extravagance and improve morals.  He reformed the courts of law, and collected libraries in every great city.  He put an end to the expensive tours of senators in the provinces, where they had appeared as princes exacting contributions.  He formed a plan to drain the Pontine Marshes.  He reformed the calendar, making the year to begin with the first day of January.  He built new public buildings, which the enlargement of business required.  He seemed to have at heart the welfare of the State and of the people, by whom he was adored.  But he broke up the political ascendancy of nobles, although he did not confiscate their property.  He weakened the Senate by increasing its numbers to nine hundred, and by appointing senators himself from his army and from the provinces,—­those who would be subservient to him, who would vote what he decreed.

Caesar’s ruling passion was ambition,—­thirst of power; but he had no great animosities.  He pardoned his worst enemies,—­Brutus, Cassius, and Cicero, who had been in arms against him; nor did he reign as a tyrant.  His habits were simple and unostentatious.  He gave easy access to his person, was courteous in his manners, and mingled with senators as a companion rather than as a master.  Like Charlemagne, he was temperate in eating and drinking, and abhorred gluttony and drunkenness,—­the vices of the aristocracy and of fortunate plebeians alike.  He was indefatigable in business, and paid attention to all petitions.  He was economical in his personal expenses, although he lavished vast sums upon the people in the way of amusing or bribing them.  He dispensed with guards and pomps, and was apparently reckless of his life:  anything was better to him than to live in perpetual fear of conspirators and traitors.  There never was a braver man, and he was ever kind-hearted to those who did not stand in his way.  He was generous, magnanimous, and unsuspicious.  He was the model of an absolute prince, aside from laxity of morals.  In regard to women, of their virtue he made little account.  His favorite mistress was Servilia, sister of Cato and mother of Brutus.  Some have even supposed that Brutus was Caesar’s son, which accounts for his lenity and forbearance and affection.  He was the high-priest of the Roman worship, and yet he believed neither in the gods nor in immortality.  But he was always the gentleman,—­natural, courteous, affable, without vanity or arrogance or egotism.  He was not a patriot in the sense that Cicero and Cato were, or Trajan and Marcus Aurelius, since his country was made subservient to his own interests and aggrandizement.  Yet he was a very interesting man, and had fewer faults than Napoleon, with equally grand designs.