so great as to produce insensibility. In
neither case was there anything unworthy, or even human in his conduct,
but it was either that of a god or a brute beast. It is better, however,
that we should speak in praise of so great a man rather than allow our
weakness to distrust his virtue. Indeed the Romans think that even the
foundation of the city by Romulus was not so great an event as the
confirmation of its constitution by Brutus.

VII. When he left the Forum all men were silent for a long while,
shuddering at what had been done. The Aquillii took heart at the
mildness of Collatinus, and asked for time to prepare their defence.
They also begged that Vindicius might be given up to them, because he
was their servant, and ought not to be on the side of their accusers.
Collatinus was willing to allow this, but Valerius said that he was not
able to give the man up, because he was surrounded by so large a crowd,
and called upon the people not to disperse without punishing the
traitors. At last he laid his hands upon the two corpses, called for
Brutus, and reproached Collatinus for making his colleague act against
nature by condemning his own sons to death, and then thinking to please
the wives of these traitors and public enemies by saving their lives.
The consul, vexed at this, ordered the lictors to seize Vindicius. They
forced their way through the crowd, tried to lay hold of him, and struck
those who defended him, but the friends of Valerius stood in front of
him and beat them off, and the people raised a shout for Brutus. He
returned, and when silence was restored said that he had, as a father,
full power to condemn his sons to death, but that as for the other
culprits, their fate should be decided by the free vote of the citizens,
and that any one might come forward and address the people. The people,
however, would listen to no speeches, but voted unanimously for their
death, and they were all beheaded.

Collatinus, it seems, had been viewed with suspicion before because of
his connection with the royal family, and his second name, Tarquinius,
was odious to the people. After these events, having utterly failed as
consul, he voluntarily laid down that office, and left the city. So now
there was another election, and Valerius received the due reward of his
patriotism and was gloriously made consul. Thinking that Vindicius ought
to receive something for his services, he made him a freedman, the first
ever made in Rom