A. Obsidio erat nihilo minus et frumenti cum summa caritate inopia, sedendoque expugnaturum se urbem spem Porsena habebat, cum C. Mucius, adulescens nobilis, ... primo sua sponte penetrare in hostium castra constituit; dein metuens, ne, si consulum { 5} iniussu et ignaris omnibus iret, forte deprehensus a custodibus Romanis retraheretur ut transfuga, fortuna tum urbis crimen affirmante, senatum adit. ‘Transire Tiberim,’ inquit, ‘patres, et intrare, si possim, castra hostium volo, non praedo nec populationum { 10} in vicem ultor; maius, si di iuvant, in animo est facinus.’ Approbant patres; abdito intra vestem ferro proficiscitur. Ubi eo venit, in confertissima turba prope regium tribunal constitit.
[Linenotes: 1. +cum summa caritate+ = _involving_ (+cum+) _a very high price_. 2. +sedendo+ = _by sitting down before_, of a besieging army. 3. +Mucius.+ From this incident surnamed Scaevola = _the left-handed_. After his time, a frequent surname in the Gens Mucia. 7-8. +fortunā ... affirmante+ = (_a charge which_) _the present condition of the city would confirm_ (_substantiate_). 10-11. +non praedo ... ultor+ = _not to plunder nor to retaliate on_ (lit. ‘an avenger in turn on’) _our plunderers_.]
Cum peteret regem decepta satellite dextra Ingessit sacris se peritura focis. Sed tam saeva pius miracula non tulit hostis Et raptum flammis iussit abire virum. Urere quam potuit contempto Mucius igne, 5 Hanc spectare manum Porsena non potuit. Maior deceptae fama est et gloria dextrae: Si non errasset, fecerat illa minus.
[Linenotes: 1. +sătellite+ = _the attendant_, i.e. the scribe or secretary of Porsena. 2. +ingessit+ = _thrust into_ (_in_ + _gero_). 3. +tam saeva miracula+ = _such a miracle of stern fortitude_. --S. +pius+ = _feeling_, as opposed to _unnatural_. 7-8. i.e. to have killed Porsena would have been less glorious than to display such heroism. --Stephenson.]
+Porsena.+ Livy tells us that Mucius, in gratitude for the magnanimity of Porsena, revealed to him that 300 Roman youths had sworn to attempt the same deed that he had undertaken. Whereupon Porsena feared to distress the Romans any longer, and made peace with them.
LATIN WAR. BATTLE OF LAKE REGILLUS, 498 B.C.
_The Dictator and his Master of the Horse._