The Republic. R O 
that his wife had many children; that she had been 
seen pregnant by numbers; that, if he had intentions of 
adopting a supposititious child, he would have fixed upon 
a boy rather than a girl; that it was notorious to all, 
that his wife had herself suckled her own child; and that 
it was surprising such a claim should be now revived, 
after a 15 years’ discontinuance. While the father spoke 
thus, Virginia stood trembling by, and, with looks of 
persuasive innocence, added weight to all his remonstrances. 
The people seemed entirely satisfied of the hardship of his 
case, but Appius, fearing what he said might have danger¬ 
ous effects upon the multitude, interrupted him, under a 
pretence of being sufficiently instructed in the merits of 
the cause, and finally adjudged her to Claudius, ordering 
the lictors to carry her off. The lictors, in obedience to 
liis command, soon drove off the throng that pressed round 
the trihunal; and now they seized upon Virginia, and were 
delivering her up into the hands of Claudius, when Vir- 
ginius, who found that all was over, seemed to acquiesce in 
the sentence. He therefore mildly infreated Appius to be 
permitted to take a last farewell of one whom he had long- 
considered as his child; and so satisfied, he would return to 
his duty with fresh alacrity. With this the decemvir com¬ 
plied, but upon condition that their endearments should pass 
in his pretence. Virginias, with the most poignant anguish, 
took his almost expiring daughter in his arms, for a while 
supported her head upon his breast, and wiped away the 
tears that rolled down her face; at length from one of the 
shops that surrounded the forum, he snatched up a knife and 
buried the weapon in her breastthen holding it up, reeking 
with the blood of his daughter, “ Appius (he cried) by this 
blood of innocence, I devote thy head to the infernal gods.” 
Thus saying, with the bloody knife in his hand, and threat¬ 
ening destruction to whomsoever should oppose him, he ran 
through the city, wildly calling upon the people to strike for 
ffeedom, and from thence went to the camp, in order to 
spread a like flame through the army. 
He no sooner arrived at the camp, followed by a number 
of his friends, but he informed the army of all that was 
done, still holding the bloody knife in his hand. He asked 
their pardon, and the pardon of the gods, for having edm- 
ihitted so rash an action, but ascribed it all to the dreadful 
necessity of the times. The army, already predisposed, 
immediately with shouts echoed their approbation; and 
decamping, left their generals behind, to take their station 
once more upon Mount Aventine, whither they had retired 
about 40 years before. The other army, which had been 
sent to oppose the Sabines, displayed a like resentment, 
and came over in large parties to join them. 
Appius, in the mean time, did all he could to quell the 
disturbances in the city; but finding the tumult incapable 
of controul, and perceiving that his mortal enemies, Valerius 
and Horatius, were the most active in opposition, at first 
attempted to find safety by flight; nevertheless, being en- 
eburaged by Oppius, who was one of his colleagues, he 
ventured to assemble the senate, and urged the punishment 
of all deserters) The senate, however, were far from giving 
Mm the relief he sought for; they foresaw the dangers and 
Miseries that threatened the state, in case of opposing the in¬ 
censed army; they, therefore dispatched messengers to them, 
offering to restore their former mode of government. To 
this proposal all the people joyfully assented, and the army 
gladly obeyed. Appius, and Oppius one of his colleagues, 
both died by their own hands in prison. The other eight 
decemvirs went into voluntary exile; and Claudius, the pre¬ 
tended master of Virginia, was driven out after them. 
■ The tribunes now grew more turbulent: they proposed 
two laws; one to permit plebeians to intermarry with pa¬ 
tricians ; and the other, to permit them to be admitted to the 
consulship. The senators received these proposals with In¬ 
dignation, and seemed resolved to undergo the utmost extre¬ 
mities rather than submit to enact them. However, finding 
their resistance only increase the coirtmotions of the' 'state, 
they at last consented to- pass the law c'once'rning inteanar- 
V6L. XXII. No. 1497. 
M E. . The Republic. 233 
riages, hoping that this concession would satisfy the people' 
But they were to be appeased but for a very short time; for, 
returning -to their old custom of refusing to enlist upon the 
approach of an enemy, the consuls were forced to hold a 
private conference with the chief of the senate; where, after 
many debates, Claudius proposed an expedient as the most 
probable means of satisfying the people in the present con¬ 
juncture. This was, to create six or eight governors in'the 
room of consuls, whereof one half at least should be pa¬ 
tricians. This project was eagerly embraced by the people; 
yet so fickle were the multitude, that though many of the 
plebeians stood, the choice wholly fell upon the patricians 
who offered themselves as candidates. These new magistrates 
were called military tribunes; they were at first but three, 
afterwards they were increased to four, and at length to six. 
They had the power and ensigns of consuls; yet that power 
being divided among a number, each singly was of less 
authority. The first that were chosen, only continued in 
office about three months, the augurs having found somethin g 
amiss in the ceremonies of their election. 
The military tribunes being deposed, the consuls once 
more came into office; and, in order to lighten the weight of 
business which they were obliged to sustain, a new office was 
created, namely, that of censors, to be chosen every fifth year. 
Their business was to take an estimate of the number and 
estates of the people, and to distribute them into their proper 
classes; to inspect into the lives and manners of their fellow- 
citizens; to degrade senators for misconduct; to dismount 
knights; and to turn down plebeians from their tribes into 
an inferior, in case of misdemeanour. The two first censors 
were Papirius and Sempronius, both patricians; and from 
this order they continued to be elected for near 100 years. 
This new creation served to restore peace for some time 
among the respective orders; and the triumph gained over the 
Volscians, by Geganius the consul, added to the universal 
satisfaction that reigned among the’ people. 
This calm, however, was but of short continuance: for, 
some time after, a famine pressing hard upon the poor, the 
usual complaints against the rich were renewed; and these, 
as before, proving ineffectual, produced new seditions. The 
consuls were accused of neglect in not having laid in proper 
quantities of corn : they, however, disregarded the murmurs 
of the populace, content with exerting all their care in at¬ 
tempts to supply the pressing necessities. But though they 
did all that could be expected from active magistrates, in 
providing and distributing provisions to the poor; yet 
Spurius Maslius, a rich knight, who had bought up all the 
corn of Tuscany, by far outshone them in liberality. This 
demagogue, inflamed with a secret desire of becoming power¬ 
ful by the contentions in the state, distributed corn in great 
quantities among the poorer sort each day, till his bouse 
became the asylum of all such as wished to exchange a life 
of labour for one of lazy dependence. When he had thus 
gained a sufficient number of partizans, he procured large 
quantities, of arms to be brought into his house by night, 
and formed a conspiracy, by which he was to obtain the 
command, while some of the tribunes, whom he had. found 
means to corrupt, were to act under him, in seizing upon the 
liberties of his country. Minucius soon discovered the plot; 
and informing the senate thereof, they immediately formed 
the resolution of creating a dictator, who should have the 
power of quelling the conspiracy without appealing to the 
people. Cincinnatus, who was now 80 years old, was 
chosen once more to rescue his country from impending 
danger. He began by summoning Mselius to appear; who 
refused t o obey. He next sent Ahala, his master of the horse, 
to force him; who, meeting him in the forum, and pressing 
Maslius to follow him to the dictator’s tribunal, upon his 
refusal Ahala killed him upon the spot. The dictator, ap¬ 
plauded the resolution of his officer, and commanded the 
c'orApirator’s goods to be sold, and his house to be demolished, 
distributing his stores ataohg the people. 
The tribunes Of the people were much enraged at the 
death' of Mcfelius: and, in order to punish the senate, at the 
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