French fiction -- Translations into English; Italian fiction -- Translations into English
When these lawes were renewed, the Decemuiri went foorth, and openly in
the assemblie deposed them selues, to the great ioye and comforte of
them all. All whiche being reported to the people: both the souldiours,
and the rest of the multitude, were somoned to appeare before the
commisioners, unto whom they spake these wordes. “We now besech you al,
to retourne into your countrie, to your domesticall goddes, your wiues,
and children, which we truste shal be right good, happie and profitable
vnto you, and to the common wealth. But your modestie and sober
behauiour, for that no mans grounde is violated and destroyed,
considering many thinges, could not suffice the hugenesse of this
multitude, that part of modestie, I saye, cary with you into the citie,
to your immortall fame and glorie. Get ye therfore to the mounte
Auentine, from whence ye departed, where, as in a place moste happie ye
renewed the foundacions of your auncient libertie, and there yee shall
create your Tribunes: the chiefe bishop shal be present, to kepe the
comitialles.” Then the Romaine people made Aulus Virginius, Lucius
Icilius, and P. Numitorius the Tribunes, who with their assistantes,
first aduanced and confirmed the libertie of the people. Afterward
Virginius was appointed to be the accuser, and Appius chosen to be the
defendant. At the day appointed, Appius resorted to the Forum, with a
great companie of yong gentlemen, of the patricial order, where
Virginius began to renewe the cruel and abhominable facte, which Appius
committed in the time of his authoritie, and said: “Oration was first
deuised and found out, for ambiguous and doubtfull causes: therefore I
will neither consume time, in accusing him before you, from whose
crueltie, ye haue by force defended your selues, nor yet I wyll suffer
hym to coyne to his former wickednesse, any impudente aunswere for his
defence. Wherefore Appius, all those thynges whiche wyckedlye and
cruellye one vpon an other, thou haste done these twoo yeares past,
I doe freely forgeue thee: but if thou canst not purge thyselfe of this
one thing, that against the order and forme of lawe (thou thy selfe
being judge) wouldest not suffer the freman, to enioye the benefite of
his freedome, during the processe made of seruitude, I will presently
commaunde the to pryson.” Appius Claudius being nowe a prysoner, and
perceiuing that the iust complaintes of Virginius did vehemently incite
the people to rage and furie, and that the peticions and prayers of his
frendes in no wise could mollifie their hartes, he began to conceiue a
desperation, and within a whyle after slewe him selfe. Spurius Oppius,
also an other of the Decemuiri, was immediatly sent to prison, who
before the daye of his iudgement died. The reste also of that order fled
into exile, whose goods were confiscate. M. Claudius also the assertor
was condempned: howbeit Virginius was contented he should be banished
the citie, and then he fled to Tybur. Thus vpon the filthie affection of
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