n the very
passage whence this relation is extracted, he has thought it necessary for
him to be a little guarded, where he expatiates on the virtuous actions
and rare qualities of Scipio; and he observes, that as his writings were
to be perused by the Romans, who were perfectly well acquainted with all
the particulars of this great man's life, he could not fail of being
convicted by them, should he venture to advance any falsehood; an affront,
to which it is not probable that an author, who has ever so little regard
for his reputation, would expose himself, especially if no advantage was
to accrue to him from it.

We have already observed, that Scipio had never given into the fashionable
debaucheries and excesses to which the young people at Rome so generally
abandoned themselves. But he was sufficiently compensated for this
self-denial of all destructive pleasures, by the vigorous health he
enjoyed all the rest of his life, which enabled him to taste pleasure of a
much purer and more exalted kind, and to perform the great actions that
reflected so much glory upon him.

Hunting, which was his darling exercise, contributed also very much to
invigorate his constitution, and enabled him also to endure the hardest
toils. Macedonia, whither he followed his father, gave him an opportunity
of indulging to the utmost of his desire his passion in this respect; for
the chase, which was the usual diversion of the Macedonian monarchs,
having been laid aside for some years on account of the wars, Scipio found
there an incredible quantity of game of every kind. Paulus AEmilius,
studious of procuring his son virtuous pleasures of every kind, in order
to divert his mind from those which reason prohibits, gave him full
liberty to indulge himself in his favourite sport, during all the time
that the Roman forces continued in that country, after the victory he had
gained over Perseus. The illustrious youth employed his leisure hours in
an exercise which suited so well his age and inclination; and was as
successful in this innocent war against the beasts of Macedonia, as his
father had been in that which he had carried on against the inhabitants of
the country.

It was at Scipio's return from Macedon, that he met with Polybius in Rome;
and contracted the strict friendship with him, which was afterwards so
beneficial to our young Roman, and did him almost as much honour in
after-ages as all his conquests. We find, from history, that Polybi