ad come to deliver up his charge to him, and, in
that, the whole city. When Camillus had heard him out, he was astounded
at the treachery of the act, and, turning to the standers-by observed
that, "War, indeed, is of necessity attended with much injustice and
violence! Certain laws, however, all good men observe even in war
itself, nor is victory so great an object as to induce us to incur for
its sake obligations for base and impious acts. A great general should
rely on his own virtue, and not other men's vices." Which said, he
commanded the officers to tear off the man's clothes, and bind his hands
behind him and give the boys rods and scourges, to punish the traitor
and drive him back to the city. By this time the Falerians had
discovered the treachery of the schoolmaster, and the city, as was
likely, was full of lamentations and cries for their calamity, men and
women of worth running in distraction about the walls and gates; when,
behold, the boys came whipping their master on, naked and bound, calling
Camillus their preserver and god and father; so that it struck not only
the parents, but the rest of the citizens, with such admiration and love
of Camillus's justice, that, immediately meeting in assembly, they
sent ambassadors to him, to resign whatever they had to his disposal.
Camillus sent them to Rome, where, being brought into the senate,
they spoke to this purpose: that the Romans, preferring justice before
victory, had taught them rather to embrace submission than liberty; they
did not so much confess themselves to be inferior in strength as they
must acknowledge them to be superior in virtue. The senate remitted the
whole matter to Camillus, to judge and order as he thought fit; who,
taking a sum of money of the Falerians, and making a peace with the
whole nation of Faliscans, returned home.

But the soldiers, who had expected to have the pillage of the city,
when they came to Rome empty-handed railed against Camillus among their
fellow-citizens, as a hater of the people, and one that grudged
all advantage to the poor. The People were exasperated against him.
Gathering, therefore, together his friends and fellow-soldiers, and such
as had borne command with him, a considerable number in all, he besought
them that they would not suffer him to be unjustly overborne by shameful
accusations, and left the mock and scorn of his enemies. His friends,
having advised and consulted among themselves, made answer, that,