Calendar: 1871-1872 Page 498

498 general literature and science man to shut up his booth and all who were of age for service to appear in arms in the field of Mars before sunset each with victuals2 for five days and twelve stakes for the consul and his army were surrounded by the enemy had already been shut up three days and none might tell what evil day or night might bring forth So all were ready at the time appointed and they set forth from the city and made such haste that at midnight they came to Algidus and when they perceived that they were near the enemy they made halt Then Lucius rode on and saw how the camp of the enemy lay and bade his men take their arms and their stakes and spread themselves round the camp And when this was done at given signal they raised shout and began each to dig ditch and set in his stakes before him But the shout rang round the lines of the enemy and passed their camp and came even unto the consul's tent and great was their joy and great their congratulations for they said one to an- other Surely it is the shout of Romans and rescue6 is nigh at hand It is not strange that you should be the subject of false report for the sword of slander like that of war devours one as well as another and blameless character is particularly deli- cious to its unsparing appetite But that you should be the object of such report you who meddle less with the designs of government than almost any man that lives under it this is strange indeed It is well however when they who account it good sport to traduce the reputation of another invent story that refutes itself wonder they do not always endeavour to accommodate their fiction to the real character of the person their tale would then at least have an air of probability and it might cost peaceable good man much more trouble to disprove it But perhaps it would not be easy to discern what part of your conduct lies more open to such an attempt than another or what it is that yon either say or do at any time that presents fair opportunity to the most ingenious slanderer to slip in falsehood between your words or actions that shall seem to be of piece with either taberna cibaria vallum signa constituere ducere auxilium