On hearing this Masinissa blushed furiously and even shed tears. He said that he would comply with the general's wishes, and begged him to take into consideration as far as he could, the pledge he had rashlv P-1ven. for he had promised .少几J。， that he would not let her pass into any· wer. Then he left the headquarters tent and retired to wn in a state of distraction. Dismissing all his attendants he remained there some time, giving vent to continual sighs and groans which were ulq 'te audible to those outside. At last with a deep groan he called one of his sla ves 2n whom he placed complete confidence and who had in his keeping the poison which kings usually have in reserve against the vicissitudes of Fortune. After mixing it in a cup he told him to take it to Sophonisba, and at the same time tell her that Masinissa would have gladly fulfilled the first promise that he made to his wife, but as those who have the power were depriving him of the right to do so, he was fulfilling the second-that she should not fall into the hands of the Romans alive. The thought of her father, her country, and the two kings who had wedded her would decide her how to act. When the servant came with the poison and the message to 丈，~_t__:~1‘__1~~__:」“了___~_人人t竺____~」」I-__二r走__________，_____ Ovpn0il15口林，511C 5alu。1 UCCCUL Ln15 WCaulngglIL, no unwelcome ‘户夕‘V‘J one if my husband can do nothing more for his wife. Rut tell him that I should have died more happily had not my marriage bed stood so near my grave." 8 The high spirit of these words was sustained by the fearless way in which, without the slightest sign of trepidation, she drank the potion. ‘When the news reached Scipio he was a fraid that the young man, wild vv ith grief, would.take some still more desperate step, so he at once sent for him, and tried to console him.at the same time gently censuring him for atoned for one act of madness by committing another making the affair more tragic than it need have been. mThe next daymounted the tri盘theand盅of diverting his tred the assembly黔ts, Scipiosounded. Addressing Masinissa as king and eulogising him in the highestpossible terms, he presented him with a golden crown, curulechair, an ivory sceptre and also with a purple-bordered togaand a tunic embroidered with palms. He enhanced the _ valueof these gifts by informing him that the Romans considered nohonour more splendid than that of a triumph, and that nomore magnificent insignia were borne by triumphing generalsthan those which the Roman people deemed Masinissa, aloneof all foreigners, worthy to possess. Laelius was the next tobe commended, he was presented with a golden crown. Othersoldiers received rewards according to their services. Thehonours which had had been conferred on the king went far his grief, and he wasf encouraged tosession of the whole of Numidia now黯纂thehax