The qualities in which he really excelled, the gifts of intrigue,
patience, long-suffering, dissimulation, and tortuous fraud, were thus
brought into play, and allowed their full value. Such qualities had every
chance of prevailing in the long run, against the noble carelessness and
the impetuosity of the passionate Anthony--and they _did_ prevail.
Always on the watch to lay hold of those opportunities which the generous
negligence of his rival was but too frequently throwing in his way--unless
by the sudden reverses of war and the accidents of battle, which as much
as possible, and as long as possible, he declined--there could be little
question in any man's mind, that eventually he would win his way to a
solitary throne, by a policy so full of caution and subtlety. He was sure
to risk nothing which could be had on easier terms; and nothing, unless
for a great overbalance of gain in prospect; to lose nothing which he had
once gained; and in no case to miss an advantage, or sacrifice an
opportunity, by any consideration of generosity. No modern insurance
office but would have guaranteed an event depending upon the final success
of Augustus, on terms far below those which they must in prudence have
exacted from the fiery and adventurous Anthony.
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