for each of them was five times consul.  He drew Marcellus, when consul for the fifth time, into an ambuscade; but although he tried every art and stratagem upon Fabius he could effect nothing, except once, when he very nearly succeeded in ruining him.  He forged letters from the leading citizens of Metapontum, and then sent them to Fabius.  These letters were to the effect that the city would surrender if he appeared before it, and that the conspirators were only waiting for his approach.  Fabius was so much moved by these letters as to take a part of his army and commence a night march thither; but meeting with unfavourable omens on the way he turned back, and soon afterwards learned that the letters were a stratagem of Hannibal’s, who was waiting for him under the city walls.  This escape one may attribute to the favour of Heaven.

XX.  In the case of revolts and insurrections among the subject cities and allies, Fabius thought it best to restrain them and discountenance their proceedings in a gentle manner, not treating every suspected person with harshness, or inquiring too strictly into every case of suspected disloyalty.  It is said that a Marsian soldier, one of the chief men of the allies for bravery and nobility of birth, was discovered by Fabius to be engaged in organizing a revolt.  Fabius showed no sign of anger, but admitted that he had not been treated with the distinction he deserved, and said that in the present instance he should blame his officers for distributing rewards more by favour than by merit; but that in future he should be vexed with him if he did not apply directly to himself when he had any request to make.  Saying this, he presented him with a war horse and other marks of honour, so that thenceforth the man always served him with the utmost zeal and fidelity.  He thought it a shame that trainers of horses and dogs should be able to tame the savage spirit of those animals by careful attention and education rather than by whips and clogs, and yet that a commander of men should not rely chiefly on mild and conciliatory measures, but treat them more harshly than gardeners treat the wild fig-trees, wild pears, and wild olives, which they by careful cultivation turn into trees bearing good fruit.  His captains informed him that a certain soldier, a Lucanian by birth, was irregular and often absent from his duty.  He made inquiries as to what his general conduct was.  All agreed that it would be difficult to find a better soldier, and related some of his exploits.  Fabius at length discovered that the cause of his absence was that he was in love with a certain girl, and that he continually ran the risk of making long journeys from the camp to meet her.  Without the knowledge of the soldier, he sent and apprehended this girl, whom he concealed in his own tent.  Then he invited the Lucanian to a private interview, and addressed him as follows:—­“You have been observed frequently to pass the night outside of the camp, contrary to the ancient practice and