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41. Benedict Arnold ![]() |
Ita hōc ferē tempore factum erat[1] ut Gallī, quī Britannōs minimē amābant, cum[2] Americānīs facerent foedus[3] atque trāns mare imperātōrem cum classe mitterent, quī colōnōs adiuvāret. Quibus rēbus[4] cōgnitīs, Britannī illī, quī Philadelphiae[5] cōnsedērant, cum sentīrent flūmine classe obsessō [6] sē undique oppugnārī[7] posse[8], celeriter sēsē[9] coniūnxērunt cum cōpiīs aliīs, quae in prōvinciā proximā collocātae erant. Ita Philadelphia rursus in Americānōrum potestātem pervēnit.
Adhūc Britannī crēdiderant colōnōs facile vincī posse: sed iam dēmum sensērunt sē rem difficillimam tractāre; cumque[10] in prōvinciīs, quae ad merīdiem spectant, colōnī rārī multīs cum servīs in praediīs maximīs habitārent, in eās[11] cōnstituērunt exercitūs suōs mittere, sī[12] ibi rem gerere fēlīcius possent. Nec vērō[13] eōs cōnsilium fefellit; nam Gorgia ūnā cum aliīs quibusdam prōvinciīs brevī est occupāta, et ubicumque[14] in aciē pugnatum est, Americānī victī sunt. Quibus dētrīmentīs minimē animō dēmissī, colōnī iam manūs[15] parvās coēgērunt, quae in silvīs palūdibusque latēbant[16], dōnec occāsiōnem reī bene gerendae[17] nancīscerentur[18]; tum subitō impetū factō aut capiēbant Britannōs aut eōs in fugam dabant.
- ↑ factum erat: it had come to pass.
- ↑ cum: preposition.
- ↑ foedus: foedus, -eris, n., alliance.
- ↑ quibus rēbus: this.
- ↑ Philadelphiae: locative case.
- ↑ flumine … obsessö: translate by a conditional clause.
- ↑ oppugnārī: note the last letter of the word.
- ↑ posse: could.
- ↑ sēsē: i.e. sē.
- ↑ cum: since, or inasmuch as.
- ↑ eās: referring to prōvinciīs, l. 8.
- ↑ sī: cf. sī, p. 33, l. 4.
- ↑ nec vērō, etc.: freely, and the plan WAS successful; lit. what?
- ↑ ubicumque: = conjunction, wherever.
- ↑ manūs: companies, or bands.
- ↑ latēbant: cf. the note on rapiēbant, p. 7, l. 17.
- ↑ reī bene gerendae (gen. case): freely, successful action.
- ↑ nancīscerentur: translate the subjunctive “could.”