have more enemies in your city than in Janiculum. Do ye therefore
break it down with axe and fire as best ye can. In the meanwhile I,
so far as one man may do, will stay the enemy." And as he spake he ran
forward to the farther end of the bridge and made ready to keep the
way against the enemy. Nevertheless there stood two with him, Lartius
and Herminius by name, men of noble birth both of them and of great
renown in arms. So these three for a while stayed the first onset of
the enemy; and the men of Rome meanwhile brake down the bridge. And
when there was but a small part remaining, and they that brake it down
called to the three that they should come back, Horatius bade Lartius
and Herminius return, but he himself remained on the farther side,
turning his eyes full of wrath in threatening fashion on the princes
of the Etrurians, and crying, "Dare ye now to fight with me? or why
are ye thus come at the bidding of your master, King Porsenna, to rob
others of the freedom that ye care not to have for yourselves?" For a
while they delayed, looking each man to his neighbor, who should first
deal with this champion of the Romans. Then, for very shame, they all
ran forward, and raising a great shout, threw their javelins at him.
These all he took upon his shield, nor stood the less firmly in his
place on the bridge, from which when they would have thrust him by
force, of a sudden the men of Rome raised a great shout, for the
bridge was now altogether broken down, and fell with a great crash
into the river. And as the enemy stayed a while for fear, Horatius
turned him to the river and said, "O Father Tiber, I beseech thee this
day with all reverence that thou kindly receive this soldier and his
arms." And as he spake he leapt with all his arms into the river and
swam across to his own people, and though many javelins of the enemy
fell about him, he was not one whit hurt. Nor did such valor fail to
receive due honor from the city. For the citizens set up a statue of
Horatius in the market-place; and they gave him of the public land so
much as he could plow about in one day. Also there was this honor paid
him, that each citizen took somewhat of his own store and gave it to
him, for food was scarce in the city by reason of the siege.

HOW CINCINNATUS SAVED ROME

ADAPTED BY ALFRED J. CHURCH

It came to pass that the AEquians brake the treaty of peace which they
had made with Rome, and, taking one Gacchus Cloelius for the