camillus-第2章

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ditches　and　trenches　into　the　lower　grounds；　and　so　dry　it　up；　which
message　being　delivered；　the　priests　performed　what　related　to　the
sacrifices；　and　the　people　went　to　work　and　turned　the　water。
　　And　now　the　senate；　in　the　tenth　year　of　the　war；　taking　away　all
other　commands；　created　Camillus　dictator；　who　chose　Cornelius
Scipio　for　his　general　of　horse。　And　in　the　first　place　he　made　vows
unto　the　gods；　that；　if　they　would　grant　a　happy　conclusion　of　the
war；　he　would　celebrate　to　their　honour　the　great　games；　and
dedicate　a　temple　to　the　goddess　whom　the　Romans　call　Matuta；　the
Mother；　though；　from　the　ceremonies　which　are　used；　one　would　think
she　was　Leucothea。　For　they　take　a　servant…maid　into　the　secret　part
of　the　temple；　and　there　cuff　her；　and　drive　her　out　again；　and　they
embrace　their　brothers'　children　in　place　of　their　own；　and；　in
general；　the　ceremonies　of　the　sacrifice　remind　one　of　the　nursing
of　Bacchus　by　Ino；　and　the　calamities　occasioned　by　her　husband's
concubine。　Camillus；　having　made　these　vows；　marched　into　the
country　of　the　Faliscans；　and　in　a　great　battle　overthrew　them　and　the
Capenates；　their　confederates；　afterwards　he　turned　to　the　siege　of
Veii；　and；　finding　that　to　take　it　by　assault　would　prove　a
difficult　and　hazardous　attempt；　proceeded　to　cut　mines　underground；
the　earth　about　the　city　being　easy　to　break　up；　and　allowing　such
depth　for　the　works　as　would　prevent　their　being　discovered　by　the
enemy。　This　design　going　on　in　a　hopeful　way；　he　openly　gave
assaults　to　the　enemy；　to　keep　them　to　the　walls；　whilst　they　that
worked　underground　in　the　mines　were；　without　being　perceived；　arrived
within　the　citadel；　close　to　the　temple　of　Juno；　which　was　the
greatest　and　most　honoured　in　all　the　city。　It　is　said　that　the　prince
of　the　Tuscans　was　at　that　very　time　at　sacrifice；　and　that　the
priest；　after　he　had　looked　into　the　entrails　of　the　beast；　cried
out　with　a　loud　voice　that　the　gods　would　give　victory　to　those　that
should　complete　those　offerings；　and　that　the　Romans　who　were　in　the
mines；　hearing　the　words；　immediately　pulled　down　the　floor；　and；
ascending　with　noise　and　clashing　weapons；　frightened　away　the
enemy；　and；　snatching　up　the　entrails；　carried　them　to　Camillus。　But
this　may　look　like　a　fable。　The　city；　however；　being　taken　by　storm；
and　the　soldiers　busied　in　pillaging　and　gathering　an　infinite
quantity　of　riches　and　spoils；　Camillus；　from　the　high　tower；
viewing　what　was　done；　at　first　wept　for　pity；　and　when　they　that　were
by　congratulated　his　success；　he　lifted　up　his　hands　to　heaven；　and
broke　out　into　this　prayer：　〃O　most　mighty　Jupiter；　and　ye　gods　that
are　judges　of　good　and　evil　actions　ye　know　that　not　without　just
cause；　but　constrained　by　necessity；　we　have　been　forced　to　revenge
ourselves　on　the　city　of　our　unrighteous　and　wicked　enemies。　But　if；
in　the　vicissitude　of　things；　there　may　be　any　calamity　due；　to
counterbalance　this　great　felicity；　I　beg　that　it　may　be　diverted　from
the　city　and　army　of　the　Romans；　and　fall；　with　as　little　hurt　as
may　be；　upon　my　own　head。〃　Having　said　these　words；　and　just　turning
about　（as　the　custom　of　the　Romans　is　to　turn　to　the　right　after
adoration　or　prayer）；　he　stumbled　and　fell；　to　the　astonishment　of　all
that　were　present。　But；　recovering　himself　presently　from　the　fall；　he
told　them　that　he　had　received　what　he　had　prayed　for；　a　small
mischance；　in　compensation　for　the　greatest　good　fortune。
　　Having　sacked　the　city；　he　resolved；　according　as　he　had　vowed；　to
carry　Juno's　image　to　Rome；　and；　the　workmen　being　ready　for　that
purpose；　he　sacrificed　to　the　goddess；　and　made　his　supplications　that
she　would　be　pleased　to　accept　of　their　devotion　toward　her；　and
graciously　vouchsafe　to　accept　of　a　place　among　the　gods　that　presided
at　Rome；　and　the　statue；　they　say；　answered　in　a　low　voice　that　she
was　ready　and　willing　to　go。　Livy　writes；　that；　in　praying；　Camillus
touched　the　goddess；　and　invited　her；　and　that　some　of　the　standers…by
cried　out　that　she　was　willing　and　would　come。　They　who　stand　up　for
the　miracle　and　endeavour　to　maintain　it　have　one　great　advocate　on
their　side　in　the　wonderful　fortune　of　the　city；　which；　from　a　small
and　contemptible　beginning；　could　never　have　attained　to　that
greatness　and　power　without　many　signal　manifestations　of　the　divine
presence　and　co…operation。　Other　wonders　of　the　like　nature；　drops
of　sweat　seen　to　stand　on　statues；　groans　heard　from　them；　the　figures
seen　to　turn　round　and　to　close　their　eyes；　are　recorded　by　many
ancient　historians；　and　we　ourselves　could　relate　divers　wonderful
things；　which　we　have　been　told　by　men　of　our　own　time；　that　are　not
lightly　to　be　rejected；　but　to　give　too　easy　credit　to　such　things；　or
wholly　to　disbelieve　them；　is　equally　dangerous；　so　incapable　is　human
infirmity　of　keeping　any　bounds；　or　exercising　command　over　itself；
running　off　sometimes　to　superstition　and　dotage；　at　other　times　to
the　contempt　and　neglect　of　all　that　is　supernatural。　But　moderation
is　best；　and　to　avoid　all　extremes。
　　Camillus；　however；　whether　puffed　up　with　the　greatness　of　his
achievement　in　conquering　a　city　that　was　the　rival　of　Rome；　and　had
held　out　a　ten　years'　siege；　or　exalted　with　the　felicitations　of
those　that　were　about　him；　assumed　to　himself　more　than　became　a　civil
and　legal　magistrate；　among　other　things；　in　the　pride　and　haughtiness
of　his　triumph；　driving　through　Rome　in　a　chariot　drawn　with　four
white　horses；　which　no　general　either　before　or　since　ever　did；　for
the　Romans　consider　such　a　mode　of　conveyance　to　be　sacred　and
specially　set　apart　to　the　king；　and　father　of　the　gods。　This
alienated　the　hearts　of　his　fellow…citizens；　who　were　not　accustomed
to　such　pomp　and　display。
　　The　second　pique　they　had　against　him　was　his　opposing　the　law　by
which　the　city　was　to　be　divided；　for　the　tribunes　of　the　people
brought　forward　a　motion　that　the　people　and　senate　should　be
divided　into　two　parts；　one　of　which　should　remain　at　home；　the
other　as　the　lot　should　decide；　remove　to　the　new…taken　city。　By　which
means　they　should　not　only　have　much　more　room；　but；　by　the
advantage　of　two　great　and　magnificent　cities；　be　better　able　to
maintain　their　territories　and　their　fortunes　in　general。　The
people；　therefore；　who　were　numerous　and　indigent；　greedily　embraced
it；　and　crowded　continually　to　the　forum；　with　tumultuous　demands　to
have　it　put　to　the　vote。　But　the　senate　and　the　noblest　citizens；
judging　the　proceedings　of　the　tribunes　to　tend　rather　to　a
destruction　than　a　division　of　Rome；　greatly　averse　to　it；　went　to
Camillus　for　assistance；　who；　fearing　the　result　if　it　came　to　a
direct　contest；　contrived　to　occupy　the　people　with　other　business；
and　so　staved　it　off。　He　thus　became　unpopular。　But　the　greatest　and
most　apparent　cause　of　their　dislike　against　him　arose　from　the　tenths
of　the　spoil；　the　multitude　having　here；　if　not　a　just；　yet　a
plausible　case　against　him。　For　it　seems；　as　he　went　to　the　siege　of
Veii；　he　had　vowed　to　Apollo　that　if　he　took　the　city　he　would
dedicate　to　him　the　tenth　of　the　spoil。　The　city　being　taken　and
sacked；　whether　he　was　loth　to　trouble　the　soldiers　at　that　time；　or
that　through　the　multitude　of　business　he　had　forgotten　his　vow；　he
suffered　them　to　enjoy　that　part　of　the　spoils　also。　Some　time
afterwards；　when　his　authority　was　laid　down；　he　brought　the　matter
before　the　senate；　and　the　priests；　at　the　same　time；　reported；　out　of
the　sacrifices；　that　there　were　intimations　of　divine　anger；　requiring
propitiations　and　offerings。　The　senate　decreed　the　obligations　to
be　in　force。
　　But　seeing　it　was　difficult　for　every　one　to　produce　the　very　same
things　they　had　taken；　to　be　divided　anew；　they　ordained　that　every
one　upon　oath　should　bring　into　the　public　the　tenth　part　of　his
gains。　This　occasioned　many　annoyances　and　hardships　to　the
soldiers；　who　were　poor　men；　and　had　endured　much　in　the　war；　and
now　were　forced；　out　of　what　they　had　gained　and　spent；　to　bring　in　so
great　a　proportion。　Camillus；　being　assaulted　by　their　clamour　and
tumults；　for　want　of　a　better　excuse；　betook　himself　to　the　poorest