Hannibal made, Commander-in-Chief.-There was no hesitation shown in filling his place. The soldiers led the way by bringing the young Hannibal forthwith to the palace and proclaiming him the r commander-in-chief amidst universal .applause. Their action was followed by the plebs. Whilst little more than a boy, Hasdrubal had written ,to invite Hannibal to come to him in Spain, and the matter had actually been discussed in the senate. The Barcines wanted Hannibal to become familiar with miliary service; Hanno, the leader of the opposite party, resisted this. "Hasdrubal's request," he said, " appears a reasonable one, a!1d yet I do not think we ought to grant it." This paradoxical utterance aroused the attention of the whole senate. He continued: " The youthful beauty which Hasdrubal surrendered to Hannibal's father he considers he has a fair claim to ask for in return from the son. It ill becomes us, however, to habituate our youths to the lust of our commanders, by w1y of military training. Are we afraid that it will be too long befor amilcar's son surveys the extravagant power and the pageant of royalty which his father assumed, and that there will be undue delay in our becoming the slaves of the despot to whose son-in-law our armies have been bequeathed as though they were his patrimony? I, for my part, consider that this uth ought to be kept at home and taught to live in obedience to the laws and the magistrates on an equality with his fellow-citi ens; if not, this small fire will some day or other kindle a vast conflagration."