The blockade, however, con;nued，an dw it timed, an终，w件h it a growing scarcity of corn at famine prices.Porse五ast 'llcherished1 of capturing the City by keeping }, thei nvest m uotheinvestm ent. There was a young noble, C. Mucius, who regarded it as a disgrace that whilst Rome in the days of servitude under her kings had never been blockaded in any war or by any foe, she should now, in the day of her freedom, be besieged by those very Etruscans whose armies she had often, routed. Thinking that this dis ought to be avenged by some great deed of daring, he determined in the first instance to penetrate into the enemy's camp on his own responsibility. On second thoughts, however, he became apprehensive that if he went without orders from the consuls, or unknown to any one, and happened to be arrested by the charge whi pillagings. I am purposing, with heaven's help, a greater deed." The senate gave their approval. Concealing a sword in his robe, he started. When he reached the camp he took his stand in the densest part of the crowd near the royal tribunal. It happened to be the soldiers' pay-day, and a secretary, sitting by the xuAZ ana ciressea almost exactly laxe nxn, was busily engagea, as the solaxers x.ept coming to rum incessantly.Airaid should betray him, Mucius struck as fortune directed the blow and killed the secretary instead of the king. He tried to force his way back with his blood-stained dagger through the dismayed crowd. but the shouting caused a rush to be made to the swot: “，1，，，，，·，，，气 琴was犷zz职ana瞥ggea， bacx`l 'T T叹the xing-s1 1，甲a邓uard to the royal tribunal. riere, alone ana taeipiess, anct in the utmost peril, he was still able to inspire more fear than he felt. “I am a citizen of Rome," he said,“men call me C. Mucius. As an enemy I wished to kill an enemy, and I have as much courage to meet death as I had to inflict it. It is the Roman nature to act bravely and to suffer bravely. I am not alone in havi 、nxnst you.behind me there is a long list 丫，，砂沪，二，，·丫，。，·‘，u of those who aspire to the same aistinczion. lx tnen it is your pleasure, make up your mind for a struggle in which you will every hour have to fight for your life and find an armed foeon the threshold of your royal tent. This is the war %Arhich we,the youth of Rome, declare against you. You have no serriedranks, no pitched battle to fear, the matter will be settledbetween you alone and each one of us singly."The king, furious with anger, and at the same time terrifiedat the unknown danger, threatened that if he did not promptlyexplain the nature of the plot which he was darkly hinting athe should be roasted alive. " Look,' Mucius cried, " and learn how those regard their bodies who have some great glory InVleW‘ ，，Then he plunged his right hand into a五re burning on file alt., r. Whilst he kept it roasting there as if he were日Pvnirl .,;。了了 sensation, the king, astounded at his preternatural conduct, sprang from his seat and ordered the youth to be removed from the altar.“Go,'’he said,“you have been a worse enemy to yourself t9-卜n专o me. I wou,1长invoke blessingsh aWOrseene扭y on一ur courage ix it were cispw毛ayea or只、De臀if。毛my country; as it is, 1 send you away exempt from. all r., 1% Ir . I臀is。‘,war, unhurt, and sate." Then IVIucxus, reciprocating, as it were, this generous treatment, said,“Since you honour cou rag e know that what you could not gain by threats you have obt dined by kindness "Three hundred of us, the foremost amongst’the Roman youth, have sworn to attack you in this way. The lot fell to me first