they fent for the Ediles to apprehend him, and bring him before the people,but the officers were repulfed by the young Patricians, who were gathered round Coriolanus. On this commotion, the whole city was in a tumult, and the tribunes fummoned Coriolanus to appear before the people. The fenate and patricians took the part of Coriolanus, and he refused at first to obey the fummons; but a day was fixed for his trial, when, notwithstanding all his public fervices, he was condemned to perpetual banishment, by a majority of the .tribunes. The illuftrious exile retired to his own houfe, in the neighbourhood of Rome, and there spent a few days in confidering what he should do. Thirft of revenge prevailed; and he determined to go over to the Volfci, a little republic, then governed by their general Attius Tullus, whom he had often encountered, and always conquered, in the late wars between them and the Romans *. Coriolanus thought he could not truft his life more fafely than with a brave man, who, like himself, would be glad to humble the pride of the Romans. His refolution being taken, he left his retreat in disguise, and, in the evening, entering Antium, the chief city of the Volfci, he went directly to Tullus's houfe, with his face covered, and fat down by the hearth of the domeftic gods, a place facred in all the houses of the ancient Pagans. Tullus was at fupper in an inner apartment, when word was brought him, that a ftranger, of a very majestic air, was, without speaking to any body, come into his houfe, and had placed himfelf by the hearth of his lares. Tullus immediately came out, and afked him who he was, and what he wanted. Coriolanus then discovering himself; "If thou doft not know me," "faid he, "I am Caius Marcus; my furname is "Coriolanus, the only reward left me for my services. I am "banished from Rome by the hatred of the people, and the "pufillanimity of the great. I feek revenge. It lies in your power to employ my fword against my foes and those of "your country. If your republic will not accept my fervices, "I give my life into your hands. Put an end to an old enemy, who may elfe come to do more mifchiefs to your "country." Tullus, amazed at the greatnefs of his foul, gave him his hand. "Fear nothing, Marcus," faid he, thy confidence is the pledge of thy fecurity. By bringing "us thyfelf, thou giveft us more than ever thou tookeft ❝from us; and we shall take care to acknowledge thy fervices *Dionyfius Halicarnaffus. « better "better than thy fellow citizens have done." He then led him into his apartment, where they conferred about the means of renewing the war. A pretence was foon found to break the yet unexpired truce between the two nations. The Volfci fent ambaffadors to Rome, to demand the restoration of the land and cities taken from them in the late war, which, as they expected, was refufed. Upon this, they appointed Tullus and Coriolanus to command their troops; and to bind the latter more strictly to them, conferred on him the dignity of a fenator. The two generals immediately raised a numerous army, which they divided into two bodies. Tullus, with the one, ftaid in the country, to defend it on the fide of Latium; whilft Coriolanus, with the other, entered the territory of the Romans before the confuls had taken any measures to oppofe him; made himself mafter of feveral of their cities; destroyed their houses, and laid wafte their lands; politically sparing only thofe of the Patricians, So great was the fuccefs of this banished general, that he foon encamped within five miles of Rome. In the city there was nothing but confufion, and the utmost despair. The Patricians upbraided the Plebeians with ingratitude, and the latter charged the former with treachery, faying, that it was by their perfuafion that he invaded the country. In this perplexity the tribunes fent ambaffadors to Coriolanus, with an offer to repeal his banishment, and that all his demands fhould be granted; but he received and difmiffed the ambaffadors with the fternnefs and refolution of an injured perfon, and drew his army nearer to Rome. They then deputed the pontifices, augurs, and all the minifters of the gods to go to him in a folemn proceffion, and humbly intreat for an accommodation. Not moved, however, by all this pomp and ceremony, he infifted, that all the territories taken from the Volfci fhould be reftored, otherwife they muft expect the utmost severity of war. His refentment was now carried to the utmoft, and ready to be executed on the city, when Vetruria, his mother, Volumnia, his wife, with his children in her arms, accompanied by a great number of Roman ladies, of the firft families, went out to meet him, and intercede for their country. The approach of this illuftrious train, feconded by the rhetoric and endearments of his mother and wife, at laft prevailed over his great fpirit, and yielding to their tears and preffing folicitations, he faid aloud, "Ah! my mother, you difarm me, Rome is faved, but your "fon is loft;" well foreseeing that the Volfci would never forgive the regard he was going to pay to her entreaties. He then then took her in private with his wife, and agreed with them, - that he would endeavour to obtain the confent of the princi pal officers of his army, for raifing, the blockade; that he would use his utmost endeavours to bring the Volfci to terms of accommodation; and that if he could not prevail, he would lay down his command, and retire to fome neutral city. The next day he called a council of war, and often reprefented to them the difficulty of forming the fiege of a city which had a formidable army for its garrifon, and in which there were as many foldiers as there were inhabitants, and concluded for a retreat. Nobody contradicted his opinion. The army immediately began its march; and the Volfci, more affected with the filial refpect he had fhewn his mother, than with their own intereft, retired back to their native country, where Coriolanus, divided all the fpoil among them, without referving any thing for himself. Tullus, the Volfcian general, had no fhare in the honours of this campaign, and envious of Coriolanus's glory, reprefented this act to the Volfci as the higheft treafon against the ftate, and Coriolanus in an affembly of the people was affaffinated. The Volfcians buried him with every military honour, as a great general and warrior, and the Roman women were admitted to mourn for him ten months. The retreat of Coriolanus raifed the Romans from the foweft ftate of defpondency; great rejoicings were made at Rome, and the fenate erected a temple to the Fortune of Women, on the fpot where the mother had fo happily prevailed on the fon. Into this temple none but matrons were permitted to enter, and offer facrifice to the goddess. *Mulebri Fortunæ. С НА Р. CHAP. XXVI. The Agrarian Law-Decemvirs-Tyranny of Appius. Death of Virginia-Abolition of the Decemvirate-Fate of the Decemvirs. UPON PON the fettlement of affairs abroad, commotions arose at home concerning the Agrarian Law, or divifion of the late conquered lands, and alfo the public lands, which, by the neglect of the magiftrates, had been feized on by the rich. The contoft between the fenate and tribunes was car ried to a great height. In this difpute, the conful Claudius, the younger, feverely reprimanded the people for their rude and factious behaviour. The tribunes, upon this, commanded the conful to leave the affembly, and on his refufal, ordered him to be fent to prifon. This bold act of the tribunes raised a general tumult, which might have been productive of the worft confequences, had it not been checked by the intreaty and mild behaviour of Quintius, the other conful. Appius, however, ftill oppofing the Agrarian Law, and being likewife unfuccefsful in his expedition against the Volfci, the tribunes appointed him a day of trial before the people, which he prevented by deftroying himself. The ftruggle for power ftill continued, and the tribunes now afferted, That all the citizens ought to have equal power in the government, and that ten men fhould be chofen to collect and publifh the laws. Quinctius Caefo, a fon of Quinctius Cincinnatus, was mort forward to oppofe this new demand of the tribunes. His inconfiderate heat expofed him to a profecution by the tribunes, in confequence of which he banished himfelf, before the day appointed for his trial. His father, Cincinnatus, who, with ten other fureties, had been bound for his appearance, in the penalty of three thoufand affes of brafs, that is, about nine guineas of our money, (a vaft fum among the Romans in thofe days), was obliged to fell the best part of his eftate on that account, and retire to a cottage on the other fide of the Tiber, where he cultivated, with his own hands, five or fix acres of land, for the fupport of himfelf and family*. This Quinctius Cincinnatus was afterwards thought the moft proper perfon to appeafe the diforders of the govern 4 * Dionyfius Halicarnaffus. ment, ment, and was, therefore, elected conful. The deputies fent by the fenate to acquaint him with his promotion, found him driving his plough, and, when they faluted him by the name of conful, he was for fome time doubtful, whether he fhould accept the high dignity. The love of his country, however, prevailing over his private fatisfaction, he took leave of his wife, and, recommending to her the care of domeftic affairs, "I fear," faid he, "my dear Racilia, that "our fields will be but ill manured this year, and we fhall "be in danger of want." The qui and Volfci foon after revolted from their alliance with Rome, and the Roman army, under Marcus Minutius, was in great danger. The fenate, being greatly alarmed, agreed to appoint a dictator. Quinctius Cincinnatus was immediately refolved upon, and again called from his retirement. When the deputies arrived with this fecond appointment, they found him, as before, at the plough. He departed with great concern, faying, "This year's crop muft alfo be loft, "and my poor family must be ftarved." The dictator immediately put himself at the head of the armies, marched to the relief of the conful, arrived atthe enemy's camp in the night, and surrounded it in fuch a manner, that at break of day the qui found themselves in the fame fitua tion that they had put Minutius. The Æqui, attacked on one fide by the dictator, and on the other by the conful, fubmitted to Quinctius's terms, which were, that they should retire without baggage, arms, or cloaths, and every man pafs under the yoke. Two javelins were accordingly fixed in the ground, and a third laid over them, and all the foldiers. paffed, naked and unarmed, under this kind of gate. Their generals and officers were delivered up to the Romans, and referved to grace the dictator's triumph. He would not allow the conful's troops to have any fhare in the spoil; but, turning to Minutius, "As for you," faid he, "you must "learn the art of war in an inferior rank, before you pretend "to be commander in chief." He then obliged him to lay down his office, which the modeft conful was fo far from refenting, that he and his troops prefented the dictator with a crown of gold of a pound weight, for having faved the lives and honour of his fellow citizens. Quinctius returned to Rome, and entered the city in pompous triumph; after which he refigned the dictatorship, and retired to his little farm. The Romans, for a long time, had no written or fixed ftatutes. While monarchy fubfifted, the will of their kings was |