404 FABIUS.

quantity of arms and horses; and when, hereupon, the Carthaginians were compelled to send envoys to Hanni- bal to call him home, and leave his idle hopes in Italy, to defend Carthage ; when, for such eminent and transcend- ing services, the whole people of Rome cried up and extolled the actions of Scipio ; even then, Fabius con- tended that a successor should be sent in his place, alleg- ing for it only the old reason of the mutability of for- tune, as if she would be weary of long favoring the same person. With this language many did begin to feel offended ; it seemed to be morosity and ill-will, the pusillanimity of old age, or a fear, that had now become exaggerated, of the skill of Hannibal. Nay, when Han- nibal had put his army on shipboard, and taken his leave of Italy, Fabius still could not forbear to oppose and dis- turb the universal joy of Rome, expressing his fears and apprehensions, telling them that the commonwealth was never in more danger than now. and that Hannibal was a more formidable enemy under the walls of Carthage than ever he had been in Italy ; that it would be fatal to Rome, whenever Scipio should encounter his victorious army, still warm with the blood of so many Roman gen- erals, dictators, and consuls slain. And the people were, in some degree, startled with these declamations, and were brought to believe, that the further off Hannibal was, the nearer was their danger. Scipio, however, shortly afterwards fought Hannibal, and utterly defeated him, humbled the pride of Carthage beneath his feet, gave his countrymen joy and exultation beyond all their hopes, and " Long shaken on the seas restored the state." Fabius Maximus, however, did not live to see the pros- perous end of this war, and the final overthrow of Han-

nibal, nor to rejoice in the reestablished happiness and