to be proud of her. How can one be proud of a country so misgoverned, so
corrupt, so base as this? Of what use are sacrifices and efforts here,
when at home they think of nothing but luxury and ease and the making of
money, when the best and bravest of the Carthaginians are disgraced and
dishonoured, and the people bow before these men whose wealth has been
gained solely by corruption and robbery? It makes one wish one had been
born a Roman."

"Did not one hope that a better time would come, Malchus, when Carthage
will emancipate herself from the rule of men like Hanno and his corrupt
friends, I should, indeed, despair of her, for even the genius of
Hannibal and the valour of his troops cannot avail alone to carry to a
successful conclusion a struggle between such a state as Carthage now is
and a vigourous, patriotic, and self-reliant people like those of Rome.

"We may win battles, but, however great the victories may be, we can
never succeed in the long run against the power of Rome unless Carthage
proves true to herself. Our army is not a large one. Rome and her Latin
allies can, if need be, put ten such in the field. If Carthage at this
crisis of her fate proves worthy of the occasion, if she by a great
effort again wins the sovereignty of the sea, and sends over armies to
support us in our struggle, we may in the end triumph. If not, glorious
as may be our success for a time, we are in the end doomed to failure,
and our failure will assuredly involve the final destruction of
Carthage.

"Rome will not be slow to profit by the lesson which Hannibal is
teaching her. His genius perceives that only by striking at Rome in
Italy could a vital blow be given to her. The Romans in turn will
perceive that only by an invasion of Africa can Carthage be humbled.
Her task will then be far easier than ours is now, for not only is Rome
fresh, strong, and vigourous, but she has had the wisdom to bind the
Latin peoples around her closely to her by bestowing upon them the
rights of citizenship, by making them feel that her cause is theirs.

"Upon the other hand, Carthage has throughout her history been paving
the way for her fall. She fights, but it is with foreign mercenaries.
She stamps under foot the people she has conquered, and while her tax
collectors grind them to the earth, and she forces them to send their
sons to fight her battles, she gives them no share in her privileges, no
voice in her councils.

"I had hoped, Mal