ats, while Appius said that it was not Verginia who
was being defended by Icilius, but that, being a restless man, and
even now breathing the spirit of the tribuneship, he was seeking an
opportunity for creating a disturbance. That he would not afford him
the chance of doing so on that day; but in order that he might now
know that the concession had been made not to his petulance, but to
the absent Verginius, to the name of father and to liberty, that he
would not decide the case on that day, nor introduce a decree: that he
would request Marcus Claudius to forego somewhat of his right, and to
suffer the girl to be bailed till the next day. However, unless the
father attended on the following day, he gave notice to Icilius and to
men like Icilius, that, as the framer of it, he would maintain his own
law, as a decemvir, his firmness: that he would certainly not assemble
the lictors of his colleagues to put down the promoters of sedition;
that he would be content with his own. When the time of this act
of injustice had been deferred, and the friends of the maiden had
retired, it was first of all determined that the brother of Icilius,
and the son of Numitorius, both active young men, should proceed
thence straight to the city gate, and that Verginius should be
summoned from the camp with all possible haste: that the safety of the
girl depended on his being present next day at the proper time, to
protect her from wrong. They proceeded according to directions, and
galloping at full speed, carried the news to her father. When the
claimant of the maiden was pressing Icilius to lay claim to her, and
give bail for her appearance, and Icilius said that that was the very
thing that was being done, purposely wasting the time, until the
messengers sent to the camp should finish their journey, the multitude
raised their hands on all sides, and every one showed himself ready
to go surety for Icilius. And he, with his eyes full of tears, said:
"This is a great favour; to-morrow I will avail myself of your
assistance: at present I have sufficient sureties." Thus Verginia was
bailed on the security of her relations. Appius, having delayed a
short time, that he might not appear to have sat on account of that
case alone, when no one made application to him, all other concerns
being set aside owing to the interest displayed in this one case,
betook himself home, and wrote to his colleague in the camp, not
to grant leave of absence to Vergini