a good bargain
of the discord in Rome, were up in arms on all sides), and after the
Sabines the Aurunci. Whence returning, victorious in three battles they
expected no less than that the Senate would have made good their words,
when Appius Claudius, the other Consul, of his innate pride, and that
he might frustrate the faith of his colleague, caused the soldiers (who
being set at liberty, had behaved themselves with such valor) to be
restored at their return to their creditors and their jails.

"Great resort upon this was made by the people to Servilius, showing him
their wounds, calling him to witness how they had behaved themselves,
and minding him of his promise. Poor Servilius was sorry, but so
overawed with the headiness of his colleague, and the obstinacy of the
whole faction of the nobility, that, not daring to do anything either
way, he lost both parties, the fathers conceiving that he was ambitious,
and the people that he was false; while the Consul Claudius, continuing
to countenance such as daily seized and imprisoned some of the indebted
people, had still new and dangerous controversies with them, insomuch
that the commonwealth was torn with horrid division, and the people
(because they found it not so safe or so effectual in public) minded
nothing but laying their heads together in private conventicles. For
this Aulus Virginius and Titus Vetusius, the new Consuls, were reproved
by the Senate as slothful, and upbraided with the virtue of Appius
Claudius. Whereupon the Consuls having desired the Senate that they
might know their pleasure, showed afterward their readiness to obey
it, by summoning the people according to command, and requiring names
whereby to draw forth an army for diversion, but no man would answer.
Report hereof being made to the Senate, the younger sort of the fathers
grew so hot with the Consuls that they desired them to abdicate the
magistracy, which they had not the courage to defend.

"The Consuls, though they conceived themselves to be roughly handled,
made this soft answer. 'Fathers conscript, that you may please to take
notice it was foretold some horrid sedition is at hand, we shall only
desire that they whose valor in this place is so great, may stand by us
to see how we behave ourselves, and then be as resolute in your
commands as you will; your fatherhoods may know if we be wanting in the
performance.'

"At this some of the hot young noblemen returned with the Consuls to
the