venient. This was the only thing proper to be done, and the king very
much approved the proposal at first.

Hannibal thought it would be expedient to prepare his friends at Carthage,
in order to engage them the more strongly in his views.(822) The
transmitting of information by letters, is not only unsafe, but they can
give only an imperfect idea of things, and are never sufficiently
particular. He therefore despatched a trusty person with ample
instructions to Carthage. This man was scarce arrived in the city, but his
business was suspected. Accordingly, he was watched and followed: and, at
last, orders were issued for his being seized. However, he prevented the
vigilance of his enemies, and escaped in the night; after having fixed, in
several public places, papers, which fully declared the occasion of his
journey. The senate immediately sent advice of this to the Romans.

(M135) Villius, one of the deputies who had been sent into Asia, to
inquire into the state of affairs there, and, if possible, to discover the
real designs of Antiochus, found Hannibal in Ephesus.(823) He had many
conferences with him, paid him several visits, and speciously affected to
show a particular esteem for him on all occasions. But his chief aim, by
all this designing behaviour, was to make him be suspected, and to lessen
his credit with the king, in which he succeeded but too well.(824)

Some authors affirm, that Scipio was joined in this embassy;(825) and they
even relate the conversation which that general had with Hannibal. They
tell us, that the Roman having asked him, who, in his opinion, was the
greatest captain that had ever lived; he answered, Alexander the Great,
because, with a handful of Macedonians, he had defeated numberless armies,
and carried his conquests into countries so very remote, that it seemed
scarce possible for any man only to travel so far. Being afterwards asked,
to whom he gave the second rank; he answered, to Pyrrhus: Because this
king was the first who understood the art of pitching a camp to advantage;
no commander ever made a more judicious choice of his posts, was better
skilled in drawing up his forces, or was more dexterous in winning the
affection of foreign soldiers; insomuch that even the people of Italy were
more desirous to have him for their governor, though a foreigner, than the
Romans themselves, who had so long been settled in their country. Scipio
proceeding, asked him next, whom he looked upon a