The Osceola times., 1882-02-11
n0RATIuS At THE BRIDGE.

| things for which his name has come
down TO us. He was young Roman
soldier; and the story is more than two
thousand years old.
lie was called Horatius Coolies; and
Coolies means, Born with one eye, or
that has but one" One story was that
lloratius was born with such singular
| formation Of face, having nose so fiat
that both his eyebrows and his eyes
seemed TO meet and join together, that
| to appearance he had but one eye. The
other is that he lost an eve in the wars.
| shall always believe the last account
that so brave youth had the beauty
of his face spoiled by one Of these pierre
ing missiles which the soldiers Of that
time used in battle; for he had been a
fighter from the day he was old enough
TO enter his country's service.
In all the two hundred and forty-six
years of its history the liberty of the
people of Rome had never been in such
peril They had dethroned their king
and banished him; and the struggle was
great TO keep him from coming back and
to keep out the ormies of the neigh
boring sovereign whom he had bribed or
fiattered to help him.
|
the Proud" was the eleventh and last
king Of Rome; and also the wort one,
| The people could not do enough tl show
their hatred towards the banished fami-
| ly. They tore down the palaces Of Tar
! quin, and laid waste all the grounds that
had been his. They cut down the trees,
and threw them into The river Tiber;
and all the sheaves from the fields then
| in harvest were thrown where the trees
| had gone. And there was so much Of
this wreck that it settled fast in the mud
and made an island.
As for Tarquin and his evil household
they fled TO a city Of the nei hboring
kings, from which he sent back messen.
gers begging to be restored. Then he
tried conspiracy. And when he found
that there was no mercy for him or his
where they were known too well he en-
tered into an arrangement with such
kings as were glad Of a quarrel with
Rome.
One who was always ready TO march
on and attack the city of seven hills was
Lars Porsena, king of Etruria. lie was
close at hand, and il seemed an easy
thing to help Tarquin back to the
throne
Rome had become a magnificent city
and was surrounded by walls of masonry
| with towers and battlements of hewn
stone. The Tiber wasalsO defence; but
! there was bridge across it which would
| give entrance tO an invading army, un-
! less guarded.
Horatius Coolies was set there as q
| guard on certain eyentful day when
| Lars Porsena, with a vast army at his
back bringing Tarquin, came marching
on to Rome.
All the people from the surrounding
country had fled into the city. And
none too soon, for Porsena drove every
thing before him, and nearing the walls,
made ioran assault at the bridge Both
the Roman consuls were wounded and
carried off, The soldiers began to desert
their ranks, fleeing before the enemy.
All was panic in the city. 1t had been
a dreadful day. Everybody was out,
Not a woman could stay in her house.
Wild-eyed sni pale, the Roman mothers,
with their children in their arms and
clinging to their robes, gathered in
groups. The victory of the Tuscans, and
the return Of Tarquin meant fire and
slaughter, the lives of the little children
trampled ont, a horrible fate for all the
tender and defenseless, the city spoiled,
and freedom lost. 1t would be a dooms-
day to Rome.
The tumult rose and swelled-that
awful sound of war, the tread of many
feet, the shouts, the neighing of horses,
the clash Of arms, and the hurling of
! javelins through the air. And where the
clamor and contest were, cloud of dust
almost shut ont the blue heaven, then, as
| the Roman forces fell back. crowding
host upon host, until the city WAS fast
being filed with her own soldiers; the
word was passed on ald along that Ho-
ratius was holding the bridge; where
upon the Consuls took courage and the
soldiers again pressed out fresh for the
fight.
The voice Of their brave youth was
heard ringing loud and clear above the
| din. He commanded his countrymen
with AK or sword to destroy the bridge
without delay. He would sustain the
onset of the foe, so far as one man could
while they were doing it. And he pro-
ceeded to the end next the enemy, and,
prominent amid the backs Of those who
were retreating proposed for hand TO
hand fight. At this sight two other
young patrcians, filed with shame that
he should be left alone, stood by him
and the three met the storm and fought
the front OF Porcena's host. Soon those
who were hewng down the bridge called
to them to come back, for only scanty
part remained on which they could cross
over lie compelled his comrades to 60
but, instead OF saving himself he strobe
still nearer the foe. He stood for Rome
her champion, and liberties, and dared
the invaders to come on. The Etruscan
chiefs were SO astonishcd at the sight
the act was SO audaCious, that dead
silence fell on them, and not hand was
raised against him. Then this bold
Horatius had the opportunity y hich
seldom comes to a man who dares to use
it. of saying what he thought of a base
act, to the persons who had been guilty
oft. lie hurled the truth in their faces
The two armies, between whom the
Tiber rolled, looked ON and listened
and il there was any sense of honor in
Lars Porsena, he must have tinglcd tC
his finger tips with shame.
At last the chiefs let fly their iavelins
at Horatius, but Wit his shield he dex'
terously held his ground, till he heard
the crash of the last timber, and the
triumphant shouts of his countrymer
whom he had saved.
Then crying go, Father Tiber, you
sacred one, | pray receive these arms
and this soldier in thy propitious
slreamw He leaped, armed as he wa;
into the river, and swan over in safety
to his friends. He was received with
shouts Of JOY. He was the conquerine
hero Of the day Men and women cried
out that he must have gifts and honors
His statue must be set up.
A decree was passed that every
. l Roman sbould Give him one DAVIS DrO