us, as though he would
make due return for such favour, "Hearken, O King; seeing that thou
canst pay due respect unto courage, I will tell thee freely that which
thou couldst never have wrung from me by threats. Three hundred youths
of Rome have banded themselves together with an oath that they will slay
thee as I would have slain thee. And because the lot fell to me I came
first of the three hundred, who all will follow, each in his own time,
according as the lot shall fall."

So Mucius departed; and men called him thereafter Scaevola, or the
left-handed, because he had thus burned his right hand in the fire. No
long time after there came ambassadors from King Porsenna to Rome, for
the King was so moved not only by the peril that was past, but also by
that which was to come, so long as any of the three hundred yet lived,
that of his own accord he offered conditions of peace to the Romans.
And in these conditions he made mention of bringing back the Tarquins,
knowing indeed that the men of Rome would not allow it, but because he
was under promise to make such demand. As to other matters, he required,
the Romans consenting, that the land of the men of Veii should be given
back to them, and he would have hostages given to him if he should take
away his garrison from Janiculum.

To this also the Romans agreed by compulsion. So King Porsenna departed
from Rome; and the Senate gave to Mucius certain lands beyond the Tiber
that were called in time to come after his name.

And now were the women of Rome also stirred up to do bold deeds for
their country. For a certain maiden, Cloelia by name, that was one of
the hostages, the camp of the Etrurians having been pitched near unto
the Tiber, escaped from them that kept her, and swam across the river,
the whole troop of her companions following her. These she brought back
to the city and delivered safe to their kinsfolk.

[Illustration: Cloelia and her companions 136]

News of this deed being brought to the King he was at the first moved to
great wrath, and sent ambassadors to Rome who should demand the hostage
Cloelia to be restored; as for the others he cared little for them; but
afterwards, his wrath giving place to wonder, he cried, "Surely this
deed is greater even than the keeping of the bridge by Horatius, or the
burning of his right hand by Scaevola. As for the treaty, I shall hold it
to be broken if the Romans give not up the hostage; but if she be given
up I will sen