y were
snatched up by their creditors, the nobility, to cram jails. Whereupon,
but with the greatest modesty that was ever known in the like case,
they first fell upon debate, affirming 'That they were oppressed and
captivated at home, while abroad they fought for liberty and empire,
and that the freedom of the common people was safer in time of war than
peace, among their enemies than their fellow-citizens.' It is true that
when they could not get the Senate, through fear, as was pretended
by the patricians, to assemble and take their grievances into
consideration, they grew so much the warmer, that it was glad to meet;
where Appius Claudius, a fierce spirit, was of opinion that recourse
should be had to consular power, whereby some of the brands of sedition
being taken off, the flame might be extinguished. Servilius, being of
another temper, thought it better and safer to try if the people might
be bowed than broken.

"But this debate was interrupted by tumultuous news of the near approach
of the Volsci, a case in which the Senate had no recourse but to the
people, who, contrary to their former custom upon the like occasions,
would not stir a foot, but fell a-laughing, and saying, 'Let them fight
that have something to fight for.' The Senate that had purses, and could
not sing so well before the thief, being in a great perplexity, found
no possible way out of it but to beseech Servilius, one of a genius well
known to be popular, that he would accept of the consulship, and make
some such use of it as might be helpful to the patrician interest.
Servilius, accepting of the offer, and making use of his interest with
the people, persuaded them to hope well of the good intention of the
fathers, whom it would little beseem to be forced to those things which
would lose their grace, and that in view of the enemy, if they came not
freely; and withal published an edict, that no man should withhold a
citizen of Rome by imprisonment from giving his name (for that was
the way, as I shall have opportunity hereafter to show more at large,
whereby they drew out their armies), nor to seize or sell any man's
goods or children that were in the camp. Whereupon the people with a
mighty concourse immediately took arms, marched forth, and (which to
them was as easy as to be put into the humor, and that, as appears in
this place, was not hard) totally defeated the Volsci first, then the
Sabines (for the neighboring nations, hoping to have had