1830.;] a Tale of the Ancient Britons. 207 



who with true Roman pride looked on the Britons as barbarians,, on 

 whom the usual courtesies of war would be lost were the sole replies 

 to this request. Not a voice was raised in the noble captive's behalf. 

 Not a single Roman, even among the better and more chivalrous class, 

 exclaimed against the manifest injustice of his sentence. Finding, there- 

 fore, all further expostulation useless, Caradoc sternly prepared himself 

 for the worst, and stood firm and composed, and hurling defiance with 

 his eyes at Sergius ; while the sub-lictor, after binding him to two 

 tent-poles, which had been hastily driven into the earth, made ready his 

 instrument of torture. 



At this instant, Cartismandua, who till now had looked on as if she 

 doubted the reality of what was passing before her, rushed up to Ser- 

 gius, coaxed threatened and even clung about his knees, imploring 

 mercy on her husband. 



" Spare him," she said, " I implore you, spare him ! He has been a 

 bold, a manly foe, and may yet prove a faithful ally." 



The Dacian gave no reply ; so, flattering herself that she had made 

 some impression, Cartismandua continued : " By the bones of your 

 father and your mother by the lofty spirit of the soldier by the 

 common links of humanity that bind man and man together I con- 

 jure you, spare my husband. Do not bow down his noble nature beneath 

 the weight of this ignominy. Have some little regard for the princely 

 blood that flows in his veins. Detain him, if you will, a hostage; fix his 

 ransom at your own price ; but in mercy do not put this foul, this inde- 

 lible disgrace upon him." 



" Peace, woman \" replied the Dacian ; {{ your husband cannot be 

 pardoned. For months past he has been Rome's worst enemy, and shall 

 pay the full forfeit of his rebellion. To your task !" he added, 

 addressing himself to the lictor, who stood with arm uplifted beside the 

 prisoner. 



" Yet stay one instant/' rejoined Cartismandua, her eyes streaming 

 with tears ; " you know not what you do. If one spark of pity yet 

 linger in your breast, if you be not altogether cold heartless inexo- 

 rable speak but the word, and restore your captive, if not to freedom, 

 at least to honour. Surely, surely, you cannot hesitate. Lowly on the 

 bare earth, I who never yet stooped to friend or foe, conjure you to 

 grant my " 



" Away away !" interrupted Sergius, indignantly ; " we have had 

 too much of this puling wealaiess. Justice must have her due/' Then 

 waving his hand to the sub-lictor, " Strike, Sir, and strike home ; these 

 brawny barbarians are not easily made to feel." 



" Ay, strike," replied Cartismandua, as she proudly regained her feet. 

 " Strike, slave Dacian tyrant ! but for every lash your base-born 

 hireling inflicts ; for every groan your victim stifles ; for every pang 

 that now rends my heart to bursting, on your head shall fall the punish- 

 ment and the vengeance. Strike ! but remember that night follows 

 day less surely than retribution a bloody, a merciless retribution- 

 shall succeed this outrage." 



" Slave, to your task !" rejoined the Dacian, in a voice of thunder. 

 The man was not slow to obey; and self-abased distracted para- 

 lyzed with contending emotions, the wretched queen was compelled 

 to be an eye-witness of her husband's degradation ; to see the hot 

 blood spurt in torrents from his back his muscles stiffened and 



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