years, they were still doomed to carry arms: nor even to those who were
discharged was there any end of the misery of warfare; they were still
kept tied to the colours, and under the creditable title of Veterans
endured the same hardships, and underwent the same labours. But suppose
any of them escaped so many dangers, and survived so many calamities,
where was their reward at last? Why, a long and weary march remained yet
to be taken into countries far remote and strange; where, under the name
of lands given them to cultivate, they had unhospitable bogs to drain, and
the wild wastes of mountains to manure. Severe and ungainful of itself was
the occupation of war: ten Asses [Footnote: About 5d.] a day the poor
price of their persons and lives; out of this, they must buy clothes, and
tents, and arms; out of this, bribe the cruel Centurions for a forbearance
of blows, and occasional exemption from hard duty: but stripes from their
officers, and wounds from their enemies, hard winters and laborious
summers, bloody wars and barren peace, were miseries without end: nor
remained there other cure or relief than to refuse to enlist but upon
conditions certain, and fixed by themselves; particularly, that their pay
be a denarius or sixteen Asses a day, [Footnote: About 8-1/2d.] sixteen
years be the utmost term of serving; when discharged, to be no longer
obliged to follow the colours, but have their reward in ready money, paid
them in the camp where they earned it. Did the Praetorian Guards, they who
had double pay, they who after sixteen years' service were paid off and
sent home, bear severer difficulties, undergo superior dangers? He did not
mean to detract from the merit of their brethren the City guards; their
own lot however it was, to be placed amongst horrid and barbarous nations,
nor could they look from their tents, but they saw the foe."

The whole crowd received this harangue with shouts of applause; but from
various instigations. Some displayed upon their bodies the obvious
impressions of stripes, others their hoary heads, many their vestments