By this action he wished to
give emphasis to the accompanying words, in which he protested, that,
sooner than fail in satisfying and doing justice to any the least of those
who heard him and followed his fortunes, he would be content to part with
his own birthright, and to forego his dearest claims. This was what he
really said; but the outermost circle of his auditors, who rather saw his
gestures than distinctly heard his words, carried off the notion, (which
they were careful every where to disperse amongst the legions afterwards
associated with them in the same camps,) that Caesar had vowed never to lay
down his arms until he had obtained for every man, the very meanest of
those who heard him, the rank, privileges and appointments of a Roman
knight. Here was a piece of sovereign good luck. Had he really made such a
promise, Caesar might have found that he had laid himself under very
embarrassing obligations; but, as the case stood, he had, through all his
following campaigns, the total benefit of such a promise, and yet could
always absolve himself from the penalties of responsibility which it
imposed, by appealing to the evidence of those who happened to stand in
the first ranks of his audience.
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