Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1906-12-18
A DAY In ROME.
Story of Ciaudius and Virginia
Prof. Horner's Lecture.

bic, and the digni6ed Forum is
not without lis romance and con-
sequent tragedy. Appius Grass
us Claudius was a pati ician
that outrivaled Tarquinius Sup
be US in, m per is n an1er toward
the Plebe1ans. "Prlae goeth be-
fore a fall and vanity before des-
t1uction." And Tarquinias Sup
erbus went along with them as
fast as his two awkward legs
could carry him. The awkward
squad preceded Claudius who fol-
lowed in the procession as many
have since done.
But Claudius was polite
enough to secure election as De-
cemvir and subsequent reelection
to that Office. Yet with all his
personal pride and polite sagaci-
ty, his heart was humbled one
day in the presence of Plebeian
girl, Virginia by name, the
daughter of Virginius the Cen
turian. In this paper l am say
ing much to you about the ladies
to make up for what history has
failed to say about your mothers.
Caprice is from the Latin word
Capra, goat. 1t refers to the un-
accountable turns and moods of
the goat. Just such caprices love
was playing on the old Decem-
vir until he suffered from an un-
accountable stroke of affection in
the presence OF the beautiful Vir-
einia. Nor did the genius of the
law and decency offer him any
hope, for no Patrician might wed
a Plebeian. So it appears that
caste is sometimes with the
naughty as with the humble.
Virginia had lover, Icilius
bv name. Where was the Roman
maiden who could endure the
wooing of the Decemvir after
she had already been won by an
other?
But the gods had been seeking
the sacrifice OF some beautiful
victim that might rid Rome of
tyrant; and thus it came about.
Ore of the Decemvir's beneh-
ciaries, Marcus Clandius, made
oath that Virginia was not the
daughter of Virginius, but that
she was the daughter of slave
and had been stolen by the child
less wife of the Centurian. An
attempt on the part of the Decem-
vir to prevent the father from
coming to the trial was foiled;
but the fathers evidence was of
no avail in the presence of per-
jured testimony; and the judg-
ment passed was that the father
must give up the daughter to be
a slave of Claudius the Decenvir.
This was more than a father
could endure. One way of es-
cape and only one remained; but
his daughter must be free. He
asked the privilege of bidding
farewell to his child; and then.
placing his arm about her neck
as if to kiss her a last good
bye," with the other hand he
plunged a dagger into her vitals.
When she fell dead, he shouted,
This, my child, is the only
way to keep you free"
The father with the bethroth.
ed lover and an uncle hurried to
arouse the army, and under the
popular passion the Decemviri
were overthrown and Appius
Claudius died in p;ison.
Where the blood coursed from
the lifeless form of the beautiful
Virginia, stands the base of a
pure white marble column to
commemorate precious Roman
sacrifice for daughters honor.
In America, is a Virginia n
the constellation of stars. This
star was named in honor of the
Virgin Queen of England. The
star is in a constellation that dec
CRATES the American eagle; and
the American eagle looks like a
reproduction of the Roman eagle
in the new soil. Hence one star
in our flag not unhttingly COM
memorates the sacred offering
made by father, daughter and
a lover in the olden days of
Rome.