Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1844-04-19

from sorrow!
| From the first time since Rome had been
a city, were her fields harvested by hostile
swords, her abundant vineyards prey TO
the rude spoiler-for the first time had her
red Businesses, thanking their strong walls
and the broad river that swept round them
for that security which they were wont to owe
to the square shield and the short broad
sword, TO the stout plum and the stouter arm
that welded it The Timber had saved
Rome had not been saved but fer IIoratus
and his fires! Bridecless it now rolled and
free between the Roman city and the great
Latin camp! And on this was triumph, and
loud mirth, and revelry, and song, and feast
ing; and on that, shame and despair, and 81
lent sorrow ; wailing, and wo and famine
Rome's bravcst chiefs we're penncd up in
the circuit of their walls, to perish inelorl-
ously without blow--for the base commons
had revolted, had refused to lift lance, or
buckle brand, or muster in their centuries at
trumpet call to battle. Romes faircst maids
were cap,ves, hostages basely yielded to the
insulting foe Gloria, the pride, the beauty,
and the boast of Rome, and fifty more, the
flower Of the patrician house! And how
should Rome 90 forth TO battle, when at the
first lance hurled, the blow stricken, and all
these must perish, or endure worse outrage
And yet, and yet so vast was the patriotism,
so high the national pride Of those patlician
houses, they offered, knowing the consequent
crs to those dearei to them than life; they
offered to lead on for Rome, regardless Of
their own, their chdren's doom they offer
ed, and had followers been found, they had
not been found wanting.
The sun was at its height, the sky cloud
lcss-ihe Latin camp Haunting with bravery
of banners cleaning with brazen armour
ringing with symphonies of joyous music
Rome sad and stern, and wasting day by day
that the old Tarquin already had begun to
count the hours that should elapse ere those
rebellous gates would open to readmit their
exiled sovereigns.
Lars Persona, the king, rode far in his
ivory Car, inlaid lhbeaten gold, refining his
snow-whte chargers, as if he we're god,
down the green slope from the Pratorian
gate of his huge camp to the clear rivers
bank, where erst had stood the Subician
bridge, now prostra,e-for,h he rode in in
sulling pomp. Two and two went the Lat.
in hrralds IN the van-two by two followed
the E,ruscan augurs-hs lictors s,alked be-
hind him, proud Of their rob round axes
old Tarqnin sat beside the king, with hair
snow white, and snow white beard and eye
brows, all armed from head to heel, with his
crown on his casquc and the eagle sceptre in
his right hand. Sextus and ANGUS rode be-
side him, full Of exu,ing hope. Daily rode
forth that pageant Down they swept to the
verge of that sacred river; and then loud
rang the augural trumpe,s, loud pealcd the
herald's summons and there were display
ed TO the yearning eyes of mourning mothers,
10 the indignant gaze of stern, heroic slres, to
the downcast aud panic-stricken glances of
the false hearted cOmmOns--,hose fifty vir.
gin hostages Wo wo for Rome. And
then, aye then TO vex their patrician lords,
then would the commons have submitted to
the tyrant, to the ravsher--lhen would they
have cast open their gates to the proud king,
have bowed their enfranchised necks under
f the yoke of slavery--for what knew they, or
cared, of liberty and vlrtue2 What was it
TO the crouching, fawnlng arlizan whether a
king or consul sat on the curule chair, so
bread was cheap, and wages high, and holy
days and pageanls frequent Nothing
They would have yieded--but there were
men yet within the walls--brave men though
half heart br0ken--whO would have seen
Rome sink unmoved into the pit of Tarta-
rus, and sunk within it themselves ,rium.
plant, rather than loose one bar or turn one
bolt TO admit any king, unless he came a
captive, to tread the sacred way up to the
, capitol IN fettered pageanlry, thence to the
block TO die! Aye! and without those walls
there were women--young, lovely, delicate,
and tender women, who, rather than those
gates should have Enclosed, would have EN-
/ dured the worst extremity Of i'll who would
have suffered as Lucrelia, and as Lucrclia
died Such was the force, the all conquer
Ing force, in the heroic ages, over the SIM
pie, antique Roman heart, of the first virtue,
, without which no other can exist, the iudom-
table love of country.
Behind that train of maidens, who daily
were marched down, each in her spolless
robe, each in her virgin flels, to aggravate
the sorrows, and try the s,ubborness of the
beleaguered Romans, there was drawn on,
a troop of fifty Latin knights, the bravesl
and the noblest of Personals court, the guard
, of honor of the hostages, each answerabe
with his head for the safe keeping of one no.
Die dan'sel--and, soolhe to say, noble was
their department, noble their treatment OF
the captive damsels. There were, il is true,
none OF the becks and bows, none of the
; honeyed words and howery courtesies of the
false modern days; there was none of their
holiness! But there was grave decorum and
4 self-respectmg honor So tina, each one OF
! those patrician maidens looked to the Latin
- knight who was her guard as her prote cto,
: likewise.
The insulting pomp was ended--back
= sped the proud professionalism now those
= youthful knights dismodnted from their wal
:, sleeds, and walked friendly with their Lowell,
!, cap'ives. Now the procession halted at the
\ Prn'orlan gate, it was perhaps mile irou
the river bank, and on the altar the priests
made sacrifice TO the great gods in gratitude
= for Rome half conqnered-and the while thu
maids are towing are, positively towing will