had never been before.
Nevertheless they were steadfastly purposed to hold out. And first all
that were in the country fled into the city, and round about the city they
set guards to keep it, part thereof being defended by walls, and part, for
so it seemed, being made safe by the river. But here a great peril had
well-nigh overtaken the city; for there was a wooden bridge on the river
by which the enemy had crossed but for the courage of a certain Horatius
Cocles. The matter fell out in this wise.

There was a certain hill which men called Janiculum on the side of the
river, and this hill King Porsenna took by a sudden attack. Which when
Horatius saw (for he chanced to have been set to guard the bridge, and saw
also how the enemy were running at full speed to the place, and how the
Romans were fleeing in confusion and threw away their arms as they ran),
he cried with a loud voice, "Men of Rome, it is to no purpose that ye thus
leave your post and flee, for if ye leave this bridge behind you for men
to pass over, ye shall soon find that ye have more enemies in your city
than in Janiculum. Do ye therefore break it down with axe and fire as best
ye can. In the meanwhile I, so far as one man may do, will stay the
enemy." And as he spake he ran forward to the farther end of the bridge
and made ready to keep the way against the enemy. Nevertheless there stood
two with him, Lartius and Herminius by name, men of noble birth both of
them and of great renown in arms. So these three for a while stayed the
first onset of the enemy; and the men of Rome meanwhile brake down the
bridge. And when there was but a small part remaining, and they that brake
it down called to the three that they should come back, Horatius bade
Lartius and Herminius return, but he himself remained on the farther side,
turning his eyes full of wrath in threatening fashion on the princes of
the Etrurians, and crying, "Dare ye now to fight with me? or why are ye
thus come at the bidding of your master, King Porsenna, to rob others of
the freedom that ye care not to have for yourselves?" For a while they
delayed, looking each man to his neighbor, who should first deal with this
champion of the Romans. Then, for very shame, they all ran forward, and
raising a great shout, threw their javelins at him. These all he took upon
his shield, nor stood the less firmly in his place on the bridge, from
which when they would have thrust him by force, of a sudden the men of
R