thereupon their rage was suppressed, every one saw
himself become the judge, the arbiter of the life and death of his
foe. At first Marcius listened to the threats of the tribunes with
contempt, saying that it was the right of affording aid, not of
inflicting punishment that had been conferred upon that office: that
they were tribunes of the commons and not of the senators. But the
commons had risen with such violent determination, that the senators
felt themselves obliged to sacrifice one man to arrive at a
settlement. They resisted, however, in spite of opposing odium, and
exerted, collectively, the powers of the whole order, as well as,
individually, each his own. At first, an attempt was made to see if,
by posting their clients [42] in several places, they could quash the
whole affair, by deterring individuals from attending meetings and
cabals. Then they all proceeded in a body--one would have said that
all the senators were on their trial--earnestly entreating the commons
that, if they would not acquit an innocent man, they would at least
for their sake pardon, assuming him guilty, one citizen, one senator.
As he did not attend in person on the day appointed, they persisted in
their resentment. He was condemned in his absence, and went into exile
among the Volscians, threatening his country, and even then cherishing
all the resentment of an enemy.[43] The Volscians received him kindly
on his arrival, and treated him still more kindly every day, in
proportion as his resentful feelings toward his countrymen became more
marked, and at one time frequent complaints, at another threats, were
heard. He enjoyed the hospitality of Attius Tullius, who was at that
time by far the chief man of the Volscian people, and had always been
a determined enemy of the Romans. Thus, while long-standing animosity
stimulated the one and recent resentment the other, they concerted
schemes for bringing about a war with Rome. They did not readily
believe that their own people could be persuaded to take up arms, so
often unsuccessfully tried, seeing that by many frequent wars, and
lastly, by the loss of their youth in the pestilence, their spirits
were now broken; they felt that in a case where animosity had now died
away from length of time they must proceed by scheming, that their
feelings might become exasperated under the influence of some fresh
cause for resentment.

It happened that preparations were being made at Rome for a renewal of