to propose the
conditions of it. He concluded with declaring, that the Carthaginians
would willingly resign Sicily, Sardinia, Spain, and all the islands
between Africa and Italy, to the Romans: that they must be forced, since
such was the will of the gods, to confine themselves to Africa; whilst
they should see the Romans extending their conquests to the most remote
regions, and obliging all nations to pay obedience to their laws.

Scipio answered in few words, but not with less dignity. He reproached the
Carthaginians for their perfidy, in plundering the Roman galleys before
the truce was expired. He imputed to them alone, and to their injustice,
all the calamities with which the two wars had been attended. After
thanking Hannibal for the admonition he had given him, with regard to the
uncertainty of human events, he concluded with desiring him to prepare for
battle, unless he chose rather to accept of the conditions that had been
already proposed; to which (he observed) some others would be added, in
order to punish the Carthaginians for their having violated the truce.

Hannibal could not prevail with himself to accept these conditions, and
the generals left one another, with the resolution to decide the fate of
Carthage by a general battle. Each commander exhorted his troops to fight
valiantly. Hannibal enumerated the victories he had gained over the
Romans, the generals he had slain, the armies he had cut to pieces. Scipio
represented to his soldiers, the conquest of both the Spains, his
successes in Africa, and the confession the enemies themselves made of
their weakness, by thus coming to sue for peace. All this he spoke(805)
with the tone and air of a conqueror. Never were motives more powerful to
prompt troops to behave gallantly. This day was to complete the glory of
the one or the other of the generals; and to decide whether Rome or
Carthage was to prescribe laws to all other nations.

I shall not undertake to describe the order of the battle, nor the valour
of the forces on both sides. The reader will naturally suppose, that two
such experienced generals did not forget any circumstance which could
contribute to the victory. The Carthaginians, after a very obstinate
fight, were obliged to fly, leaving twenty tho