Romans suffered greatly. Then another patriot devoted his life
to his city's good. This man, a young noble named Caius Mucius, went to
the senate and offered to go to the Etruscan camp and slay Lars Porsenna
in the midst of his men.

His proposal acceded to, he crossed the stream by stealth and slipped
covertly into the camp, through which he made his way, seeking the king.
At length he saw a man dressed in a scarlet robe and seated on a lofty
seat, while many were about him, coming and going. "This must be King
Porsenna," he said to himself, and he glided stealthily through the
crowd until he came near by, when, drawing a concealed dagger from
beneath his cloak, he sprang upon the man and stabbed him to the heart.

But the bold assassin had made a sad mistake. The man he had slain was
not the king, but his scribe, the king's chief officer. Being instantly
seized, he was brought before Porsenna, where the guards threatened him
with sharp torments unless he would truly answer all their questions.

"Torments!" he said. "You shall see how little I care for them."

And he thrust his right hand into the fire that was burning on the
altar, and held it there till it was completely consumed.

King Porsenna looked at him with an admiration that subdued all anger.
Never had he seen a man of such fortitude.

"Go your way," he cried, "for you have harmed yourself more than me. You
are a brave man, and I send you back to Rome free and unhurt."

"And you are a generous king," said Caius, "and shall learn more from me
for your kindness than tortures could have wrung from my lips. Know,
then, that three hundred noble youths of Rome have bound themselves by
oath to take your life. I am but the first; the others will in turn lie
in wait for you. I warn you to look well to yourself."

He was then set free, and went back to the city, where he was
afterwards known as Scaevola, the left-handed.

The warning of Caius moved King Porsenna to offer the Romans terms of
peace, which they gladly accepted. They were forced to give up all the
land they had conquered on the west bank of the Tiber, and to agree not
to use iron except to cultivate the earth. They were also to give as
hostages ten noble youths and as many maidens. These were sent; but one
of the maidens, Cloelia by name, escaped from the Etruscan camp, and,
bidding the other maidens to follow, fled to the river, into which they
all plunged and swam safely across to Rome.

They