militiae, Latium retro te confer in aevum. 400 libertas quaesita placet? mirabere Brutum. perfidiam damnas? Metti satiabere poenis. triste rigor nimius? Torquati despice mores. mors impensa bonum? Decios venerare ruentes. vel solus quid fortis agat, te ponte soluto 405 oppositus Cocles, Muci te flamma docebit; quid mora perfringat, Fabius; quid rebus in artis dux gerat, ostendet Gallorum strage Camillus. discitur hinc nullos meritis obsistere casus: prorogat aeternam feritas tibi Punica famam, 410 Regule; successus superant adversa Catonis. discitur hinc quantum paupertas sobria possit: pauper erat Curius, reges cum vinceret armis, pauper Fabricius, Pyrrhi cum sperneret aurum; sordida dictator flexit Serranus aratra: 415 lustratae lictore casae fascesque salignis postibus adfixi; collectae consule messes et sulcata diu trabeato rura colono.” Haec genitor praecepta dabat: velut ille carinae longaevus rector, variis quem saepe procellis 420 exploravit hiems, ponto iam fessus et annis aequoreas alni nato commendat habenas et casus artesque docet: quo dextra regatur sidere; quo fluctus possit moderamine falli; quae nota nimborum; quae fraus infida sereni; 425 * * * * * Page 317 Go back to the Latin age. Admirest thou a fight for liberty? Thou wilt admire Brutus. Does treachery rouse thine indignation? The punishment of Mettius[159] will fill thee with satisfaction. Dost thou hate undue severity? Abominate Torquatus’ savagery. Is it a virtue to die for one’s country? Honour the self-devotion of the Decii. Horatius Cocles, facing the foe on the broken bridge, Mucius holding his arm in the flames,[160] these shall show thee what, single-handed, brave men can do. Fabius will show thee what overthrow delay can cause; Camillus and his slaughter of the Gauls what in face of odds a leader can effect. From history thou mayest learn that no ill fortune can master worth; Punic savagery extends thy fame, Regulus, to eternity; the failure of Cato outdoes success. From history thou mayest learn the power of frugal poverty; Curius was a poor man when he conquered kings in battle; Fabricius was poor when he spurned the gold of Pyrrhus; Serranus, for all he was dictator, drove the muddy plough. In those days the lictors kept watch at a cottage door, the fasces were hung upon a gateway of wood; consuls helped to gather in the harvest, and for long years the fields were ploughed by husbandmen who wore the consular robe.”